ABSTRACT
Almost any magazine, field day, or educational program dealing with animal agriculture will feature one or more topics on Herd Health. In developing programs for dairy farms, the dairyman almost always begins some phase of herd health medicine because of a specific need in his herd such as mastitis, poor breeding, or calf death loss. A mastitis control program is implemented in the herd. Milking technique is evaluated and proper procedures are explained to the people involved with the herd. The reproductive health program involves monthly visits to the farm to do pregnancy exams, check fresh cows for reproductive problems, treat any problem cows, and assist in other aspects of the herd reproductive program. The calf health program starts with proper dry-cow nutrition and vaccination. Internal parasites are controlled in the adult cows by deworming at calving. Purebred breeders spent more on herd health per cow that did those with grade herds.
