During winter times, it is usually a challenge for dairy farmers as the wide temperature swings and wet-warm weather will cause the cows to be stressed, leading to increase incidence of disease such as pneumonia.

Here are some tips to prevent and address pneumonia in dairy cows:

1) Good air

• The most important measure in preventing pneumonia is to have good ventilation.

• Open up the curtains during warm and humid days to allow plenty of air flow.

• Open up the windows that have been close to prevent stagnant areas. Heifers housed outdoors with a run-in shed normally do better than those housed indoor due to better ventilation.

• For older barns, consider putting some fans to increase air ventilation.

• Consider having air flow and quality test run on your farm under normal working conditions.

2) Vaccinations

• Make sure to have a vaccine program in place. Consult your veterinarian to develop a program that suit your needs.

• Consider adding pneumonia-specific vaccinations just before winter to provide additional protection to your cows.

• Make sure your cows are in healthy condition when receiving vaccinations.

• Make sure the vaccines are kept in good condition before administering it to the animals.

3) Avoid adding stress

• Winter is already a stressful period for the cows.

• Avoid transporting the animals or any other activities that will cause stress for the cows.

4) Monitor

• Catching any early signs of illness will give you a better chance for effective treatment.

• If you suspect an animal is sick, take its temperature.

• Consult your veterinarian for treatment protocols that meets your farm requirements.

5) Facing outbreak

• Even if we tried our best, sometimes you will face disease outbreak.

• Treat the affected animals as soon as possible and aggressively to prevent any long-term damage.

• Consider isolating the affected animals to prevent spread of disease.

• During an outbreak, consider vaccinating the healthy animals to prevent spread of disease.

• While vaccinating will add stress to the animal, when use properly, it can help to prevent the disease during an outbreak.