There can be no high-volume production without high standards of animal welfare and health. The One Health approach addresses livestock management from a dual perspective aimed at ensuring sustainable performance:

• Environment and welfare: using specific data collection methods, housing environments and management practices are analysed to identify critical areas in key sections such as the calf area, the dry-off area and the transition area. A summary score is assigned, enabling a report to be drawn up setting out actions categorised as short-term, medium-term and long-term.

• Health and diseases: the constant monitoring of health issues goes hand in hand with safeguarding milk quality. Through the monthly analysis of data from functional checks, targeted lists are generated for new infections, recurrences and the management of the dry-off period. In the event of critical issues, specific checks are carried out in the milking parlour (timings, hygiene, routines,teat-end scores and cleanliness scores) and in-depth bacteriological investigations are conducted to protect the udder and the quality of the raw milk.

Optimise the welfare and milk quality in your dairy!

Come and visit us in Cremona from 26 to 28 November during the trade fair. Our experts are looking forward to showing you how the One Health approach can make a difference to your farm.

To experience first-hand the benefits of a targeted nutritional strategy to combat oxidative stress, Tecnozoo – as part of a university thesis in collaboration with the Hungarian university Kaposvári Egyetem – monitored a field trial involving a group of Holstein dairy cows.

Why do lameness cases peak between late summer and early autumn (affecting even a high proportion of the cows in the barn)?

The answer lies in a combination of three factors experienced over the summer:

1. Metabolic factors: fluid loss due to hyperventilation reduces buffering capacity, triggering micro-acidosis and the release of toxins that cause foot inflammation (laminitis).
2. Mechanical factors: in order to dissipate heat, the cow spends much more time standing than lying down, placing excessive strain on the hoof structure.
3. Environmental factors: the constant use of hand showers and summer watering creates damp environments and slippery floors, which soften the horn on the foot, making it vulnerable.

As the hoof takes around two months to grow and for any damage to become visible on the surface, ulcers, white-line lesions and severe lameness tend to appear in the autumn.

To prevent problems and support hoof regeneration, the diet must provide highly bioavailable organic zinc (essential for cell structure and tissue healing), biotin – which is vital for keratin synthesis and the mechanical strength of the hoof – and iodine.

For over forty years, Tecnozoo has been supporting livestock farmers with nutritional solutions designed to meet the animals’ physiological needs during the most critical stages of the production cycle.

To manage the dry period as effectively as possible and prepare the cow for calving, the Tecnozoo range offers two key products:

• CLOSE UP HA: A mineral feed specifically designed for the final three weeks of the dry period. Its formulation is balanced to provide the correct anionic salts needed to lower blood pH and stimulate calcium metabolism. It contains a carefully calculated level of magnesium – a key element for the proper functioning of endocrine receptors – combined with a blend of vitamins and minerals designed to support the immune system in the pre-calving period.
• COW DRY PLUS SE NEW: Designed for the entire dry period, this mineral feed meets the cow’s vitamin and mineral requirements whilst providing the added benefit of heat-treated linseed, which is rich in essential Omega-3 fatty acids. The presence of soluble fibre, sugars, brewer’s yeast and oligosaccharides stimulates the ruminal microflora, helping to restore normal digestive balance before the new production cycle.

To ensure effective protection of the forage during all stages of silage production, Tecnozoo offers AGECON 2, a liquid preservative premix developed specifically for the treatment of silage intended for cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. This solution works through the presence of ammonium propionate, an active ingredient which, once distributed and mixed evenly throughout the forage, gradually releases propionic acid.
The targeted action of propionic acid acts directly on the critical points of the preservation process, acidifying the forage uniformly and effectively inhibiting the growth of yeasts and moulds. This preventative measure prevents the onset of undesirable secondary fermentation, helping to stabilise the silage temperature and avoiding the self-heating phenomena that commonly occur during silage removal or when the front of the silage pit is exposed to the air.
Keeping the silage cool and microbiologically stable means preserving the integrity of the nutrients, limiting the loss of dry matter and safeguarding the palatability of the forage, thereby ensuring high intake by the animals in the barn.
Achieving silage of high nutritional and hygienic quality requires attention at every stage of the production chain: from the choice of harvest time, to the management of the harvesting site, right through to the strategic use of preservatives

In addition to rising summer temperatures, there are other critical stages in the rearing cycle during which the animal is most vulnerable to stress:

• Settling in and group reorganisation: these are delicate stages of adapting to new environments and group hierarchies.
• Extreme weather events: extreme heatwaves combined with high levels of relative humidity.
• Transport and handling: physical and environmental stresses during transit.
• Peak production phases: periods when metabolic demand is at its highest.

To deal effectively with stressful situations, it is advisable to adopt a comprehensive strategy that includes:

• reduction in factors contributing to competition amongst animals;
• effective management of groups;
• clean, dry and well-ventilated areas;
• a balanced and consistent diet;
• evaluation of nutritional programmes involving specific supplementation, tailored to the needs of the livestock farm.

Every farm has its own unique characteristics: for this reason, it is important to identify the most suitable strategies with the support of qualified professionals.

The requirements of a livestock farm may vary depending on genetics, facilities, the stage of production and management practices.

For this reason, the choice of a nutritional programme should always form part of a comprehensive technical assessment.

Would you like to find out more about Tecnozoo’s solutions for managing stress in pigs?

Request a personalised consultation or ask your local Tecnozoo agent for more information.

Managing heat stress in calves requires an integrated approach, in which the environment, management and nutrition work together to help maintain the animal’s normal physiological balance.

To meet the various needs of livestock farming, Tecnozoo has developed a range of complementary feeds and supplementary products that can be incorporated into specific nutritional programmes during periods of high temperatures.

NORMOTERM FLUID is a liquid complementary feed containing natural phytochemicals, including Salix alba L. and Filipendula ulmaria Max, formulated to help maintain the animal’s physiological and oxidative balance; it is particularly suitable for periods characterised by high temperatures and reduced appetite.

To support the normal balance of the gut flora – a particularly important factor in situations of increased environmental stress – Tecnozoo offers GARDIAN ONE, a complementary feed based on prebiotics and probiotics, designed to support calves during the most delicate stages of their growth.

During the summer months, it is also essential to ensure that fluid and electrolyte balance is maintained. In this context, REIDRAL LIQUID provides valuable nutritional support thanks to its supply of mineral salts and readily available energy, making it particularly suitable during periods of high temperatures or increased fluid requirements.

For calves requiring rapid replenishment of water, minerals and energy, BIREIDRAL 1+2 is also available. This is an energy-enriched saline rehydration solution formulated to promote a balanced return to normal nutrition in fatigued or debilitated animals, and as a nutritional aid in situations characterised by digestive disorders, helping to restore the water-electrolyte balance.

For animals requiring specific nutritional support, it is also possible to include DIETOMILK, a complementary feed developed to support calves during the most critical stages of rearing, and VITAM, a vitamin solution formulated to supplement the diet during periods of increased nutritional requirements.

Among the nutritional strategies that can be adopted during the summer months, SUMMER 300 TOP is a complementary feed formulated to help maintain the normal physiology of dairy cows during periods characterized by high environmental temperatures.

The formulation provides betaine, useful for supporting cells under osmotic stress and dehydration conditions, niacin and choline, involved in energy and lipid metabolism, as well as minerals and trace elements that help replenish losses associated with heat stress.

The presence of live yeasts, probiotics and plant extracts completes the product, helping to maintain rumen efficiency and stability.