What are 6 management practices to keep cows healthy?

1. Keep up a good herd health program

2. Keep records for breeding, calving, health, weaning and selling

3. Provide good quality feed, forage and mineral at all times

4. Provide access to fresh clean source of water

5. Provide shelter from the elements

6. Handle cows and bulls calmly and responsibly.

Additionally, you should remember an animal's five freedoms:

1. Freedom from disease

2. Freedom from fear

3. Freedom to express normal behaviour

4. Freedomg from hunger and thirst

5. Freedom from discomfort.

Depending on your area and climate and your management practices, when having cattle in a drylot where feed is fed in feeders and not out in a pasture, you should provide clean bedding such as straw for animals to keep them from freezing and getting frostbitten udders or scrotums. Pens should also be cleaned out annually (or as many times as necessary) to keep manure from building up too much.

Good handling practices is also a key to keeping your cattle healthy. Stress causes the immune system to decrease functionality, which in turn increases an animal's of getting sick and contracting some form of disease. Stress also reduces productivity in animals from milk quantity to meat quality.