Volume 57 -  No. 2  -  2002

Table of contents

Courtesy of Prof. E. Aizenbud

     A computer terminal is located in the veterinary treatment area of Kibbutz Gasher’s dairy farm. It gives the bovine practitioner and herdsman immediate access to the dynamics of milk production and other health-related indices of the sick animal. It displays changes in the indices before and during the illness and the outcome of the tratment (see p. 46).

    The widespread usage of computerized herd management systems (combined with on-line sensors) by Israeli dairy farms now include milk test results fed into the system by the Israel Cattle Breeders’ Association. The exchange of these data with the Veterinary Services and its Herd Health Management program contribute to attaining increased yields and improving the health of the Israeli Holstein cow. The Israeli cow has demonstrated a capacity for high production levels in spite of negative climatic factors. This is essentially the result of an intensive national breeding improvement program, the development of new feeding strategies and advanced husbandry policies that receive constant veterinary supervision.

       In 2001, 80,787 registered Israeli Holstein cows produced an average of 11,031 kg of milk with 3.39% butterfat and 3.09% protein.