Ruminal Contractions Lab

Summary In this lab, students took basic vitals and body scored dairy cows at the University of Maine’s, Witter Farm. These basic vitals included respiratory rate and ruminal contractions in addition to observing body condition. Upon arrival to the farm, students were led to a classroom where a presentation was given by the professor which covered basic cattle handling skills and safety techniques as demonstrated in videos from the University of Wisconsin. After the presentation, students were taken to the dairy cattle barn, where each group was assigned a cow to work with. Once in the dairy cattle barn, each student in the group was given an opportunity to work with the cow individually while being supervised, as well as working collaboratively
One way to tell if the individual cows are healthy is to determine their Body Condition Scores along with observing their vital signs. The vital signs to observe in cattle are temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and ruminal contractions. Temperature is observed by inserting the thermometer in the rectum of the cow and pressing the thermometer up against the mucous lining of the rectum for the most accurate temperature. (Romero) The heart rate can be observed by placing a stethoscope against the cow’s behind the left elbow. The respiratory rate can be observed by watching and counting the cow’s rib movement for one minute as the cow breathes in and out. The ruminal contractions can be observed with a stethoscope or with your hands. To observe the ruminal contractions place the stethoscope or your hands in the soft spot between the ribs, the hook and below the short ribs, also known as the paralumbar fossa, on the left side of the
This was done by setting a timer for 15 seconds, counting the heartbeat, and multiplying that number by four. A normal heart rate is between 48 and 84 beats per minute. Respiratory rate was also measured by setting a timer for 15 seconds, and placing a hand in front of Pearl’s face by her nostrils. We counted the number of exhales she took and multiplied that number by four. A cow’s respiratory rate should be between 26-50 breaths per minute. To observe the ruminal contractions, we placed our stethoscope in the left paralumbar fossa to listen to rumen turnover, which included a strong contraction wave and the sound of a spinning washing machine. Typically, there should be 1-2 rumen contractions per minute.
Finally, we assessed Pearl’s body condition score by observing anatomical areas of her body. Step one requires a side view of the cow’s rear to evaluate whether the angle between the hooks and pins creates a “V” shape or “U” shape. Then, we evaluated the shape of the hooks, which would either be rounded or angular. We also evaluated her pins to see if they were padded or angular by palpating for a fat pad. We also observed the visibility of her ribs and took that into account for her body condition