16/01/2024

Avoid milk fever

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If you keep and feed your dairy cows properly, you can prevent metabolic diseases and save on veterinary costs.

Most metabolic diseases occur in the first days and weeks of lactation. They often pave the way for subsequent illnesses and dysfunctions. Classic metabolic diseases such as milk fever (parturient paresis), ketosis, and rumen acidosis are therefore rightly considered the main causes of fertility problems, claw and limb diseases, abomasal displacement, and infectious diseases such as mastitis and uterine infections.

Reduce calcium supply

The occurrence of milk fever is clearly linked to calcium intake during the dry period (particularly during the transition period). With an excess supply of calcium (Ca), the requirement is almost entirely met from the intestine. This suppresses the hormonal mechanisms of active calcium supply, which are thus overwhelmed by the increased demand at the time of calving. By reducing calcium intake in the preparatory feed, especially in the last three weeks before calving, these regulatory mechanisms are trained, which significantly reduces the risk of milk fever. To effectively prevent milk fever, the calcium supply of dry cows should be significantly reduced. In practice, this is not always possible due to the natural Ca content of the feeds used in our latitudes, especially the forages. However, the target value is less than 50 g Ca/cow/day in the total ration. The recommended intake of magnesium (Mg) (16 g/cow/day) for dry cows is a minimum. A prolonged oversupply of phosphorus (P) (35 g or more per animal per day) can also lead to milk fever by displacing Ca. Strict adherence to the optimal Ca:P ratio of 1.5:1 in the dry cow ration alone does not prevent the occurrence of milk fever.

Avoid high potassium levels

A high potassium content in the ration is often responsible for an increased incidence of milk fever. Forages with high potassium content (from intensively fertilized areas) should therefore be replaced in preparatory feeding whenever possible. Potassium is the most common and most effective cation in forages in grassland farming. Feeds low in potassium include maize silage, hay, straw, and most concentrate components, especially rapeseed meal. A forage analysis is required for a targeted mineral supply.

Enter calcium supplements

Individual animal prevention measures such as administering calcium gels, boluses, or vitamin D3 injections are suitable for farms with minor milk fever problems, as well as small and medium-sized farms. For high-risk cows that have already had milk fever, the administration of calcium salts (gels, pastes, boluses) is recommended as a preventative measure. Approximately 50 g of calcium in the form of calcium chloride or calcium propionate is administered the day before calving, on the day of calving, and on the two following days. Studies show that this can reduce the incidence of milk fever by up to 70%. Calcium gels are only used for prevention and aftercare, not for the treatment of cows that are recumbent due to milk fever. In addition to the insufficient therapeutic efficacy of the highly corrosive calcium gels, there is a high risk of misswallowing and subsequent sinus pneumonia in cows that are recumbent. For this reason, boluses and pastes have proven to be practical in practice.

Injection of vitamin D3

A single veterinary injection of vitamin D3 eight to four days before calving can prevent cows from becoming numb due to vitamin D3 imbalances. To test the effectiveness of this method, cows that had previously suffered from milk fever were used in a trial. In approximately 80% of cases, a vitamin D3 injection prevented recurrence of the disease. Overdose should be avoided due to the risk of hypervitaminosis with calcification of internal organs. Cases of phosphorus and magnesium deficiency cannot be prevented by this treatment.

Prevent ketosis

Energy-providing compounds (propylene glycol, propionates, and glycerol) can be absorbed by ruminants directly from the rumen and transported via the bloodstream to the liver. In the liver, these compounds can be immediately used to produce blood sugar and thus quickly improve energy balance. However, this requires a functioning, healthy liver. Propylene glycol has an energy content of 16.8 MJ NEL/kg. Reported successes in the literature range from "ineffective" to possible increases in milk yield of up to 3.5 kg/cow per day. These results are not surprising given the complex interrelationships and the diverse basic conditions in the trials (herd performance, body condition, ration composition, management, and cow comfort). Improvements in energy supply have also been described as having beneficial effects on animal health and fertility. In general, the greater the difference between energy demand and actual energy supply, the more beneficial the use of propylene glycol will be. The general, preventative application of propylene glycol is primarily used in mixed rations and in herds with high milk yields. Automatic dosing systems are also available on the market.

How to prevent metabolic problems:

Regularly assess body condition (using BCS points or ultrasound measurement of back fat thickness).
Optimal body condition: Adapt ration to the most important performance phases (fresh lactation, mid and late lactation, dry period)
Cows and heifers should not become fat before calving
Hay in the feed ration of dry cows
No mineralized concentrate feed in the last three weeks before calving
No pelleted dairy cattle feed
Slowly change the ration
Ensuring cow comfort for heavily pregnant cows and heifers

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