Cow down

[Clay52]

I don't really see how it makes a blind bit of difference. If you're doing it 'properly' and feeding high straw, D Cab TMR, or whatevers fashionable on the day then you may well maintain higher blood calcium levels. My system might may let them drop a little lower and then I give some a boost with some oral calcium. The proof that it isn't an issue is that cow health at calving (milk fever, rfm etc) have never been better.

In all honesty I probably over use the calcium because it is very easy to drench cows in my parlour and when we're calving 100/week I just don't have time for down cows.

It's a bandaid over a problem. Milk fever is a symptom of a failed transition. Masking it with preventitive calcium is not fixing the problem.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

If it were a problem i would agree with you, but cow health says its not a problem. RFM and clinical milk fevers would have been <2% last year.

Think of it as insurance rather than a bandaid. The majority of the cows i drench would probably be fine but drenching 20-25% is easier than going from <2% to say 5% clinical milk fevers.

 

[bovine]

It's a bandaid over a problem. Milk fever is a symptom of a failed transition. Masking it with preventitive calcium is not fixing the problem.

I've said practically those exact words, but experience shows that @Cows 'n grass also seems to have a point - the people with crap transition management (in terms of MF prevention) can do very very well with targeted calcium supplementation (with boluses). It almost annoys me when it works, although its risky and there is a chance of failing to give the calcium at the correct time.

I don't like routine injections, but happy with boluses.

 

[Clay52]

I've said practically those exact words, but experience shows that @Cows 'n grass also seems to have a point - the people with crap transition management (in terms of MF prevention) can do very very well with targeted calcium supplementation (with boluses). It almost annoys me when it works, although its risky and there is a chance of failing to give the calcium at the correct time.

I don't like routine injections, but happy with boluses.

I'm willing to bet, infact I think I have seen research showing this. That while blanket calcium masks the problems you can see as in a cow going down, I'm sure that those cows don't do as well in regards to production and fertility Vs having a transition that does not require preventive calcium.

 

[bovine]

I think you are probably right, but on the farms that do it (and seemingly do well) there are generally other areas having a bigger effect on production that I would concentrate on first.

The evidence does show clinical milk fever to be an 'iceberg' disease - so for every cow down with milk fever many others have low blood calcium levels. We do know these cows with low calcium but not down with clinical milk fever have reduced performance. I don't know of anything looking at these supplemented cows to see specifically how they perform based on calcium levels. When trying to investigate a MF problem it can be difficult to catch these cows with low calcium, so a short period of well targeted supplement may well prevent the knock on problems.

I'm not saying its the best thing to do, but on some farms it seems to work well. Particularly on smaller units where it's not possible to group dry cows as you may be able to with bigger numbers. There are other issues with the transition period that come into play (BCS change, length, feed correctly to drive intake after calving).

 

[jimmer]

i see @Cows 'n grass cows as the ginger equivalent of a 12,000l holstein
jerseys spring calving can be a challenge from a MF perspective
12,000l holsteins can be a challenge from a metabolic perspective
kexxtone boluses , fresh cow drinks and TMR/DCAB diets are common place in one scenario , not the other

 

[ollie989898]

If you have so many with milk fever that a preventitive is required then that is saying. something is not as good as it should be.


Less than 1% milk fever is acheviable even in large herds.

Totally agree.

If you are getting milk fevers it suggests a lot of cows are on the edge of being ill and something needs to be changed.

I am not fully aware of the precise biological explaination but though IV calcium was hairy and was to be avoided if possible.

Likewise if a cow is funky at calving a multi prong approach was required as probably ketotic as well, plus metacam for pain relief.

90 percent of the real dairy boys already know all this and have a plan for the contingency anyway im sure.

 

[ollie989898]

i see @Cows 'n grass cows as the ginger equivalent of a 12,000l holstein
jerseys spring calving can be a challenge from a MF perspective
12,000l holsteins can be a challenge from a metabolic perspective
kexxtone boluses , fresh cow drinks and TMR/DCAB diets are common place in one scenario , not the other

Possibly not practical or dare I say economic in one of them?

 

[jimmer]

Possibly not practical or dare I say economic in one of them?

exactly my point , hence why elastoplasts are appropriate

 

[Beef farmer]

Possibly not practical or dare I say economic in one of them?

But I bet one has a darn sight better CI