I had a Jersey Xbred bulling a couple of days ago. She was AI’d and then the following evening was down in the shed with a classic S bend to her neck. Gave her a bottle of Calcium subcutaneously and she scrambled into a cubicle where I tied her in. Next morning she had escaped the cubicle and was in the first row to be milked. Anybody else had similar, can‘t recall any like this before?
Milk fever............post bulling?
- Thread starter vantage
- Start date
Tirglas
Member
- Location
- West wales
I have seen same sort of thing was a real sharp Jersey cross on a very hot day went wobbly just after been bulling even started to look like she was blowing up in the shed after lying down. She recovered fine as well after calcium and walking
Bet she holds. Sexed?
Cows 'n grass
Member
- Location
- Modbury, South Devon
I've had similar in a couple of overweight cows in the past.
Yes, all dairy now100%
Not overweight by any standard, Really nice sharp xbred, if I could have a herd consistently like her I’d have all xbreds. Maybe down the line we may get sexed embryos of designer cows?
I had something similar with 2 cows in the last couple of years, both were older 8+ lactations and large cows, 1 was overweight, but both had an extremely long strong heat, and I felt just knackered themselves, got milked on a robot system and then lay down, and didn’t move for a long while, and I feel cramped up. 1 had to be lifted and the other staggered up to the straw pen. Like you I thought they needed calcium and were stomach pumped. Unfortunately both of them lost most of their milk, and were culled when they were fit enough. Now we’re careful about old and heavy cows on a strong heat and move them to straw if we’re worried.
Spudley
Member
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
Yes definitely have seen this before. Is she a particularly good milker?
Spudley
Member
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
Being 5th lactation is risky enough!
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
We had one last year, surprised us with milk fever after bulling about 10 weeks after calving, only a 4th calver. Right as rain after a couple of bottles of calcium but next test she came up as Johnes positive......
Nope. Haven’t got a test, didn’t realise you needed one when the cow signs were obviously milk fever.
How quick do you get the results?
Within the hour. But you can still give it calcium as it wont hurt anyway. But once you have the results you know exactly what the blood levels are for calcium ,magnesium and importantly phosphorus. The blood test must be taken first ,vet practice is less than a mile though
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
I think only once in 25 years had an apparent 'milk fever' that didn't respond where a pre-treatment blood sample might have pinpointed something else. We had one other where the vet took a sample after treatment as she had not responded to 2 bottles, it still showed low calcium so we gave her some more and she got up.
You would never risk it, within the hour isn't good enough. When they invent an instant test then deffinatly, but until then......
matthew
Member
- Location
- Cornwall, SW England
Please don't laugh.....
Our ex (excellent) nutritionist, when we were milking, had a good tip from a Dutch dairy nutritionist to check cow's calcium levels. Instantly.
Hold up the tail about midway along the bone, and if the end flops over like a bunch of dead daffodils, she's deficient. It should stand up straight to the end of the tail bone.
I told you not to laugh.
Bruce was in demand all over the world, and very good he was too - as well as being a good friend..
Off you go .....
Our ex (excellent) nutritionist, when we were milking, had a good tip from a Dutch dairy nutritionist to check cow's calcium levels. Instantly.
Hold up the tail about midway along the bone, and if the end flops over like a bunch of dead daffodils, she's deficient. It should stand up straight to the end of the tail bone.
I told you not to laugh.
Bruce was in demand all over the world, and very good he was too - as well as being a good friend..
Off you go .....
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