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Transition cow
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<blockquote data-quote="bovine" data-source="post: 1227430" data-attributes="member: 12486"><p>You could write text books on this - spend days discussing it.</p><p></p><p>Few bullet points:</p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Intake in dry period is vital, and just as important as what that diet is made up of. Look for minimum of 12kg DMI. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Fresh food in front of the cows - every day if possible. <br /> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Straw works well to dilute the energy from grass or maize, but needs to be chopped to get the intakes. <br /> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The Cow Signals guys talk about the 'danger triangle ' you don't want hollow flanks.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">8 week dry period works best with 2 diets, transition diet for last 3 weeks minimum <ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">transition diet should contain same ingredients as milking cow ration, not necessarily in same ratios</li> </ol></li> </ol></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Single diet can work well (100MJ/day) but aim for a shorter dry period ~6 weeks (ideal for smaller herds).<br /> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Free access to lots of clean water<br /> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Dry period start and end biggest risks for picking up mastitis, so must be as clean as milkers</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Ideally maintain body condition in dry period, some people have dropped up to half a point in the early dry period and gotten away with it. <br /> <ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">I'd consider having a very fat cow dry for as short as possible, 5 weeks</li> </ol></li> </ol></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Manage body condition in later lactation so that the cow dries off no fatter than BCS 3.5</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">60g of magnesium per day</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Care with grass based diets and milk fever - knowing the potassium is vital. <br /> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Avoid too many group changes (dry off once per week?)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Calving is tiring and I do think the drinks are a very good idea. You can offer them ration ASAP and they eat it. This has to be good.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Milk them as soon as you can after calving and get the calf off the cow.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Investigate problems promptly (DAs, whites, retained cleansings).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Kexxtone are useful to get yourself out of bother for individual animals, but are not an ongoing sustainable thing for all cows. <ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Fat cows, cows that have had a DA, thin cows or cows carrying twins is where I would target them</li> </ol></li> </ol></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Manage cows with twins<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Dry off a week earlier</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Move onto transition diet minimum of 4 weeks before calving (maybe even dry off into that group)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Kexxtone</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Glycol after calving</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Oxytocin after calving</li> </ol></li> </ol></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Taking temperatures is just acknowledging you have a problem and trying to find it happening sooner - stop the problem in the first place. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Get the feet sorted at drying off </li> </ol></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="bovine, post: 1227430, member: 12486"] You could write text books on this - spend days discussing it. Few bullet points: [LIST=1] [*]Intake in dry period is vital, and just as important as what that diet is made up of. Look for minimum of 12kg DMI. [*]Fresh food in front of the cows - every day if possible. [*]Straw works well to dilute the energy from grass or maize, but needs to be chopped to get the intakes. [*]The Cow Signals guys talk about the 'danger triangle ' you don't want hollow flanks. [*]8 week dry period works best with 2 diets, transition diet for last 3 weeks minimum [LIST=1] [LIST=1] [*]transition diet should contain same ingredients as milking cow ration, not necessarily in same ratios [/LIST] [/LIST] [*]Single diet can work well (100MJ/day) but aim for a shorter dry period ~6 weeks (ideal for smaller herds). [*]Free access to lots of clean water [*]Dry period start and end biggest risks for picking up mastitis, so must be as clean as milkers [*]Ideally maintain body condition in dry period, some people have dropped up to half a point in the early dry period and gotten away with it. [LIST=1] [LIST=1] [*]I'd consider having a very fat cow dry for as short as possible, 5 weeks [/LIST] [/LIST] [*]Manage body condition in later lactation so that the cow dries off no fatter than BCS 3.5 [*]60g of magnesium per day [*]Care with grass based diets and milk fever - knowing the potassium is vital. [*]Avoid too many group changes (dry off once per week?) [*]Calving is tiring and I do think the drinks are a very good idea. You can offer them ration ASAP and they eat it. This has to be good. [*]Milk them as soon as you can after calving and get the calf off the cow. [*]Investigate problems promptly (DAs, whites, retained cleansings). [*]Kexxtone are useful to get yourself out of bother for individual animals, but are not an ongoing sustainable thing for all cows. [LIST=1] [LIST=1] [*]Fat cows, cows that have had a DA, thin cows or cows carrying twins is where I would target them [/LIST] [/LIST] [*]Manage cows with twins [LIST=1] [LIST=1] [*]Dry off a week earlier [*]Move onto transition diet minimum of 4 weeks before calving (maybe even dry off into that group) [*]Kexxtone [*]Glycol after calving [*]Oxytocin after calving [/LIST] [/LIST] [*]Taking temperatures is just acknowledging you have a problem and trying to find it happening sooner - stop the problem in the first place. [*]Get the feet sorted at drying off [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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