We have had a couple of discussions with farmers in the last week who have been seeing higher milk fever rates in their herds.
“The reason for this increase in milk fever incidence can be two-fold,” says GrainCorp Technical Feed Partner, Christian Muller.
One key risk area is when the levels of potassium in the pasture lift. More potassium in the pasture negatively affects calcium mobilization from bones,”
“Or, cows are not recovering intake quickly enough post-calving,” explains Christian.
- Researchers from Cornell University have classified milk fever cases into four groups based on their blood testing 2 to 4 days post-calving:
- Normocalcemic = Normal calcium levels post-calving
- Transient = Start low but recover quickly to normal levels by day four
- Persistent = Small but extended drop in blood calcium
- Delayed = Normal calcium on day one but significant drop later and slow recovery after 4 days.
- Based on their research, cows in the Persistent or Delayed group did not recover feed intake quickly enough, had magnesium deficiencies, and were more likely to go down in the milking mob post-calving or be more susceptible to get a post-partum disease.
So, what can farmers do to help reduce the risk of Milk Fever in their herds?
Christian suggests “Dilute the amount of high potassium pasture being consumed by your transition cows by feeding them hay/straw/maize silage. Avoid feeding them high-quality baleage as this can also be high in potassium,”
“Use a transition mineral product that is formulated to not only contain the right amount of DCAD, but also contains Magnesium and Vitamin D. These 3 components are crucial in optimizing calcium mobilization from bones but also absorption of calcium from the diet.”
Nutrimin® Springer Cow Balancer Hi Mag is formulated to provide the above components to your Transition cows.
Christian encourages farmers to establish strategies to get cows back onto feed as fast as possible once they have calved.
“All cows experience a reduction in feed intake post-calving and will therefore respond well to any intervention that recovers Dry Matter Intake fast post-calving. Some of these interventions can be feeding molasses, giving some hay to your colostrum cows post-calving to maintain rumen health and function, clean fresh water, large breaks to encourage feeding behaviour and ensure that there is enough feed available, and consider the use of live yeast such as Levucell® SC to enhance rumen function.”
This information is intended to be used as a general guideline only and does not replace the advice given to you by your nutritionist or veterinarian. As always, consult with your local qualified nutritionist or veterinarian for further advice or before making significant changes to your animal diets or management practices.
