A5 Q2 Torch Summer Magazine 2024 - Flipbook - Page 24
SUPPORTING TRANSITION COWS FOR A
SUCCESSFUL LACTATION
BY Kiera Schubert VetMB Cert AVP (Ca琀琀le) MRCVS & Sophia
Elworthy BVSc PGCertVetEd
Thank you to Seckington Dairies for hos琀椀ng our transi琀椀on cow mee琀椀ng and Elanco Animal Health for lunch. We spent the day discussing how best to manage our
transi琀椀on cows for a successful lacta琀椀on and medica琀椀on op琀椀ons for the inevitable
circumstances where we cannot get everything just right for every cow!
What are our goals? Our aim of course is for a cow (preferably all, or most cows!)
to have an uncomplicated calving and a smooth transi琀椀on to become a healthy
produc琀椀ve milking cow.
What do the cows need and how can we provide it?
A dry cow’s nutri琀椀onal needs are rela琀椀vely simple; the di昀케culty comes in the huge
jump in requirements at calving. We are focusing here on nutri琀椀on and nutri琀椀on
related disease,mas琀椀琀椀s and lameness preven琀椀on are topics for another day!
Daily needs
Ketosis Preven琀椀on
Maximising dry ma琀琀er intake pre calving allows the cows to eat more a昀琀er
calving,thereby adap琀椀ng more quickly to these huge changes in requirements;
reducing ketosis and ketosis related diseases such as LDAs. S
o, how do we encourage them to 昀椀ll their bellies?
• Low energy density ra琀椀on; so that the cows are not sa琀椀s昀椀ed a昀琀er the 昀椀rst
few bites and no longer have the hunger drive to eat more.
• Fresh, appe琀椀sing feed; at least once a day
• Easy water access; at least 10cm per cow, at least 2 loca琀椀ons available to
reduce compe琀椀琀椀on/wai琀椀ng
• Space to feed; at least 90cm per cow
• Space to lie and ruminate; at least one cubicle each or in loose housing 1m 2
/1000l target milk produc琀椀on (~10m 2 per cow)
• Correct BCS; 2.5-3, fat cows will have a decreased appe琀椀te due to the presence of lep琀椀n and also less space to 昀椀t in a full rumen.
In cows at risk of ketosis; a Kexxtone bolus 3-4 weeks pre calving provides
~95 days of Monensin. This adjusts the rumen 昀氀ora to aid glucose produc琀椀on
and prevent ketosis. We have seen a good reduc琀椀on in disease (and increase in
yields) in herds that use this, please ask for more informa琀椀on.
