The link bw cow health & nutrition

THE LINK BETWEEN COW HEALTH AND NUTRITION

COW HEALTH AND NUTRITION

NUTRITIONAL IMBALANCES, DEFICIENCIES OR ERRATIC MANAGEMENT OF FEEDING

PROGRAMS CAN CREATE LARGE NUMBERS AND VARIOUS TYPES OF HEALTH PROBLEMS, GENERALLY REFERED TO AS METABOLIC

DISEASES.

COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM ARE EVER-CHANGING NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF THE COW, HER

LACTATION/DRY PERIOD NEEDS, FEED QUALITY CHANGES AND PRODUCER MANAGEMENT

PRACTICES.

COW HEALTH AND NUTRITION

FREQUENTLY WHEN METABOLIC DISEASE INCREASES, OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIOUS

DISEASE ALSO INCREASES.

IF THESE DISEASES ARE NOT PREVENTED OR REDUCED, VERY COSTLY CONSEQUENCES IN REPRODUCTION, PRODUCTION AND HUMAN

RESOURCES WILL OCCUR.

REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)

HOW MUCH SHOULD LACTATING AND DRY COWS EAT?

LACTATING B/W 19-28 KG DM

42 lb - 61 lb

FAR AWAY DRY 12 KG DM

26 lb

CLOSE UP DRY 10 KG DM

22 lb

REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)

AS A NUTRITIONIST THE QUESTION I ASK FIRST WHEN CONFRONTED WITH REDUCED DMI IS:

WHY ARE DMI’S REDUCED?

Empty bunks Inadequate bunk space, crowded facilities Ration DM < 45% or > 55% High fibre ration, NDF>33%, ADF>20% ANALYSE

YOUR FORAGES!!!! Low salt intake

REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)

REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)

Water intake restricted or poor quality Moldy feed Poor bunk management, old feed not cleaned out. Unpalatable feeds and/or low quality forages being

fed.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)

WORK WITH YOUR NUTRITIONIST TO ENSURE THAT ALL PARTS OF YOUR RATION ARE PROPERLY BALANCED

SUBMIT FORAGES FOR ANALYSIS MONTHLY CHECK MOISTURE LEVELS ON ALL WET

INGREDIENTS WEEKLY ENSURE YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT 2 GROUP DRY

COW PROGRAM (OR 1 GROUP) CHECK FOR “SARA” (SUBACUTE RUMEN

ACIDOSIS):– OVER FEEDING GRAIN– POOR eNDF– SORTING BY COWS– PERFORM RUMEN pH’s

REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)

START FEEDING SODIUM BICARBONATE (150-220 G/H/D)

START FEEDING A YEAST PRODUCT FEED HIGHLY PALATABLE FEEDS SUCH AS

BREWERS GRAINS, MOLASSES ETC. TALK TO YOUR VET ABOUT SUPPORT

TREATMENTS FOR KETOSIS CONSIDER ADMINISTERING Ca AS SOON AS

POSSIBLE TO ALL MATURE COWS AFTER CALVING

KETOSIS & SUB-CLINICAL KETOSIS

THIS METABLOIC DISEASE OCCURS MOST FREQUENTLY IN EARLY LACTATION.

SUBCLINICAL KETOSIS IS CHARACTERIZED BY “MELT DOWN”

I HAVE SEEN IT IN MID TO LATE LACTATION DUE TO OVER CROWDING OR FOOT ISSUES.

OFTEN KETOSIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH FAT COW SYNDROME, RP’S, MASTITIS, METRITIS AND DA’S.

KETOSIS POSITIVE COWS SHOULD BE MONITORED FOR OTHER ISSUES.

KETOSIS & SUB-CLINICAL KETOSIS

SIGNS OF KETOSIS INCLUDE: REDUCED DMI WEIGHT LOSS DECREASED MILK PRODUCTION DEPRESSION AND LISTLESSNESS “DOWNER COW” “KETONE” BREATH

What can be done?

KETOSIS & SUB-CLINICAL KETOSIS

ENSURE YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT 2 GROUP DRY COW PROGRAM

MAINTAIN DRY COWS IN A BCS OF 3.5 TO 4.0 TRY AND HAVE A SEPARATE “TRANSITION GROUP” MAKE SURE THAT COWS FEET ARE KEPT

TRIMMED AND TREATED CONSIDER FEEDING NIACIN IN THE CUD GROUP

AND UP UNTIL 100 DIM USE CRC RUMENSIN BOLUSES IN THE CUD GROUP

AND 200 MG MONENSIN H/D IN THE MILKING HERD WORK WITH YOUR VET ON PROTOCOL TO HANDLE

CLINICAL CASES OF KETOSIS– PROPYLENE GLYCOL– DEXTROSE

MILK FEVER

MILK FEVER GENERALLY OCCURS AT OR NEAR CALVING DUE TO A LARGE Ca DEMAND AT THE

ONSET OF COLOSTRUM/MILK PRODUCTION.

I HAVE SEEN IT IN HIGH PRODUCTION, 3X COWS IN MID LACTATION.

SIGNS OF MILK FEVER INCLUDE: STAGGERING, TREMORS,“DOWNER COW”, MUSCULAR

WEAKNESS AND SUBNORMAL TEMPERATURE.

THERE IS A SUB-CLINICAL FORM OF MILK FEVER WHICH MIMICS SUB-CLINICAL KETOSIS.

MILK FEVER

OTHER PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH MILK FEVER: BLOAT DA’S KETOSIS MASTITIS COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEM REDUCED TOTAL PRODUCTIVITY DYSTOCIA UTERINE PROLAPSE RP’S METRITIS “MELT DOWN” AND ASSOCIATED REPRODUCTIVE

FAILURE

MILK FEVER

WHAT CAN BE DONE? ENSURE YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT 2 GROUP DRY

COW PROGRAM I BALANCE MY CUD RATIONS USING 0.70% Ca,

0.35% P, 0.25% Mg AND K , <1.2% ON A DM BASIS. IF I CANNOT ACHIEVE THESE VALUES I USE

ANIONIC SALTS, IN WHICH CASE Ca LEVELS IN THE RATION SHOULD BE >150 G/H/D

MONITORING URINE pH HELPS CHECK EFFECTIVENESS OF ANIONIC SALTS (6.0 to 6.5

BALANCE CUD VITAMINS AS FOLLOWS:VITAMIN A 200 KIU/DAY VITAMIN D 50 KIU/DAY VITAMIN E 1,000 – 4,000 IU/DAY

MILK FEVER

MILK FEVER

NEVER FEED FREE CHOICE MINERALS TO CUD COWS.

NEVER FEED SODIUM BICARBOANTE TO CUD COWS.

LIMIT SALT TO CUD COWS (UDDER EDEMA AND MILK FEVER)

WORK WITH YOUR VET ON PROTOCOL TO HANDLE CLINICAL CASES OF MILK FEVER

DISPLACED ABOMASUM (DA)

MOST DA’S OCCUR SHORTLY AFTER CALVING.

I HAVE SEEN IT IN MID TO LATE LACTATION DUE TO OVER CROWDING OR FOOT ISSUES.

SIGNS OF DA’S RESEMBLE KETOSIS:OFF FEEDSCANT BOWEL MOVEMENTSNORMAL TEMPERATUREDRASTIC REDUCTION IN MILKGENERAL DISCOMFORT

DISPLACED ABOMASUM (DA)

WHAT CAN BE DONE? ENSURE YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT 2 GROUP DRY

COW PROGRAM

DO NOT OVER FEED GRAIN OR UNDER FEED FORAGE IN EITHER THE CUD GROUP OR THE FRESH GROUP (HIGH GROUP TMR + 1-2 KG LONG STEM HAY)

ELIMINATE MOLDY FEEDS FROM ALL DAIRY RATIONS

RETAINED PLACENTA (RP)

RP’S ARE CONSIDER A PROBLEM WHEN 8-10% OF THE HERD DOES NOT DROP THEIR FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER CALVING

RP’S ARE THE SYMPTOM OF ANOTHER PROBLEM:1. Milk fever (sub or clinical)2. Ketosis (sub or clinical)3. Protein deficiency4. Se &/or Vit. E deficiency5. Twins, hard calving, late/early calf etc.

RETAINED PLACENTA (RP)

WHAT CAN BE DONE? ENSURE YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT 2 GROUP DRY COW

PROGRAM ENSURE THAT ALL PROTEINS ARE BALANCED IN THE CUD

COW GROUP ENSURE EXCELLENT VITAMIN A,D, & E NUTRITION IN THE

CUD COWS ENSURE EXCELLENT Se NUTRITION IN THE CUD GROUP. I

BALANCE AT 7-8 MG/H/D IN THIS GROUP. USE AN ANIONIC SALT TO REDUCE MILK FEVER. AVOID FAT OR THIN COW SYNDROME AVOID STRESS AROUND THE TIME OF CALVING.

METRITIS

LIKE RP’S, METRITIS, OR INFECTION OF THE UTERUS, IS USUALLY A SYMPTOM OF ANOTHER PROBLEM:

TWINS OR HARD CALVING DIRTY CALVING AREA FAT COW OR THIN COW SYNDROME AGGRESSIVE OR UNHYGENIC

INTERVENTION AT CALVING RP’S

METRITIS

WHAT CAN BE DONE?AVOID RP’S INJECT Se &/OR VITAMIN EELIMINATE MOLDY FEEDS FROM ALL DAIRY

RATIONS INDUCE OR NATURAL ESTRUSMAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF SANITATION IN THE

CALVING AREAFEED A WELL BALANCED RATION IN THE FAD

AND CUD GROUPS.MONITOR BCS IN ALL ANIMALS AND MANAGE

ACCORDINGLY

REPRODUCTIVE FAILURE

REPRODUCTIVE FAILURE IN DAIRY HERDS CAN BE DIVIDED IN TO MANY CATAGORIES:

CYSTIC OVARIESANESTRUSREPEAT BREEDERSABORTIONSDISEASE CONDITIONS

CYSTIC OVARIES

CYSTIC OVARIES ARE AN ISSUE WHEN THEY EFFECT 15% OF THE MATURE HERD OR 5% OF THE HEIFER

HERD.

CYSTIC OVARIES CAN BE THE RESULT OF: MINERAL IMBALANCE, SPECIFICALLY Ca, P & Mg EXTREMEMLY FAT OR THIN COWS HIGH ESTROGEN LEVELS IN CERTAIN FORAGES

AND MYCOTOXINS GENETIC PREDISPOSITION STRESSFUL CONDITIONS IN EARLY LACTATION

CYSTIC OVARIES

WHAT CAN BE DONE? ENSURE Ca, P & Mg ARE WELL BALANCED IN THE MILKING

RATION (Ca 1.0%-1.1%; P 0.36-0.4%; Mg 0.35%-0.40%) PUT THIN DRY COWS DIRECTLY INTO THE CUD GROUP BCS ALL MEMBERS OF THE HERD ONCE A MONTH AND

ADJUST THE NeL ACCORDINGLY. DO HERD HEALTHS REGULARLY MONITOR ALL RATION INGREDIEINTS FOR MOLD &/OR

MYCOTOXINS IF POSSIBLE, TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION “CYSTIC

FAMILIES” WHEN BREEDING (DIFFICULT, USUALLY HIGH PRODUCERS)

ANESTRUS

ANESTRUS, OR FAILURE TO SHOW SIGNS OF HEAT, IS IN MOST CASES A FAILURE TO DETECT HEAT.

ANESTRUS IS THE RESULT OF: ANEMIA DUE TO DIFFERENT DISEASES

CONDTIONS, PARASITES, DEFICIENCIES IN CP, Fe, Cu, Co OR Se

P DEFICIENCY ENERGY DEFICIENCY CYSTIC OVARIES PYOMETRA

ANESTRUS

WHAT CAN BE DONE? PUT THIN DRY COWS DIRECTLY INTO THE CUD

GROUP BCS ALL MEMBERS OF THE HERD ONCE A MONTH

AND ADJUST THE NeL ACCORDINGLY. CHECK PROBLEM COWS FOR ANEMIA AND TREAT

ACCORDINGLY AVOID OTHER METABLOIC DISEASES ASSOCIATED

WITH ANESTRUS ENSURE THE VITAMINS AND MINERALS ARE WELL

BALANCED IN THE MILKING RATION

REPEAT BREEDERS

AS WITH ANESTRUS COWS REPEAT BREEDERS ARE USUALLY A “MAN MADE” PROBLEM.

FROM A NUTRITIONIST PRESPECTIVE I WILL SEE IT IF THERE IS A SERIOUS IMBALANCE OR DEFICIENCY

OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS.

ACIDOSIS IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH POOR FERTLITY.

ABORTIONS

CAUSE OF ABORTION CAN BE INFECTIOUS OR NON-INFECTIOUS.

A NORMAL HERD RATE SHOULD BE AROUND 1 TO 3% OR LESS.

NUTRITIONALLY THERE ARE SEVERAL ASPECTS TO LOOK AT:

HIGH SOLUBLE PROTEIN AT BREEDING OR IN THE 1ST TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY

NITRATE POISONING AND MYCOTOXINS WEED CONTAMINATION OF FORAGES

ABORTIONS

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

ENSURE THAT ALL PROTEIN FRACTIONS ARE BALANCED

TEST STRESSED FEEDS FOR NITRATE LEVELS AND MYCOTOXINS

ENSURE THAT FORAGES ARE HARVESTED CONTAMINATION FREE

INFECTIOUS FOOT PROBLEMS

COWS WHO CANNOT WALK DO NOT EAT OR SHOW HEATS, ARE MORE PRONE TO METABOLIC

DISORDERS AND ARE LIKELY TO BE PREMATURELY CULLED FROM THE HERD.

REMEMBER: ONCE, STRAWBERRY FOOT IS IN YOU HERD IT IS THERE INDEFINITELY.

ANY STRESS IN THE HERD OR INDIVIDUAL COWS WILL MAKE THEM SUSCEPTIBLE TO A FLARE UP

OF STRAWBERRY FOOT.  

INFECTIOUS FOOT PROBLEMS

LAMENESS DUE TO INFECTION CAUSES COWS TO SPEND LESS TIME ON THEIR FEET: ONCE THEY ARE

SETTLED IN A STALL THEY ARE RELUCTANT TO LEAVE IT EVEN IF IT MEANS FOREGOING FOOD AND

WATER.

THIS IN TURN LEADS TO SLUG FEEDING, REDUCED RUMEN pH (ACIDOSIS) AND EVENTUALLY

LAMINITIS. DA’s, LOW BCS AND KETOSIS ARE ALSO COMMON IN

THESE ANIMALS.

LAMINITIS AND ACIDOSIS

NUTRITION IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE

DEVELOPMENT OF LAMINITIS.

FACTORS SUCH AS: THE AMOUNT AND TYPE OF GRAIN GRAIN PROCESSING FORAGE TYPE AND QUALITY, LEVELS ETC.

INFLUENCE INTAKE PATTERNS, ENERGY METABOLISM AND SUB-CLINICAL ACIDOSIS.

LAMINITIS AND ACIDOSIS

BOTH LOW ROUGHAGE LEVELS AND REDUCED PARTICLE SIZE EXACERBATE ACIDOSIS DURING THE

TRANSITION PERIOD.

What to do? ENSURE NDF IS BETWEEN 28-33% FOR HIGH PRODUCTION

GROUPS (75% OF WHICH SHOULD BE COMING FROM THE FORAGE FRACTION).

NSC LEVELS SHOULD BE BETWEEN 35-40%, ALTHOUGH IN MY EXPERIENCE I DO NOT LIKE TO GO OVER 37-38% IF POSSIBLE.

15 TO 20% OF PARTICLES IN THE RATION SHOULD BE AT LEAST 4 CM LONG.

LAMINITIS AND ACIDOSIS

DIAGNOSE ACIDOSIS AND SARA

AT THE BARN LEVEL I LOOK AT CUD CHEWING, FEET, BODY ABSCESSES, BF%:MP%, TMR TEXTURE AND “SHAKER BOX”

RUMENOCENTESIS IS AN EXCELLENT TOOL TO DETERMINE ACIDOSIS OR SARA STATUS (CLINICAL 5.0-5.5 pH, SARA 5.5 TO 6.0 pH)

MASTITIS

ALTHOUGH MOST MASTITIS IS RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENT, MILKING PROCEEDURE ETC. THERE

ARE NUTRITIONAL CONNECTIONS.

ACIDOSIS IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH SCC AND MASTITIS

A POORLY BALANCED RATION CAN LOWER THE ANIMALS IMMUNE SYSTEM AND CONTRIBUTE TO MASTITIS

HIGH LEVELS OF MYCOTOXINS (VOMITOXIN) CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH MASTITIS

MASTITIS

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

METABLOIC DISEASES ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO THE NUTRITION AND FEEDING

MANAGEMENT OF YOUR HERD.

CAN YOU AFFORD TO IGNORE IT?