Prevention of metabolic disorders next spring will hinge around management decisions that will be made in the coming weeks. When costs associated with clinical cases are assessed alongside the time and labour involved in such cases, prevention is always better than cure.

It remains best practice to dry off cows at, or very close to the same condition that they should calve down in (target BCS 3.0-3.25). Nutrition over the dry period targeting maintenance – with thin cows ideally dried off early to permit BCS recouperation –typically equates to 68-70% DMD silage in an adlib silage feeding scenario. However, one should always be mindful that over conditioned cows at calving are troublesome and can be linked with several metabolic issues.

Dry Cow Mineral Provision

Feeding a dry cow mineral throughout the dry period is essential to build up mineral reserves and allows the cow to calve down comfortably. High Potassium (K) levels in silages is very common, which requires dilution of K levels in the diet and/or a high level of soluble Magnesium (Mg) to counter the increased risk of milk fever. High levels of K limits Mg absorption, delaying the release of Calcium (Ca) and increases the incidence of milk fever. Grass silage with greater than 1.8% K can cause issues.

Sub-clinical cases of milk fever are being estimated to cost greater than €100 with approximately six sub-clinical cases going undetected for every single clinical case seen. This typically presents through slow calving and/or retained afterbirths. Where this has proven an issue, a silage mineral analysis establishes K% in the dry cow silage being offered. A preventative plan can then be put in place to preclude reoccurrences.

Feed Facilities

When there’s limited feed space for dry cows, and where minerals are being dusted on top of silage, some cows may not be benefiting from the advised feed rate. Minerals can be offered via diet feeder or alternatively where top-dressing minerals at the barrier and space is limited, offer minerals twice daily (half rate AM/half rate PM) to ensure all cows receive the correct amount.

Learn more about our Welmin Dry Cow Mineral Range.

For more information, contact your local Sales Advisor. 

Milk recording

As a rule of thumb, four milk recordings a year should be carried out to allow you to make well-informed decisions throughout the year. At this point, the final milk recording should be organised close to the onset of drying off, to help review dry cow plans regarding selective dry cow therapy (ideally within 30 days of drying off). In the current climate, milk recording will play a vital role in identifying our most profitable cows.

The final milk recording should be organised close to the onset of drying off, to help review dry cow plans regarding selective dry cow therapy.

Body Condition Score

It is always best practice to dry off cows at, or very close to same condition that she should calve down in (target 3.0-3.25). Therefore, the nutrition of the dry cow should just maintain condition over the 60-day dry period (thin cows should be dried off early to allow for recouperation of condition). Where large variation in the herd arises with BCS, a tailored plan is advisable.

Silage analysis

Nutrition for the dry cow will centre around what quality silage is available (silage analysis on forage available over the dry period is crucial!). High quality silage will need dilution with straw to avoid over-conditioning or where quality is very poor, some level of supplementation will be required.

Where issues have occurred on farm regarding milk fever, retained afterbirth, and/or slow calvings, a silage mineral analysis is advisable to establish K% in the dry cow silage being offered. Preventative plans can then be put in place to avoid such issues reoccurring.

Selecting a dry cow mineral

Feeding a high-quality dry cow mineral for 60 days is central to allowing the cow to calve down without issue. Most Irish silages lack the required mineral levels to get the cow through the dry period. A high inclusion of a highly soluble sources of Magnesium will be essential to overcome milk fever risks, which in any good mineral, will be coupled with a high inclusion of chelated/protected trace elements to overcome antagonist issues, and a strong all-round vitamin pack (A, D3 & E).

Learn more about our Dry Cow Mineral Range here. 

For more information, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor. 

As we approach calving 2021 the focus should be on final preparations that will result in a spring free from any upsets, nutritional issues or metabolic diseases during an already busy time on farm.

Several key factors will correlate directly to the success of calving 2021, including:

• A planned and well executed dry cow mineral programme
• Calving down the cow in the correct body condition score
• Excellent husbandry in the weeks pre- and post-calving
• Careful transition diet planning

It is always worth remembering at this time in the year, that key decisions made over the next number of weeks will have a direct e­ffect on the performance of the herd, especially herd fertility – submission and conception rates, ultimately a­ffecting the longevity of the cow within the herd.

Negative Energy Balance

In the weeks post-calving, cows will produce more milk than their feed intake can provide for, resulting in Body Condition Score (BCS) loss due to Negative Energy Balance. Research has shown NEB will firstly, reduce milk protein and if prolonged, have detrimental consequences on the breeding season.

The milking cow should receive an adequate diet to optimise milk solids production and keep body weight loss to less than 0.5 BCS between calving and breeding. Cows that lose < 0.5 BCS over this time (approx. 25 kg) typically ovulate 15 days earlier than those cows that lose 1 BCS during this period.

Dry matter intake typically increases by 0.75 – 1.0 kg/week for the first 8 weeks of lactation, therefore being 8 weeks post-calving before maximum intake is reached – highlighting the need for an energy-dense transition diet.

Every farm scenario is different, and tailored advice should be given where issues arise. However, early preparation and planning is vital to avoid added stresses on farm

On farm support during COVID-19

In order to keep our customers and staff as safe as possible, our sales team and distributors we will be minimising the number of on farm consultations. We are however, as always, available for FREE delivery direct to farm and over the phone consultations. Contact your local Agritech sales rep/distributor to place your order or click here.  

With most Irish dairy herds calving in the months of February and March, now is a very important time to apply some key practices that will influence the 2020 lactation.

The key influencers of a productive and profitable 2020 lactation are:

• Body condition score
• Udder health
• Stress free drying off

BODY CONDITION SCORE

Body condition score (BCS) is the foundation for a successful start to the cow’s lactation. The ideal BCS score range is 3.0 to 3.25 in most herds. Cows calving down in this range experience less metabolic issues in early lactation e.g. milk fever, metritis, displaced abomasums.

A simple system to manage BCS for the dry period is to divide cows into three groups:

Group 1: Cows in the 3.0 to 3.25 range. This group should be stocked at one cow per cubicle and fed silage to maintain body condition, e.g. 12 kg of silage to provide 6 UFL/ day.
Group 2: Cows in this group are under 3.0 BCS. This group should be stocked at 90% of a shed’s capacity. This reduces competition for feed space and promotes a more relaxed environment that will encourage live-weight gain in the cow. This group should receive high quality silage or meal to provide 8+ UFL/day.
Group 3: Cows in this group are over 3.25 BCS. This group need to either maintain BCS or lose some body weight. This group should be stocked at a slightly higher shed stocking rate e.g. 110% of a shed’s capacity, which will create a little more competition within the group for feed and space. This group should be on a restricted silage diet to provide less than 5.5 UFL/day. However, additional roughage should be provided to ensure the cow achieves optimum rumen fill.

Note:
• It is important that all groups are monitored regularly to ensure they reach the optimum BCS of 3.0 to 3.25. Cows should be moved from their groups if they are moving outside this range.
• It is critical that a dry cow mineral is provided to each of the above groups. A dry cow should receive a minimum of 6 kg of dry cow minerals in advance of calving in order to ensure that she is adequately replenished and prepared for calving and next year’s lactation. Click here to view our Welmin Mineral Range.
• It is essential to provide fresh clean water adlib.
• All cows should be moved from their groups 14 days pre-calving to a transition group where they are introduced to an increased energy and protein diet.

UDDER HEALTH

With an increasing pressure to reduce antibiotic use in the dry period, shed hygiene is becoming ever more important during the dry period. Factors which promote a hygienic environment include:

1) Adequate lying space (1 cubicle per cow).
2) Adequate feed space.
3) Adequate ventilation.
4) Adlib fresh clean water.

In addition to this, most Irish dairy farms use a bedding conditioner on cubicles. A good bedding conditioner should meet the following criteria:

• Highly absorbent to control bacteria growth.
• Be kind on both the farmer and animal’s skin.
• Absorbs ammonia odours to help air quality and reduce stress on the animal’s lungs.
• Easy to apply in a low volume per square meter.
• Contains effective antibacterial properties.

A good example is Sanitise Bedding Conditioner, which is designed to promote a dry hygienic environment in the bedding of all livestock. This product goes above and beyond traditional methods due to its low application rate as well as the inclusion of high quality essential oils, antibacterial properties, and a unique hoof conditioner. Click here to view our Sanitise Bedding Conditioner.

For further advice on any of the above areas discussed, contact your local Agritech distributor or sales representative.