Calving Care Programme

Over recent years there has been an increased awareness of the need to manage the cow well around the time of calving. Increasingly, it is evident that the capacity for the cow to milk, be healthy and fertile depends on the period from 2-3 weeks before calving as much as the period after calving.

It is vitally important that appetite be stimulated during this period and that cows be fed sufficient energy to minimise body tissue mobilisation. This will require about 90-100MJ of ME per day for Jersey cows and 110-120MJ of ME for Friesian-Holstein cattle during the 12-15 days before calving.

It has also become clear that the high levels of potassium in the pastures of New Zealand can be a problem for the health of cattle, because high levels of potassium predispose cows to milk fever and hypomagnesaemia. Both conditions lead to lower feed intake and problems of excessive tissue mobilisation. Failure to achieve adequate feed intake either through disease or through failure to supply
adequate feed can result in ketosis, low milk production and lower fertility.

Profitable milk production and sustainable reproductive performance only comes from cows that are well adapted over the early lactation period.

Agri-feeds have a number of products that will allow farmers to manage their cows for profitable lactations. These products used sensibly will provide a Calving Care Programme that can help achieve profitable production.

Calving Care

 1. Ensure that cows have enough to eat

This is the most vital step to success. Try to ensure that applications of potassium fertilisers and lime are not made just before calving. Consider feeding hay and maize silage before calving, but ensure that access is given to pasture. If feeding concentrates or cereal grains after calving, make sure some are available before calving. This will allow time for the rumen to adapt to these starchy feeds before the cow calves. An ideal springing cow mix contains about 30% of feed intake as pasture (3-4kg or more of dry matter), one quarter as maize silage (2-3kg or more of dry matter), 1kg of grain and molasses (or molasses based products), 750kg-1kg of Biochlor and 3kg of hay or cereal straw, for a total feed intake of 9-14kg of dry matter of feed.

The aim of this mix is to:

• Fully feed the springing dairy cow. Feed intake before calving is directly related to feed intake after calving. Underfed springing cows will not eat to maximum capacity after calving.
• Prepare the rumen for milking type feeds after calving. If we feed a starchy feed after calving but don t feed the springing cow starchy feeds, we will have a sudden change in diet and a reduced appetite in early lactation while the cow s rumen adapts to the new feed.
• Provide a very palatable, high-energy mix. Cows don t eat to appetite before calving, as a result of the size of the pregnant uterus pushing on the rumen, and as a result of hormonal changes before calving. Energy density is important, so that each mouthful delivers the most nutrients per bite. Molasses is an excellent feed to keep cows interested in eating in the days before calving.
• Provide a mix of effective fibre and fermentable energy. Feeding hay or straw provides a bulky feed that helps maintain rumen capacity and to encourage cud chewing before calving.

2. Rumag300* and Biochlor Rumag300

• Feed Rumag300 at 1kg (740ml) per cow per day poured onto hay, silage or cereal straw for three weeks before calving.
• The Rumensin in Rumag300 will aid in the control of ketosis around calving and ensure that feed energy is utilised efficiently for final foetal development and for the production of colostrum. The 9g elemental magnesium per 1kg will help prevent grass tetany and milk fever.
• To optimise responses by cows to Rumag300 and Biochlor before calving, Rumag300 should be continued as a complementary feed through into early lactation.

Biochlor

• From 10-14 days before calving, cows should be fed 750g-1kg of Biochlor per cow per day.
• The peptides and protein components of Biochlor will complement the maize silage and hay and drive appetite of cows before and after calving.

Both Biochlor and Rumag300 provide anions that act to balance the excess potassium in ryegrass pastures. By balancing high levels of potassium in pasture, Biochlor and Rumag300 help prevent sub-clinical milk fever that might otherwise reduce feed intake around calving and during early lactation.

Bloat Control: Rumensin provides an excellent level of pasture bloat control by reducing rumen gas production. Fed at the recommended daily feeding rate of 1kg/cow/day Rumag300 provides 300mg of sodium monensin per cow. Rumensin now has a label claim for an aid in the prevention of bloat approved by ACVM.

OR

3. Rumol300* and Biochlor

• Feed Rumol300 at 1kg (740ml) per cow per day poured onto dry feeds for 3 weeks before calving, plus Biochlor. Rumol300 can be used in place of Rumag300 where:
• Sufficient magnesium is being supplemented using other methods (for example, dusting with magnesium oxide or water treatment using magnesium chloride or magnesium sulphate)
• Magnesium supplementation is not required (areas of NZ with high magnesium soils)

Bloat control: Rumensin¤ provides an excellent level of pasture bloat control by reducing rumen gas production. Fed at the recommended daily feeding rate of 1kg/cow/day Rumol300 provides 300mg of sodium monensin per cow. Rumensin now has a label claim for an aid in the prevention of bloat approved by ACVM.

OR

4. Himag and Biochlor

• Another alternative is to use Himag at 380ml per cow per day poured onto hay or cereal straw to provide magnesium plus molasses. Himag delivers the same amount of magnesium (9g magnesium per dose) and has a similar DCAD as Rumag300, but does not contain Rumensin. Himag can be used in place of Rumag300 where:
• Cows are already receiving Rumensin using other supplementary methods (for example, Rumensin Anti-Bloat Capsules, Rumensin Pre-mix in Feeds or Rumensin Trough Treatment).

Note: Never use Rumol300 or Rumag300 where cows are already receiving Rumensin¤ by another supplementary method.

 5. Calcium Enriched Molasses

• The use of Calcium Enriched Molasses (CEM) is recommended during the first 4—5 days after calving to boost levels of calcium in the cow while in the colostrum mob. Where the dietary cationic anionic difference (DCAD) of the springer diet is well controlled before calving, CEM can also be used before calving.

Note: CEM has a negative DCAD and will improve the preparation of the cow for calving. Consult with your dairy nutritionist or veterinarian to determine if CEM is suitable for use with your springers.

The combination of these feeding strategies provides your cows with an excellent start to lactation. The transition period either side of calving is the period during which most cow deaths occur, when the success of the subsequent lactation is determined, and when the likelihood of reproductive success is determined. A good start to lactation will provide long term benefits for your herd and for you.

*Rumag300 & Rumol300 contain Rumensin® which is registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No A7871

Download Animal Energy Centre Diagram Here (PDF)
Download Acidosis/Ketosis Reference Guide (PDF)