Preventing Milk Fever???

RockyGlen · #1 03/04/08, 08:30 AM

One of our Jersey's should be calving next week. This cow is wonderful! She is gentle, nothing spooks her, she gives birth easily, and gives 3 gallons a day plus supports two calves. Her only problem is that every year she gets milk fever and we worry about losing her. Does anyone know of preventative measures for milk fever??

michiganfarmer · #2 03/04/08, 08:50 AM

I have been told by a vet 20 years ago not to milk much out of her the first 2 days after freshening.

BlueHeronFarm · #3 03/04/08, 08:57 AM

I don't have cows - I have goats...but this year we bought the Calcium/Phosphorus/Cobalt paste. It is marketed for cows. I got it at TSC - it says to give a tube before and after calving. (We gave some to our goat during her kidding this year - ours like to keep eating in labor.)

http://www.durvet.com/prods/CAL-MAG-...tailSheet.html

Don't know how helpful it really is...but it could be worth a try.

RockyGlen · #4 03/04/08, 09:48 AM

Thanks - we will try both of those things!

ozark_jewels · #5 03/04/08, 10:08 AM

For any cow that is at high risk for milk fever(especially old Jerseys like our Blossom), I give a calcium tube at the first signs of labour, then as soon as labour is over, then one tube a day for the following two days. Also don't milk her completely out for a couple days.

Of course keep liquid CMPK on hand in case she *does* go down.

jerzeygurl · #6 03/04/08, 10:20 AM

one that is chronic may relapse later even after a full treatment, vet recomends alfalfa hay, you need to have the tubes on hand and keep an eye out for any signs of slowing down.

Teacupliz · #7 03/04/08, 12:21 PM

For the jersey cows i do the same with the past but i just give one tube right after calving- but my cow never has had a problem- with goats I throw a few human calcuim pillc in their feed for a few days after freshening0 but you could do tht tow with cows-
they seem to like them. and hate the paste-
Liz

dosthouhavemilk · #8 03/04/08, 01:34 PM

Prevention starts long before a week before calving.

We have a dairy herd of jersey and jersey/Norwegian Red crosses. We've had one milk fever case in over two years. It wa an older cow who had joined the herd three months prior to calving.

Our dry cows have hay/pasture, free choice mineral blocks and water available to them. About two weeks before their due date, mature cows are brought up and they are slowly reintroduced to the grain they will be consuming after calving. Starting off slowly and increasing it daily until calving. Heifers are rbought up 3 weeks in advance...at least that is what we aim for.

After freshing the cow is brought in the milker put on her for a count of 180. Dad does not usually milk them out completely the firstt wo milkings. It really depends on how they are doing. Mistie came in and dropped 45 pounds of colostrum in the bucket before dad realized she had let down fully. She never did go down with MF.

We treat MF with Calcium Gluconate sub-Q shortly after they go down. We can tell in advance when they are going to go down and so treat as soon after they are down as possible. In 20+ years, not a single cow has been lost using this treatement when found in time. Ones treated by the vet IV with two bottles have caused relapses which were then treated with one bottle sub-Q and the cow was fine.

http://tinyurl.com/yse9t6

travlnusa · #9 03/04/08, 07:53 PM

"Our dry cows have hay/pasture, free choice mineral blocks and water available to them. About two weeks before their due date, mature cows are brought up and they are slowly reintroduced to the grain they will be consuming after calving. Starting off slowly and increasing it daily until calving. Heifers are rbought up 3 weeks in advance...at least that is what we aim for."

The above is very good advice.

In addition, you need to know what the cause of milk fever is. When a cow gives birth, the demand for calcium goes though the roof. The source of this is her bone structure. There is a gland that tells the cow to start to strip off the needed calicum. If the demand exceeds supply, milk fever sets it.

If you know (or guess) a cow will have milk fever, go to your local feed mill (not box store) and tell them you need a bag of dry cow ration. It will have specific salts in it. Feed it one week before due date. This will get the cows gland kicked in to strip the calicum it needs so when calf is born, supply will meet demand.

Be proactive, not reactive.

ozark_jewels · #10 03/04/08, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dosthouhavemilk

"Our dry cows have hay/pasture, free choice mineral blocks and water available to them. About two weeks before their due date, mature cows are brought up and they are slowly reintroduced to the grain they will be consuming after calving. Starting off slowly and increasing it daily until calving. Heifers are bought up 3 weeks in advance...at least that is what we aim for."

I guess I am naive, I thought everyone did this for their dairy cows as a matter of course.

travlnusa · #11 03/05/08, 06:35 AM

I make sales calls on farms all day, and you would be shocked to see what dairies to, and dont do as a matter of protocol.

With feed being as high as it is, you see heifers and dry cows getting the short end.

As a side note, the quote in my post looks like I said it. I messed that up, the quote was written by "Dosthouhavemilk" in the post above mine. Just giving credit where it is due

ozark_jewels · #12 03/05/08, 07:20 AM

Too bad. That will come back and bite them if their not really careful. I've worked at many dairies over the past several years. Guess they were all good ones.

I changed the misquote, thanks.