Milk Fever

bricned · #1 09/30/08, 09:10 PM

Just purchased a cow that had milk fever the last time she freshen. Short
of calling a vet the next time she has a calf what would you suggest?

Gregg Alexander · #2 09/30/08, 09:22 PM

Keep a bottle of calicum on hand and a IV kit just in case

darbyfamily · #3 09/30/08, 09:36 PM

yup, thats what I'd heard too... you can even give one when in labor I think to prevent it and one within 24 hrs after delivery

Up North · #4 09/30/08, 09:46 PM

First you need to educate yourself about the condition. What the symptoms are, how to recognize them, when to administer treatment.
One technique we employ to *reduce the incidence of* milk fever cases is to only take enough milk to feed the calf on the first milking post-calving. Then half of the milk in the udder the second milking. Then milk her out completely third milking and thereafter.

travlnusa · #5 09/30/08, 11:42 PM

Milk fever is caused by the shock of the calf arriving and the sudden and huge demand for calicum. The fastest place for the cow to find it is her own body. She will strip so much out so fast, she goes down.

Another method, in additon to the one already stated is to start of feed iodionzied (spl?) salt before she calves. That will start the process of her pulling calicum off of her bones thus less shock when calf arrives.

Call you local feed mill. They will have what I am referring to.