Milk fever

[Donna from Mo]

It seems like I recall seeing something on this forum two or three years back about something a person can keep on hand in case a cow comes down with milk fever.

I have a Jersey cow who did fine after her first calf, but she's giving four gallons a day without any supplemental feed; this makes me wonder if she's going to be susceptible to milk fever when she has her next calf.

[Chixarecute]

Milk fever is what happens if the milk production kicks into high gear so rapidly the body pulls a great deal of the calcium out of the bloodstream, and diet and bone stores can't be metabolized quickly enough.

There are products...I am thinking it is best administered sub-Q or IV, although there may be drenches available, as well. Back in the day, we would drench for ketosis, but sub Q or IV for milk fever. Check with your vet, Fleet Farm, or co-op.

Sorry I can't remember specifics!

[Mrs. Homesteader]

Our jersey cow had milk fever bad after having her calf this year. The vet said that you need to NOT feed them calcium until after they have the calf. The last vet had told us to give her a tube of calcium right before and right after delivery. He said to keep them away from alfalfa and things high in calcium until they have actually calved. Then you can give them the tube of calcium paste. However, if it is bad like it was in our cow, they give the calcium via IV. He said it makes their muscles sort of paralyzed. She was down with her legs behind her and she could not move. He said that to warm themselves a cow shivers. She could not even shiver. He told us that after he got the IV going if she started shivering it would be a good sign. She did and is fine. He also said that if we breed her again (she is 14) to give her anionic salts before delivery during her dry period.

One of the local dairy farmers said he has problems finding the neck vein to give the IV. He puts it right into the big milk vein.

We did see at TSC that they had the liquid calcium and also the tubing and needle just like the vet used in the IV.

By the way, that is one good looking cow and calf!!!

[Cliff]

Originally Posted by Donna from Mo

It seems like I recall seeing something on this forum two or three years back about something a person can keep on hand in case a cow comes down with milk fever.

I have a Jersey cow who did fine after her first calf, but she's giving four gallons a day without any supplemental feed; this makes me wonder if she's going to be susceptible to milk fever when she has her next calf.

One of the local dairy farmers said he has problems finding the neck vein to give the IV. He puts it right into the big milk vein.

We did see at TSC that they had the liquid calcium and also the tubing and needle just like the vet used in the IV.

By the way, that is one good looking cow and calf!!![/QUOTE]

Beautiful pair.
Sounds like a real homesteading cow who can actually produce milk from grass and hay and hold her weight. Nice.
I think you're safe from milk fever since you don't feed concentrate. She won't have all those extra calories to come flush with huge amts of milk. The alfalfa hay thing is true too, their body gets used to getting all that calcium from an outside source, so isn't drawing from it's own calcium stores. When the calf comes and they flush with milk they sometimes can't switch over to using their own calcium fast enough.

[Donna from Mo]

Thanks for all your advice. I've had four Jersey cows, years ago, go down with milk fever, and two of them died: One because I was gone for a few hours, the other I don't know... had a vet out three times; she'd just go down again.

So that's why I worry about it. I planned to talk to a vet next year when calving time approaches, but I wanted your thoughts on it.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks my cow is beautiful. She has a beautiful spirit and attitude, too. I only wish the calf had been a heifer.

I milk her once or twice a week, just whenever we need milk; the rest of the time the calf gets it all. It's worked well for us; we can go away for a few days and don't have to find someone to milk for us.

[65284]

I second the beautiful pair idea. What is the sire of the calf? I have a spotted Jersey bull sired by bull named Alf who was known for throwing a lot of color in his calves.

[oneokie]

Calcium/dextrose solution.

[Tad]

Jerseys are very prone to milk fever. We had a vet who developed a portocal for a jersey herd, he told us to give phosporous injections for a few days before they calve. It's not 100% but it helps alot. 35cc under the skin. There are gels availabe but if the are down bad they usually don't work. We usually call the vet at this point, also be careful of the milk vein that should only be used as a last resort.

[Donna from Mo]

According to her registration papers, Bonnie was pastured with a bull named Dements Sultan Titan. I don't know anything about his background; When I bought the heifer, she was already bred, and the people I bought her from were not her original owners. They had gentled her so that she could be petted and I could handle her udder from the first day I brought her home. I really appreciated that!

[springvalley]

Hi Donna;
Well something I think I can give some advise on, By the way you have a very fine looking Jersey cow and calf, I would be proud to have her in my herd. Well anyway, we raise registered Jersey`s , alot of cows that have had milk fever can get it again the next time they have a calf. First of all and you can all keep this in mind, do not feed alot of alfalfa hay before they calf, feed grass hay, timothy hay if you can , it is high in calcium. never milk the cow completly out the first few days she is fresh, this is what causes her to get milk fever quicker. Feed her alfalfa after she has her calf, and lots of water , Warm water if it`s winter , then she will drink more. One good way to tell if your cow is coming down with milk fever is the usual turning of the head toward the udder. But that is to late, if she is slow and slugish, check her ears, cold ears and dry nose means she is coming down with it. You can buy a calcium supplement in most farm stores for milk fever, it comes in a large tube( looks kinda like a caulking tube) and you give them by mouth. If you know she is about to have her calf , you could give her a tube at that time or wait till she calves and give it to her then another one later that day if you think she is going to have troubles. they cost about 5.00 so that is alot cheaper than a vet call. You can also give the I.V. which is a little trickier. We have not had very much trouble with our cows, and we have all jersey`s . An old timer had told me also you can give your cow milk to drink if you have problems, but I have never have given this a try. Thanks Much. have any questions ,let me know. Marc

[Mrs. Homesteader]

Originally Posted by springvalley

You can buy a calcium supplement in most farm stores for milk fever, it comes in a large tube( looks kinda like a caulking tube) and you give them by mouth. If you know she is about to have her calf , you could give her a tube at that time or wait till she calves and give it to her then another one later that day if you think she is going to have troubles. they cost about 5.00 so that is alot cheaper than a vet call.

Our vet told us that because we gave her a tube just before she calved her case was worse. He told us not to give it until they have actually had the calf. The last vet said to give it right before and right after. It is hard to know what to do when you get conflicting info.

[springvalley]

Mrs.Homesteader, have you ever known a vet to be wrong?????????????? HaHa Me? yes and some alot. They are just like any other Doctors , some are great and some ain`t with their weight in cow pooh. My vet says if I call they know it is bad. I do most all my own vet work because I wanted to be a vet when i was a young man, Just hated the idea of so much schooling. Thanks Marc

[Donna from Mo]

Well, after reading everything you've all submitted here, it appears to me that our wisest move would be to purchase the IV calcium kit and have it ready just in case she goes starts showing symptoms. I will consult my own vet about this before the time comes; a person can't have too much knowledge about something like this.

I'd be too much of a coward to inject the solution into Bonnie's neck vein, but my husband butchered for many years and is quite familiar with the anatomy of cattle; he said he wouldn't be afraid to do it.

And in a pinch, I am NOT too cheap to call the vet! Losing a good animal hurts too much to cut corners on health matters.

[springvalley]

Donna , I don`t own an I.V. kit and I have almost 40 head of jersey`s around. But thats your call. Thanks Marc

[Jennifer L.]

Hey, a heads up here to the IV people: Be very careful giving a cow CA via the neck or any other large blood vessel. If you give it too quickly it can give the cow a heart attack. Always monitor their heart rate to make sure it doesn't speed up. If it starts to go faster, immediately slow down the rate the CA is going in. This is serious stuff and you'll lose the cow if you don't do it right.

The easiest way for the non-schooled person to give CA solution is sub-Q right back of their shoulder blades. You can put a bottle in under the skin on each side (500ml) but make sure you put it in in two or three places when you do it. You don't want to put all 500 mls in in the same place or they can slough off the skin later. Then massage the area a bit to give the solution more surface area to be absorbed.

The best time to give it sub Q is when you just notice the cow wanting to go down. She's walking a little shaky and the ears are cold. Once they are down and their head is twisted back and they aren't very responsive, you'd better be getting some CA in the neck, because they don't have that much time at that point. I always give two bottles, one should do the trick but the second is insurance, so if I put some or all of one bottle in the neck, the second goes under the skin.

Always keep the solution on hand. I had a Jersey who I found perfectly fine with a new calf at 3 PM and she was dead and cooling at 7 PM. It can go very fast.

The reason you don't want to give CA during the dry period is because you need to keep the cow's parathyroid glands working. Parathyroid gland controls CA mobilization in the body. When a cow freshens she has a sudden huge need for CA because of the amount of milk she is all of a sudden making. If the Parathyroids are working, they mobilize the needed CA without problems. If they've gotten "lazy" because the cow hasn't needed the much CA in the dry period along with the fact she's had a lot dietary CA, then the cow gets in trouble. If the CA is low during the dry period, the Parathyroids keep working right along actively. Which is what you want.

As for the vet with the differing opinion on when to give the CA paste, the answer is when the udder starts to fill with milk, i.e., her CA need is suddenly high again, then you can give her the CA. She can use it then and will put it into the milk and possibly avoid milk fever. If you give it to her before she is trying to make milk, then you would be making things worse. But frankly, if a cow gets milk fever because you gave her the paste too early, she was going to get milk fever anyway, and the only recourse for her would have been treatment when she showed up with the problem.

I personally have never messed with the paste. It seems stop gap to me and I'd rather give them the CA under the skin and be done with it. All of that CA goes into the blood stream. The paste type is in the digestive tract and that just seems to me "iffy" on how much the cow will absorb. Especially if she is already presenting with the problem and her gut motility is slowing down because her muscles are already being affected by the lack of CA.

Jennifer

[Chixarecute]

The other nice thing about going sub Q is the absorption is slower - think time released. WIth an IV, you can get a spike and a subsequent drop and a quick relapse of the milk fever. Depends, too, on how severe the symptoms are. A little IV, a lot of subQ...right as rain.

[Donna from Mo]

I am grateful for every single response. I am taking every one into consideration. That's what is wonderful about this forum: You get a variety of answers; my quiver is full of good information, and I thank all of you.

[DJ in WA]

Well one more perspective. I understand why people have Jerseys, as they are cute and can give alot of milk if needed. But like you, I don't need much milk, and I don't like the problems pure Jerseys can have, so I prefer a beef/Jersey cross. I spend alot less time worrying.

[Donna from Mo]

It's because I'm 65 years old, and I love their pretty faces and loving nature. It has nothing to do with common sense... it's about "my life is short and I want to have things around me that make me happy."

You know... my bucket list. The Jersey cow is now crossed off the list.

[Trisha in WA]

Originally Posted by Donna from Mo

It's because I'm 65 years old, and I love their pretty faces and loving nature. It has nothing to do with common sense... it's about "my life is short and I want to have things around me that make me happy."

You know... my bucket list. The Jersey cow is now crossed off the list.

Well, God bless you Donna. That has to be the most honest thing I have read in a long time. I wish you many years of happiness with your Jersey cow.
Trisha