Question To Prevent Milk Fever?

[Welshmom]

I've just read through Allenslabs' threads about her sad experience with losing her dear cow to milk fever, and it has me concerned a bit.

I have just gotten three bred beef cows. Supposed to be bred to calve in March/April, but one older angusX is looking like she is beginning to bag up a bit, but not a lot yet. She is older, and a bit thin.

I have them on large bales of alfalfa hay first cutting, and am supplementing with 2nd and 3rd cutting alfalfa small squares, because that is what I have. I also have been giving them a small amount of pig finisher diet just to tame them and train them to the bucket.

Am I risking Milk Fever? Here I thought it was good to get the calcium into them all along, so they'd have enough in their system when they calved...?? I thought that was why it was good for dairy cattle? Does it make a difference that these are beef breeds?

[springvalley]

Milk fever doesn`t seem to bother beef cows near as much as dairy cows, and jersey cows are more prone than others. So don`t worry to much about your beef cows and just keep an eye on them at calving time. You really wouldn`t have to feed your cows much feed now, wait till they have their calves , then feed them some grain. Feeding to much grain can cause the calf to get to big inside its mom, you don`t want that, pulling calves aien`t fun. > Thanks Marc

[myersfarm]

what she said about beef cows not have millk fever very often

"Here I thought it was good to get the calcium into them all along, "

There is much debate on that but if you give the calcium there bodies does not make it and they can not STORE IT UP then when they calf there bodies can not make it fast enough

but if you do not give it to them there bodies MAKE IT and that helps when they do calf...why you give the calcium day before they calf and day of....it helpps with the draw down of calcium on there bodies

this is what I have read others .... have read and had a lot more experence with this....

Yes I have lost a few jersey's with Milk fever....some just get to far behind...most vets out here in the country never treated milk fever in there lives

[hopefloats688]

The best product we have found over the years to use right after a cow calves is Fresh Cow YMCP Plus. We rarely have had problems with milk fever. We also don't feed any dry cows alfalfa only grass hay the month before they are due. We have a small dairy of 25 cows.

http://www.techmixglobal.com/fresh-cow-ymcp-plus

[Welshmom]

Thanks for the replies. It's been over ten years since I had breeding cows, and back then I didn't have the pure alfalfa hay I do now.
I was only giving about 1/2 bucket of feed for three cows once per day, just to tame them down a bit. They were pretty spooked when I got them, now they follow the bucket

[springvalley]

I have a question for you, why are you feeding such high quality alfalfa hay? > Marc

[Welshmom]

Because that is what grows in my hay field It was planted last year by a neighbor. Like I said, it's what I've got.

[allenslabs]

So, if I find me another cow and she calves you all know I'll be a paranoid wreck right? With that in mind, if I know one is going to calve that day, should I give that calcium sub-q or just give that cal-mag gel like I did before? I will be doing the molasses on top of feed and now know that I missed so many signs that I mistook for just general nervousness and so now know that if I see that excitability and non interest in food I will be acting. I asked the vet about giving Elenore sub-q when we thought maybe she was just relapsing and he said that there is such a risk of infection and that is really burns. But the pictures that dostthouhavemilk posted didn't look like that. I remember it saying somewhere about making sure you get through all the layers of the skin...is that what happens if you don't? The burning and infection?

And you are lucky to have alfalfa growing good in your field. We have none and always have to buy it and just grow grass hay. Having a good alfalfa setup would be awwwwwesome!

[sammyd]

I would think that beef cattle don't get milk fever as much because their diets are usually quite different from a dairy cow.
If you are feeding your beefer like a dairy animal ie: high quality alfalfa and grain I would suspect you are courting disaster.
I would trade some of that hot alfalfa for some grassy stuff or maybe get corn silage in the ration.

[springvalley]

Originally Posted by sammyd

I would think that beef cattle don't get milk fever as much because their diets are usually quite different from a dairy cow.
If you are feeding your beefer like a dairy animal ie: high quality alfalfa and grain I would suspect you are courting disaster.
I would trade some of that hot alfalfa for some grassy stuff or maybe get corn silage in the ration.

While I agree with some of this I sure would not be feeding my stocker cows corn silage. I never fed mine anything other than hay in the winters and got along very well. One year we had alot of wind in the corn and we round baled the stalks off some of those fields. Well we picked up alot of that downed corn in the bales and the cows ate very well that year and we had more trouble calving that spring than ever. I don`t like feeding beef cows alot of corn during the winter as it makes the calves to big. > Thanks Marc

[springvalley]

Allenslabs, you can`t be beating yourself up over the loss of your cow. I have nothing but Jersey`s, I don`t loose sleep over calves coming, I do what I need to do to make sure my cows have no problems during their lactation and dry period. We don`t feed alfalfa hay during dry periods, and watch them when they have their calves. I have not had the vet out for MF in four years that we have milked jerseys. We have had mild cases of MF and have treated them with the CALCIUM tubes. Cold ears , dry nose, sluggishness, standing off by themselves, shuffleing their feet when they walk are just a few signs to look for. We treat on any of these signs and if no improvement in a couple hours , we do it again. We have never had a cow down with MF, and I hope I never do. I have no idea why some use the mollases in the water, I have never done this, warm water is enough for my cows. And you should also feed good quality alfalfa after she calves, as this is also a calcium source. I also never, NEVER, milk a cow out all the way in the first few days of milking, this just drains the calcium out of them. And I have no problems with mastitis with them doing this either. After about the third day I will milk them out all the way. And some cows are more prone for milk fever than some are, seems that once they have had it, the more they are prone to get it again. So stop worrying about this, I know that is easier said than done. But try please. > Thanks Marc

[dosthouhavemilk]

Originally Posted by allenslabs

So, if I find me another cow and she calves you all know I'll be a paranoid wreck right? With that in mind, if I know one is going to calve that day, should I give that calcium sub-q or just give that cal-mag gel like I did before? I will be doing the molasses on top of feed and now know that I missed so many signs that I mistook for just general nervousness and so now know that if I see that excitability and non interest in food I will be acting. I asked the vet about giving Elenore sub-q when we thought maybe she was just relapsing and he said that there is such a risk of infection and that is really burns. But the pictures that dostthouhavemilk posted didn't look like that. I remember it saying somewhere about making sure you get through all the layers of the skin...is that what happens if you don't? The burning and infection?

And you are lucky to have alfalfa growing good in your field. We have none and always have to buy it and just grow grass hay. Having a good alfalfa setup would be awwwwwesome!

We just don't tend to feed straight alfalfa. Aparently at one point we did feed straight alfalfa. Never saw a difference. Dad carefully pulled a cow out of that feed area to cut her intake like they suggest. One of the few he has lost to Milk Fever. Our dry animals are on hay/pasture, 3-in-1 mineral blocks. The older cows are slowly led fed about a week or two out. They are brought into the barn and gradually reintroduced to grain. Though not all of them. Milk Fever has been a rarity here. Although there have been years here a number of cows will get it in a season, not only here but on surrounding farms as well. We don't lose them to milk fever since we treat them in time with sub-Q.
The calcium sub-Q does burn (at least in goats). Part of why we wait for the cow to go down. They don't fight it as much and given much sooner than that and there is the risk they flush the system and go down anyways. Dad says he hasn't seen the reaction from cows that it burns though.
Infections? Not when done properly. Clean needle, lots of rubbing alcohol (through the tube, needle and onto the skin)..and then making the needle goes through all the layers of skin.
When done properly you cannot tell where you have dosed the cow. We had a young vet try to put two bottles into a cow that was still standing. Dad told him no so he put the second bottle he insisted on sub-Q. Did not do it properly. She had lumps and of course went down less than 24 hours later. Dad retreated and she recovered fine and had no lumps from his treatment.
Now there is a good risk of infection when giving it IP (which is given in front of the flank in that triangle area). It goes into the open abdominal cavity. A little quicker absorption than Sub-Q, but you better hope that cow never needs a twisted gut righted. Our old vet cried when he had to try and tack a twisted gut on a cow who had been treated IP due to scar tissue.


"Even after working with Jerseys for 40 years you can still be fooled." Quote from dad. We've seen about every variation of milk fever. First fresheners, milk fever seven months into lactation, old cows (13 year olds) and on and on.
The most important part is to know your animals. Be aware of when they are off and be ready to treat. Prey animals do not show signs of distress until they cannot hide it any longer.

[allenslabs]

What is a 3-in-1 block? I have seen the trace mineral block and the salt block....what is the other? Mine have a salt block and then loose minerals which are the purina wind and rain brand.

[sammyd]

http://hayandforage.com/mag/farming_low_keeps_milk

[Cindy in KY]

Southern States has a Dairy loose mineral bag, 50 lbs, about $15. Southern States is the only place I know of that it. She does not like it too well, but she gets a little bit in her All Stock in the mornings. She won't just eat it like she licks a salt block, so it's in the bottom of her feed bin, and she gets it that way.

That is a good article, Sammy, thanks. We never feed alfalfa to any of our stock, but knowing the low-potassium 3 weeks before calving is good to know. I just personally do not like alfalfa or sweet feed, it's too rich for our needs. All our stock tends to stay fat on good grass hay, pasture and bread, and small amounts of All Stock.

[6e]

Originally Posted by sammyd

http://hayandforage.com/mag/farming_low_keeps_milk

Corn silage isn't seen much around here. Once in awhile is all. I wonder if grass hay would work instead? We have several purebred Jersey cows and we have never had milk fever......yet. I am worried now, but we don't generally feed alfalfa. In the winter it's grass hay and in the summer it's pasture. We don't start graining till they start milking and that's while we're milking. I'm sure going to keep a close eye out now though.

[Cindy in KY]

My DH helps a neighbor farmer in the spring, summer and in trade he gets 50 lb bags of ground corn. We have fed that to the steer we were growing out, and Jersey got a little as a treat. Ground Corn seems bland enough, but would check the Potassium anyway. You can buy corn and have it ground at the mill.

I love good grass hay, because they can have usually as much as they want, especially in the winter, or rainy days I can keep hay in front of them. You can not do that with alfalfa or even alfalfa grass mix. Jersey gets a big, big flake morning, lunch and evening now. She hollers for her lunch hay if we are late. Cows, like horses, are meant to be eating all the time, having their stomachs full. When our pasture starts growing again, she won't touch the hay unless it is pouring rain outside.

[springvalley]

You guys that have jerseys just need to do the best you can do and hear what some of us old timers have mentioned, and milk your cows and raise some calves. Most people kill their animals with kindness, some out of lack of knowledge. But don`t stop having or raising your jersey cows, because they all are not going to get MF, so just think, and enjoy them. > Thanks Marc

[DJ in WA]

I wouldn’t worry about your beef cows getting milk fever.

Thought I’d bone up from the Merck Veterinary Manual. First, incidence of milk fever is low in beef cows. Has anyone actually experienced such?

Apparently feeding low calcium diets is not as effective at prevention as once thought.

Now the thing is to feed salts or minerals which make the cow’s blood more acidic, allowing her to better absorb calcium from feed, and better resorb calcium from her bones.

Alfalfa is no longer considered a problem, as it helps make blood more acidic.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/in...m/bc/80302.htm

Some excerpts:

The disease may be seen in cows of any age but is most common in high-producing dairy cows >5 yr old. Incidence is higher in the Jersey breed.

Historically, prevention of parturient paresis was approached by feeding low-calcium diets during the dry period to stimulate intestinal absorption and enhance skeletal resorption prior to the sudden demand for calcium at the onset of lactation. While mobilization of calcium is somewhat enhanced, it is now known that feeding low-calcium diets is not as effective as initially believed. Furthermore, it is difficult to formulate diets that are low enough in calcium. Alternative methods for prevention of hypocalcemia include delayed or incomplete milking after calving, which maintains pressure within the udder and decreases milk production. This practice may aggravate latent mammary infections and increase incidence of mastitis. Prophylactic treatment of susceptible cows at calving may help reduce parturient paresis.

Most recently, the prevention of parturient paresis has been revolutionized by the use of the dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD), which decreases the blood pH of cows during the late prepartum and early postpartum period. This method is more effective and more practical than lowering prepartum calcium in the diet.

An important strategy for decreasing blood pH in periparturient cattle is reducing the potassium content of the diet. Including corn silage as a major portion of the dry cow’s diet is essential as it tends to have the lowest content potassium of available forages. Alfalfa is another forage source that may prove beneficial in maintaining proper blood pH. In the past, including alfalfa in a dry cow ration was not considered ideal due to the high calcium content. However, it has since been determined that calcium has little effect on the alkalinity of cow’s blood. Withholding potassium fertilizers on fields used to grow dry cow forages is another means of decreasing potassium levels in hay fed to dry cows. Alternatively, anionic salts can be added to counteract the effects of high cation levels (potassium and sodium) in the diet. Anionic salts to consider include calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate, and ammonium chloride.

[DJ in WA]

Just went back and read Sammyd's article and it seems to be against alfalfa because of higher potassium levels. But apparently that can vary, depending on fertilizer. But it isn't the higher calcium in alfalfa that is the problem.

I just know alot of people who feed only alfalfa to beef cows, because they it's what they can grow in the dry west without irrigation (it roots deeply). I'm not aware of milk fever issues, but I could be wrong. Perhaps most of them don't use potassium fertilizers though.