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COW MANAGEMENT
Duncan Gaudie & Iain McCulloch
WORKING
TOGETHER
FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
13
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
STEVE BORSBERRY,
608 FARM AND EQUINE VETER INARY SURGEONS
Veterinary Surgeon
Steve Borsberry
XLVets Practice
608 Farm and Equine
Veterinary Surgeons
The
‘Fresh’
Cow
Peri-parturient diseases have a huge effect on the longevity of a cow;
they can have an effect on lactation, fertility, lameness, mastitis, milk
yield and thus lifetime production, reducing the profitability of the cow
and the herd while also increasing the carbon footprint of the farm.
The diet supplied to the
close-up cow needs to:
l
Be palatable
l
Provide sufficient energy and protein
to maintain body condition
l
Be provided at an energy density to
maximise rumen size
l
Provide some post-partum components
in order to initiate changes in the
rumen bacteria to maximise
fermentation and utilisation of the
lactation diet.
Reducing the incidence of peri-parturient
disease can be complex, however, attention to
the diet and management of the transition cow
may well be the key for many enterprises.