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SPRING 2014 ISSUE
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
14
TRANSITION COW CARE
‘Cows should be assessed by palpating them
- not just by looking at them,’ he advised.
‘Then the percentage of cows that are
off-target should be calculated to determine
whether changes to nutrition or management
are needed, and when.’
Dr Mulligan's recommended targets through
the cow's production cycle are shown in Table
1. He commented: ‘There's nothing wrong
with having a boring BCS profile!’
Body condition scoring was very easy to
learn, said Dr Mulligan, and farmers should
seek training. They should carry out scoring
and review the results with the farm's vet who
should in turn ensure the subjective assessments
have been made accurately. He said vets
should be invited to inspect close-up and
far-off dry cows, as a matter of routine.
XLVets' Seamus Finnegan of Armour Veterinary
Centre in Mauchline, Ayrshire is in agreement
on the value of body condition scoring, and
in training and encouraging farmers to make
their own assessments at key points in the
lactation cycle. He says: ‘Taking the time to
assess cow condition is time-consuming, but
there is a cost benefit in doing so.’
The winter of 2012/2013 presented a
particularly difficult set of circumstances
for farmers in many parts of the UK,
including Ayrshire. Seamus explains:
‘Cows were housed very early and were
in poorer body condition. Some of the
leaner cows could have been dried off
earlier than normal so that they could
make up their lost body condition.
‘Dry cow rations were particularly hard to
make up due to the poor quality forage
available. The late spring of 2013
exacerbated these issues.
‘Fortunately the quality of forages made
for the winter 2013/2014 is greatly
improved, both in dry matter and energy
content, although first cut silage was
lighter than would have been anticipated.
Cows were also housed in better body
condition than the previous winter. So this
last winter we have seen reduced
numbers of metabolic conditions and
hence associated diseases.’
Forage quality
can be
a factor
Three-way team
approach
Condition scoring
An overconditioned cow
On farms which have recurring health
problems during the important transition
periods, he advises a full metabolic profile
be carried out. ‘This involves body condition
scoring as well as the blood sampling of
cows (in dairy herds, three separate groups
of cows). The latter provides vital information
on energy levels, protein and mineral status
of the herd.
‘This can sometimes be seen as an
unnecessary cost, however it is useful for
a number of reasons,’ says Seamus.
‘Firstly, monitoring cows using metabolic
profiles allows us to check that both the
milking cow ration and the late dry period
ration are doing exactly as expected. Any
problem that's then identified can be sorted
out by making changes to the diet.
‘Cows that calve down in the correct body
condition will have a greater dry matter
intake, as a percentage of their body
weight. So keeping track of BCS will help
alleviate many of the metabolic diseases
associated with early lactation.’
Metabolic profiling
Drying off
2.75-3.0
At calving
3.0-3.25
At breeding
Minimum 2.75
At 150 days in milk
2.75-3.0
At 200 days in milk
2.75-3.0
At 250 days in milk
2.75-3.0
Table 1:
Target BCS for dairy
cattle (scale 1 to 5)
Dr Mulligan and Seamus both
agree that it's best to take a team
approach to protecting dairy cow
health and production in the critical
transition period; farmers should be
consulting with both their vet and
nutritionist together, as no one
person will have all the solutions.
Body condition scores can be easily measured and recorded during routine fertility visits