NUTRI T ION FOR TWINS
7
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
WORKING
TOGETHER
FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
Care of twin-bearing cows
There is a high incidence of twins on the farm
due to both good nutrition and high yielding
genetics. Typically twin rates are around 5-8%
but at Darfield Dairy they are around 8-14%.
Will adds: ‘One of the after-effects of a hot
summer is an increase in twin rates - due to
temperatures affecting hormone releases and
dry matter intakes. So we are expecting even
more twins to be born this spring.
‘Twin-bearing cows tend to calve early,
and this can cause problems. On this farm,
cows have a traditional 60 day dry period
(although with selective dry cow therapy). So
if they are managed the same way as other
in-calf cows, they will have a shorter time on
the transition diet. This can impact on their
energy status and calcium metabolism making
them more likely to suffer from peri-parturient
diseases such as retained foetal membranes,
metritis, ketosis and DAs, all of which
contribute to a delayed return to service.
‘So we are actively scanning and looking for
twins. Since we are now PD-ing cows earlier,
we can also identify the twin carriers sooner.
These cows are scanned again when three
months into the pregnancy to check that they
have not slipped the embryos, which is a
bigger risk where twins are present.
Green on Bray Board
(Left) This heifer calf looks normal but she is actually
one of twins, the other calf being male. This means
there is a 92% chance that she is a freemartin and
not suitable for breeding. Will says: ‘Farmers need
to keep track of such calves, as it’s not uncommon
for vets to come across an infertile freemartin when
PD testing.’
‘And on the Bray board in the parlour, any
cow carrying twins is assigned a green
coloured magnet to distinguish her from
the others.
‘Twin-bearing cows are dried off, and moved
into the transition group two to three weeks
earlier than normal, to ensure that they have
a full three weeks on the transition ration.
They are also given a bolus when they are
moved into the transition group, designed
to help them better extract energy from the
ration and reduce the extent of the negative
energy balance.’
After calving, cows that have borne twins are
given propylene glycol as an energy boost.
A scan showing how twins can be identified at
34-42 days of age
Dry cows
