Avoid Health Problems Through Dairy
BY PAT PURCELL
MOUNT JOY Retained
placentas, milk fever and unsuc
cessful breeding service can be
avoided by controlling the cow’s
weight and by simple nutritional
adjustments.
Dave Schwartz, Chester County
Extension Agent and Jud Hein
richs, Penn State University Nutri
tioa Specialist, told farmers
through proper weight evaluation
and correct nutritional practices
repeated AI services, and ketosis
and milk fever can be avoided.
Schwartz and Heinrichs
addressed 20 farmers gathered for
the second day for the Dairy Nutri
tion School sponsored by the Penn
State Cooperative Extension Ser
vice, Tuesday, November 24, at
the Country Table, Mount Joy.
Schwartz explained to the dairy
men the method of body scoring to
determine the body condition of
dairy cows. This scoring method
enables the farmer to determine the
animals level of dairy nutrients.
Dairy cows are scored on a scale of
1 to 5. One is extremely thin and S
is extremely fat.
‘This is an objective tool you
can use when you get back to the
farm and determine the amount of
flesh your cows are carrying. It is
difficult for you seeing them
everyday to be able to tell when
their weights fluctuate,” explained
Schwartz. “Here in this area we are
blessed with tall upstanding cows
and a lot of flesh can get lost on
those big cows before we notice
it.”
The goal, according to Schwartz
is to minimize body conditioning
fluctuations and to minimize cows
whcih are too thin or too fat.
Body conditioning scoring is
based on three areas of the body:
backbone, shortribs, and tailhead
area. You score on the amount the
backbone is protruding and the vis
ibility of individual vertebrae. On
the short ribs, located behind the
rib cage, the farmer examines the
amount of flesh around the short
rib area and in the tail head area,
also.
Score 1 is very thin and rate. The
cow is so thin that the vertebrae are
quite apparent. At the tailhead
area, under the tail is so depressed
that a clenched fist can fit into the
area. The area under the short rib
shelf is actually concave.
Score 2, is usually the stage of
early lactating cows. The back
bone is extremely visible, but the
individual vertebrae are not as pro
nounced. The shortribs are visible,
but not as hollowed out under
neath. The tail head area is still
depressed and the pins are
prominent.
Score 3. This is where cows
should be most of (he time, accord
ing to Schwartz. The area from the
backbone to the hooks do not slope
and have begun to flatten. They
continue to show a shelf effect, but
not nearly as apparent. The tail
head area is not depressed and
there is more flesh over the pins.
Score 4. Here the backbone
shows no sign of individual verte
brae and the area is fit from the
backbone to the hooks, and fat has
accumulated around the tailhead.
Score S. It is absolutely flat
across hooks to backbone and
there is an extreme amount of fat
around tailhead.
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In early lactation stages cows
should be 3 minus to 3 and at this
point need a maximum density of
nutrient ration. Those that get thin
may need an additional 2-3 lbs. per
day to get some weight built up.
At mid-lactation period the cow
should be a 3.
Heinrichs and Schwartz stressed
that the same person should always
do the body conditioning scoring
so it is consistent Heinrichs sug
gested that farmers take the DHIA
report they get back and go along
and score every one of their cows.
Extremely fat cows are difficult
to get bred. According data from
one study presented, the concep
tion success rate was approximate
ly 17 percent This is due to the
imbalance of input and output.
Over conditioned fat cows tend to
eat less which leads to the break
down of fat which has two results
and both are negative. Breaking
down fat puts fatty acids into the
bloodstream which acts to reduce
intake and it also leads to ketosis.
The fat cow may continue to
produce milk (one pound of fat
metabolized equals 7 lbs. of milk
produced), however, her output in
milk will not match her intake due
to her depressed appetite. There
fore her system will be unbalanced
and will not allow the cow to go
into heat. Also, a buildup of fat
around the reproductive organs
will cause the reproductive system
to be sluggish.
Dry Cows Special Needs
“You can inject vitamin E and
selenium three weeks prior to calv
ing and the problem of retained
placenta disappears,” said Hein
richs. Problems with retained
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Problems Of
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placenta stem from lack of vitamin
E and selenium in Pennsylvania.
And the results of applications of
vitamin E and selenium achieve
results. The comparison is as
noticeable as light and dark,” said
Heinrichs.
Problems with ketosis are cor
rected by niacin. Niacin helps
break down fat According to
Heinrichs it works very well.
Preventing Milk Fever
Milk fever is caused by an imba
lance of calcium, phosphorus and
Vitamin D. A dry cow will require
approximately 40 grams of cal
cium per day and a milking cow
will require up to 160 grams per
day. Heinrichs suggests dry be put
on low calcium diets two weeks
before lactation. This will not hurt
the fetus.
‘This will get that cow’s small
intestine working very efficiently
so that when she calves and you
give her a high calcium diet she
will be able to absorb a much high
er percentage of it,” explained
Heinrichs. “If in her last week if
you give her a high calcium diet it
will shut down her system and you
will push her into milk fever.”
“If you don’t have a separate dry
cow feeding group, you are in dou
ble. If you feed a dry cow the same
ration you are feeding a good lac
tating cow you will be putting tre
mendous weight on those dry
cows,” warned Heinrichs.
The dry cows must be held to a 1
to 11/2 lbs. gain per day once they
reach 3 to 3 plus. That amount of
gain is just due to fetus growth.
“I strongly suggest you have
two dry cow groups on your farm. I
challenge you to have two dry cow
groups,” said Heinrichs. “Dry
cows and those cows which are
EQUIPMENT, me.
Nutrition
either two weeks prior to calving
up until five days after calving
should be separated. Many people
jump from the dry cow ration
directly into the milking cow
ration. We need that transitional
group,” said Heinrichs.
Forage Preservatives
Heinrichs discussed four types
of forage preservatives are: mold
inhibitors. Inoculations,
Enzyumes and Anti-oxidants, and
nutrients and buffers.
Heinrichs recommended prop
ionic acid as a mold inhibitor. It
works well on all crops and works
rapidly. As for enzymes and anti
oxidants there are few of them and
they are very expensive, according
to Heinrichs. Basically they speed
up reaction for fermentation ena
bling production of lactic acid fas
ter, however the costs nearly pro
hibit their use.
Nutrients and buffers are to be
used on haylage. They increase
carbohydrates and mineral conten
and should be a common practice
on callage, wheatlage and ryelage.
Heinrich recommend application
at lOOlbs. per ton of haylage. Hein
richs also pointed out that dried or
liquid molasses are as effective
and may be less expensive.
Inoculants work well, but Hein
rich stressed that they should only
be added when absolutely needed
If the cutting of hay has been thick
and the ground moist underneath
and if the hay has been allowed to
lie in the windrow for one or two
days, then additional bacteria will
not be needed.
Heinrichs suggested that when
putting up com silage you should
add anhydrous ammonia, howev
er, he noted the safety factor of
(Turn to Pago A 39)