A26-Lancaster Firming, Saturday, December 2,1989
Pipeline
(Continued from Pag* A 25)
also be needed, especially with
this year’s poorer quality forage
and the suppressed immunity
levels it has caused in some cows.
You may want to discuss these
matters with your veterinarian and
nutritionist along with the possible
need for immunizations, hoof
trimming, deworming, etc.
To prevent milk fever and
reproductive problems, avoid
excessive intake of calcium and
protein by limiting legume intake
to about 30-50% of the total for
age dry matter intake. Good qual
ity grass hay or mixed hay is
preferred.
Pastures are a good source of
forage and fresh grass can be
richer in vitamins and minerals
offer cows an opportunity for
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more exercise and a reprieve from
concrete stress.
If most of the forage is chopped
or ensiled, a few pounds of long
stemmed dry hay will help to
encourage good rumen activity
and a more normal rumen pH.
If the lac tating herd receives
non-protein nitrogen (NPN), be
sure to feed, some NPN to dry
cows and springing heifers, start
ing several weeks before calving,
to acclimate their digestive system
to it.
Close-Up Group
Dry cows and springing heifers
need special attention about 2-3
weeks before calving. They
should be put into a close-up pen
where they can be properly fed
and observed.
During this time cows need to
be gradually acclimated to slightly
higher levels of grain intake and to
some of the same kinds of feed
they’ll be receiving after calving.
You might want to keep cows on
their dry cow program and use lac
tating ration ingredients for the
additional feeds fed.
In order to preserve appetites
and prevent other calving time
problems, limit total grain intake
to about 0.5% of body weight For
a Holstein cow this would be
about 7-8 pounds per day. Hold
the cow at these levels for a few
days after calving. When the cow
starts recovering from the stresses
of calving, withdraw the dry cow
radon ingredients and carefully
increase daily intakes in accor
dance with appetite. and always be
sure the cow is consuming gener
ous amounts of forage.
The close-up pen, and especial
ly the maternity area, should be
clean. As at drying off time, our
goal is to protect the teat ends
from exposure to infectious organ
isms. We also have two other
things to protect, the cow’s uterus
and the calf's navel.
As the cow bags up she may
start leaking milk. That means the
protective keratin plug in the teat
canal has popped and the door at
the end of die teat is again some
what open to invading organisms.
The milk that leaks out is also a
good growth media for mastitis
organisms. If the cow lies down in
a milk contaiminated area, on in
any filthy area, she is a sitting
duck for infection. Sanitation is
very important at this time.
If a cow starts leaking milk
before calving consider pre
milldng her, milking her out com
pletely and regularly and saving
the colostrum for her unborn calf.
It’ll prevent milk contamination of
the pen. It’ll help relieve udder
pressure and improve circulation
and it will help to flush out infec
tious organisms that may have
already gained entrance into the
udder. However, you may
increase the risk of milk fever, but
that might be easier to prevent or
treat than mastitis or a broken
down udder.
To help the calf'get off to a
rousing start separate it from the
dam at birth, dry it off, place it in a '
clean pen away from older cattle,
cut and dip it’s navel and feed it
colostrum soon after birth. Separ
ating the calf from its dam imme- $
diately at birth helps to prevent it
from coming in contact with man
ure from older cattle and possibly
picking up Johne’s disease organ
isms. With this same concern in
mind, clean and sanitize the dam’s
udder before getting colostrum for
the calf.
Remember, the efforts you put
into your heifer and dry cow pro
grams is an investment you will
have to live with for a full lacta
tion. Hopefully, it will be a good
experience.
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