Jaylor's Ruminant Nutritionist, Janet Kleinschmidt, looks at cow health and nutrition in terms of nutritional imbalances, deficiencies, or erratic management of feeding programs. See our latest SlideShare presentation now.

1. THE LINK BETWEEN COW
HEALTH AND NUTRITION

2. COW HEALTH AND NUTRITION
NUTRITIONAL IMBALANCES, DEFICIENCIES OR
ERRATIC MANAGEMENT OF FEEDING
PROGRAMS CAN CREATE LARGE NUMBERS AND
VARIOUS TYPES OF HEALTH
PROBLEMS, GENERALLY REFERED TO AS
METABOLIC DISEASES.
COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM ARE EVER-
CHANGING NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF THE
COW, HER LACTATION/DRY PERIOD NEEDS, FEED
QUALITY CHANGES AND PRODUCER
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.

3. COW HEALTH AND NUTRITION
FREQUENTLY WHEN METABOLIC DISEASE
INCREASES, OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIOUS
DISEASE ALSO INCREASES.
IF THESE DISEASES ARE NOT PREVENTED OR
REDUCED, VERY COSTLY CONSEQUENCES IN
REPRODUCTION, PRODUCTION AND HUMAN
RESOURCES WILL OCCUR.

4. REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)
HOW MUCH SHOULD LACTATING AND DRY COWS
EAT?
LACTATING B/W 19-28 KG DM
42 lb - 61 lb
FAR AWAY DRY 12 KG DM
26 lb
CLOSE UP DRY 10 KG DM
22 lb

5. REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)
AS A NUTRITIONIST THE QUESTION I ASK FIRST
WHEN CONFRONTED WITH REDUCED DMI IS:
WHY ARE DMI’S REDUCED?
 Empty bunks
 Inadequate bunk space, crowded facilities
 Ration DM < 45% or > 55%
 High fibre ration, NDF>33%, ADF>20% ANALYSE
YOUR FORAGES!!!!
 Low salt intake

6. REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)

7. REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)
 Water intake restricted or poor quality
 Moldy feed
 Poor bunk management, old feed not cleaned out.
 Unpalatable feeds and/or low quality forages being
fed.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?

8. REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)
 WORK WITH YOUR NUTRITIONIST TO ENSURE
THAT ALL PARTS OF YOUR RATION ARE PROPERLY
BALANCED
 SUBMIT FORAGES FOR ANALYSIS MONTHLY
 CHECK MOISTURE LEVELS ON ALL WET
INGREDIENTS WEEKLY
 ENSURE YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT 2 GROUP DRY
COW PROGRAM (OR 1 GROUP)
 CHECK FOR “SARA” (SUBACUTE RUMEN
ACIDOSIS):
– OVER FEEDING GRAIN
– POOR eNDF
– SORTING BY COWS
– PERFORM RUMEN pH’s

9. REDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKE (DMI)
 START FEEDING SODIUM BICARBONATE (150-220
G/H/D)
 START FEEDING A YEAST PRODUCT
 FEED HIGHLY PALATABLE FEEDS SUCH AS
BREWERS GRAINS, MOLASSES ETC.
 TALK TO YOUR VET ABOUT SUPPORT
TREATMENTS FOR KETOSIS
 CONSIDER ADMINISTERING Ca AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE TO ALL MATURE COWS AFTER CALVING

10. KETOSIS & SUB-CLINICAL KETOSIS
THIS METABLOIC DISEASE OCCURS MOST
FREQUENTLY IN EARLY LACTATION.
SUBCLINICAL KETOSIS IS CHARACTERIZED BY
“MELT DOWN”
I HAVE SEEN IT IN MID TO LATE LACTATION DUE TO
OVER CROWDING OR FOOT ISSUES.
OFTEN KETOSIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH FAT COW
SYNDROME, RP’S, MASTITIS, METRITIS AND DA’S.
KETOSIS POSITIVE COWS SHOULD BE MONITORED
FOR OTHER ISSUES.

11. KETOSIS & SUB-CLINICAL KETOSIS
SIGNS OF KETOSIS INCLUDE:
 REDUCED DMI
 WEIGHT LOSS
 DECREASED MILK PRODUCTION
 DEPRESSION AND LISTLESSNESS
 “DOWNER COW”
 “KETONE” BREATH
What can be done?

12. KETOSIS & SUB-CLINICAL KETOSIS
 ENSURE YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT 2 GROUP DRY
COW PROGRAM
 MAINTAIN DRY COWS IN A BCS OF 3.5 TO 4.0
 TRY AND HAVE A SEPARATE “TRANSITION GROUP”
 MAKE SURE THAT COWS FEET ARE KEPT
TRIMMED AND TREATED
 CONSIDER FEEDING NIACIN IN THE CUD GROUP
AND UP UNTIL 100 DIM
 USE CRC RUMENSIN BOLUSES IN THE CUD GROUP
AND 200 MG MONENSIN H/D IN THE MILKING HERD
 WORK WITH YOUR VET ON PROTOCOL TO HANDLE
CLINICAL CASES OF KETOSIS
– PROPYLENE GLYCOL
– DEXTROSE

13. MILK FEVER
MILK FEVER GENERALLY OCCURS AT OR NEAR
CALVING DUE TO A LARGE Ca DEMAND AT THE
ONSET OF COLOSTRUM/MILK PRODUCTION.
I HAVE SEEN IT IN HIGH PRODUCTION, 3X COWS IN
MID LACTATION.
SIGNS OF MILK FEVER INCLUDE: STAGGERING,
TREMORS,“DOWNER COW”, MUSCULAR
WEAKNESS AND SUBNORMAL TEMPERATURE.
THERE IS A SUB-CLINICAL FORM OF MILK FEVER
WHICH MIMICS SUB-CLINICAL KETOSIS.

14. MILK FEVER
OTHER PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH MILK FEVER:
 BLOAT
 DA’S
 KETOSIS
 MASTITIS
 COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEM
 REDUCED TOTAL PRODUCTIVITY
 DYSTOCIA
 UTERINE PROLAPSE
 RP’S
 METRITIS
 “MELT DOWN” AND ASSOCIATED REPRODUCTIVE
FAILURE

15. MILK FEVER
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
 ENSURE YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT 2 GROUP DRY
COW PROGRAM
 I BALANCE MY CUD RATIONS USING 0.70% Ca,
0.35% P, 0.25% Mg AND K , <1.2% ON A DM BASIS.
 IF I CANNOT ACHIEVE THESE VALUES I USE
ANIONIC SALTS, IN WHICH CASE Ca LEVELS IN THE
RATION SHOULD BE >150 G/H/D
 MONITORING URINE pH HELPS CHECK
EFFECTIVENESS OF ANIONIC SALTS (6.0 to 6.5
 BALANCE CUD VITAMINS AS FOLLOWS:
VITAMIN A 200 KIU/DAY VITAMIN D 50 KIU/DAY VITAMIN E 1,000 – 4,000 IU/DAY

16. MILK FEVER

17. MILK FEVER
 NEVER FEED FREE CHOICE MINERALS TO CUD
COWS.
 NEVER FEED SODIUM BICARBOANTE TO CUD
COWS.
 LIMIT SALT TO CUD COWS (UDDER EDEMA AND
MILK FEVER)
 WORK WITH YOUR VET ON PROTOCOL TO HANDLE
CLINICAL CASES OF MILK FEVER

18. DISPLACED ABOMASUM (DA)
MOST DA’S OCCUR SHORTLY AFTER CALVING.
I HAVE SEEN IT IN MID TO LATE LACTATION DUE TO
OVER CROWDING OR FOOT ISSUES.
SIGNS OF DA’S RESEMBLE KETOSIS:
OFF FEED
SCANT BOWEL MOVEMENTS
NORMAL TEMPERATURE
DRASTIC REDUCTION IN MILK
GENERAL DISCOMFORT

19. DISPLACED ABOMASUM (DA)
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
 ENSURE YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT 2 GROUP DRY
COW PROGRAM
 DO NOT OVER FEED GRAIN OR UNDER FEED
FORAGE IN EITHER THE CUD GROUP OR THE
FRESH GROUP (HIGH GROUP TMR + 1-2 KG LONG
STEM HAY)
 ELIMINATE MOLDY FEEDS FROM ALL DAIRY
RATIONS

20. RETAINED PLACENTA (RP)
RP’S ARE CONSIDER A PROBLEM WHEN 8-10% OF
THE HERD DOES NOT DROP THEIR FETAL
MEMBRANES WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER CALVING
RP’S ARE THE SYMPTOM OF ANOTHER PROBLEM:
1. Milk fever (sub or clinical)
2. Ketosis (sub or clinical)
3. Protein deficiency
4. Se &/or Vit. E deficiency
5. Twins, hard calving, late/early calf etc.

21. RETAINED PLACENTA (RP)
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
 ENSURE YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT 2 GROUP DRY COW
PROGRAM
 ENSURE THAT ALL PROTEINS ARE BALANCED IN THE CUD
COW GROUP
 ENSURE EXCELLENT VITAMIN A,D, & E NUTRITION IN THE
CUD COWS
 ENSURE EXCELLENT Se NUTRITION IN THE CUD GROUP. I
BALANCE AT 7-8 MG/H/D IN THIS GROUP.
 USE AN ANIONIC SALT TO REDUCE MILK FEVER.
 AVOID FAT OR THIN COW SYNDROME
 AVOID STRESS AROUND THE TIME OF CALVING.

22. METRITIS
LIKE RP’S, METRITIS, OR INFECTION OF THE
UTERUS, IS USUALLY A SYMPTOM OF ANOTHER
PROBLEM:
 TWINS OR HARD CALVING
 DIRTY CALVING AREA
 FAT COW OR THIN COW SYNDROME
 AGGRESSIVE OR UNHYGENIC
INTERVENTION AT CALVING
 RP’S

23. METRITIS
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
 AVOID RP’S
 INJECT Se &/OR VITAMIN E
 ELIMINATE MOLDY FEEDS FROM ALL DAIRY
RATIONS
 INDUCE OR NATURAL ESTRUS
 MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF SANITATION IN THE
CALVING AREA
 FEED A WELL BALANCED RATION IN THE FAD
AND CUD GROUPS.
 MONITOR BCS IN ALL ANIMALS AND MANAGE
ACCORDINGLY

24. REPRODUCTIVE FAILURE
REPRODUCTIVE FAILURE IN DAIRY HERDS CAN BE
DIVIDED IN TO MANY CATAGORIES:
CYSTIC OVARIES
ANESTRUS
REPEAT BREEDERS
ABORTIONS
DISEASE CONDITIONS

25. CYSTIC OVARIES
CYSTIC OVARIES ARE AN ISSUE WHEN THEY EFFECT
15% OF THE MATURE HERD OR 5% OF THE HEIFER
HERD.
CYSTIC OVARIES CAN BE THE RESULT OF:
 MINERAL IMBALANCE, SPECIFICALLY Ca, P & Mg
 EXTREMEMLY FAT OR THIN COWS
 HIGH ESTROGEN LEVELS IN CERTAIN FORAGES
AND MYCOTOXINS
 GENETIC PREDISPOSITION
 STRESSFUL CONDITIONS IN EARLY LACTATION

26. CYSTIC OVARIES
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
 ENSURE Ca, P & Mg ARE WELL BALANCED IN THE MILKING
RATION (Ca 1.0%-1.1%; P 0.36-0.4%; Mg 0.35%-0.40%)
 PUT THIN DRY COWS DIRECTLY INTO THE CUD GROUP
 BCS ALL MEMBERS OF THE HERD ONCE A MONTH AND
ADJUST THE NeL ACCORDINGLY.
 DO HERD HEALTHS REGULARLY
 MONITOR ALL RATION INGREDIEINTS FOR MOLD &/OR
MYCOTOXINS
 IF POSSIBLE, TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION “CYSTIC
FAMILIES” WHEN BREEDING (DIFFICULT, USUALLY HIGH
PRODUCERS)

27. ANESTRUS
ANESTRUS, OR FAILURE TO SHOW SIGNS OF HEAT,
IS IN MOST CASES A FAILURE TO DETECT HEAT.
ANESTRUS IS THE RESULT OF:
 ANEMIA DUE TO DIFFERENT DISEASES
CONDTIONS, PARASITES, DEFICIENCIES IN CP, Fe,
Cu, Co OR Se
 P DEFICIENCY
 ENERGY DEFICIENCY
 CYSTIC OVARIES
 PYOMETRA

28. ANESTRUS
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
 PUT THIN DRY COWS DIRECTLY INTO THE CUD
GROUP
 BCS ALL MEMBERS OF THE HERD ONCE A MONTH
AND ADJUST THE NeL ACCORDINGLY.
 CHECK PROBLEM COWS FOR ANEMIA AND TREAT
ACCORDINGLY
 AVOID OTHER METABLOIC DISEASES ASSOCIATED
WITH ANESTRUS
 ENSURE THE VITAMINS AND MINERALS ARE WELL
BALANCED IN THE MILKING RATION

29. REPEAT BREEDERS
AS WITH ANESTRUS COWS REPEAT BREEDERS ARE
USUALLY A “MAN MADE” PROBLEM.
FROM A NUTRITIONIST PRESPECTIVE I WILL SEE IT IF
THERE IS A SERIOUS IMBALANCE OR DEFICIENCY
OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS.
ACIDOSIS IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH POOR
FERTLITY.

30. ABORTIONS
CAUSE OF ABORTION CAN BE INFECTIOUS OR NON-
INFECTIOUS.
A NORMAL HERD RATE SHOULD BE AROUND 1 TO 3%
OR LESS.
NUTRITIONALLY THERE ARE SEVERAL ASPECTS TO
LOOK AT:
 HIGH SOLUBLE PROTEIN AT BREEDING OR IN THE
1ST TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY
 NITRATE POISONING AND MYCOTOXINS
 WEED CONTAMINATION OF FORAGES

31. ABORTIONS
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
 ENSURE THAT ALL PROTEIN FRACTIONS ARE
BALANCED
 TEST STRESSED FEEDS FOR NITRATE LEVELS
AND MYCOTOXINS
 ENSURE THAT FORAGES ARE HARVESTED
CONTAMINATION FREE

32. INFECTIOUS FOOT PROBLEMS
COWS WHO CANNOT WALK DO NOT EAT OR SHOW
HEATS, ARE MORE PRONE TO METABOLIC
DISORDERS AND ARE LIKELY TO BE PREMATURELY
CULLED FROM THE HERD.
REMEMBER: ONCE, STRAWBERRY FOOT IS IN YOU
HERD IT IS THERE INDEFINITELY.
ANY STRESS IN THE HERD OR INDIVIDUAL COWS
WILL MAKE THEM SUSCEPTIBLE TO A FLARE UP
OF STRAWBERRY FOOT.

33. INFECTIOUS FOOT PROBLEMS
LAMENESS DUE TO INFECTION CAUSES COWS TO
SPEND LESS TIME ON THEIR FEET: ONCE THEY ARE
SETTLED IN A STALL THEY ARE RELUCTANT TO
LEAVE IT EVEN IF IT MEANS FOREGOING FOOD AND
WATER.
THIS IN TURN LEADS TO SLUG FEEDING, REDUCED
RUMEN pH (ACIDOSIS) AND EVENTUALLY
LAMINITIS.
DA’s, LOW BCS AND KETOSIS ARE ALSO COMMON IN
THESE ANIMALS.

34. LAMINITIS AND ACIDOSIS
NUTRITION IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE MOST
IMPORTANT FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE
DEVELOPMENT OF LAMINITIS.
FACTORS SUCH AS:
 THE AMOUNT AND TYPE OF GRAIN
 GRAIN PROCESSING
 FORAGE TYPE AND QUALITY, LEVELS ETC.
INFLUENCE INTAKE PATTERNS, ENERGY
METABOLISM AND SUB-CLINICAL ACIDOSIS.

35. LAMINITIS AND ACIDOSIS
BOTH LOW ROUGHAGE LEVELS AND REDUCED
PARTICLE SIZE EXACERBATE ACIDOSIS DURING THE
TRANSITION PERIOD.
What to do?
 ENSURE NDF IS BETWEEN 28-33% FOR HIGH PRODUCTION
GROUPS (75% OF WHICH SHOULD BE COMING FROM THE
FORAGE FRACTION).
 NSC LEVELS SHOULD BE BETWEEN 35-40%, ALTHOUGH IN
MY EXPERIENCE I DO NOT LIKE TO GO OVER 37-38% IF
POSSIBLE.
 15 TO 20% OF PARTICLES IN THE RATION SHOULD BE AT
LEAST 4 CM LONG.

36. LAMINITIS AND ACIDOSIS
DIAGNOSE ACIDOSIS AND SARA
 AT THE BARN LEVEL I LOOK AT CUD CHEWING,
FEET, BODY ABSCESSES, BF%:MP%, TMR
TEXTURE AND “SHAKER BOX”
 RUMENOCENTESIS IS AN EXCELLENT TOOL TO
DETERMINE ACIDOSIS OR SARA STATUS
(CLINICAL 5.0-5.5 pH, SARA 5.5 TO 6.0 pH)

37. MASTITIS
ALTHOUGH MOST MASTITIS IS RELATED TO THE
ENVIRONMENT, MILKING PROCEEDURE ETC. THERE
ARE NUTRITIONAL CONNECTIONS.
ACIDOSIS IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH
HIGH SCC AND MASTITIS
A POORLY BALANCED RATION CAN LOWER
THE ANIMALS IMMUNE SYSTEM AND
CONTRIBUTE TO MASTITIS
HIGH LEVELS OF MYCOTOXINS (VOMITOXIN)
CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH MASTITIS

38. MASTITIS

39. TAKE HOME MESSAGE
METABLOIC DISEASES ARE CLOSELY
RELATED TO THE NUTRITION AND FEEDING
MANAGEMENT OF YOUR HERD.
CAN YOU AFFORD TO IGNORE IT?