Friday, 12 July 2024 08:55

Calving brings about massive physiological changes in cows

Written by  Staff Reporters
As cows transition from dry to milking animals, they undergo big changes that leave them at risk to many health conditions. As cows transition from dry to milking animals, they undergo big changes that leave them at risk to many health conditions.

During the transition from dry to milking cows, it’s crucial to manage their health effectively to ensure their reproductive performance, production, and longevity aren’t compromised.

Watch out for warning signs like difficult calvings, retained foetal membranes, lameness, clinical mastitis, or other health issues.

Calving brings about significant physiological changes in cows, increasing the risk of mastitis and lameness. However, there are strategies to support them during this time. Avoid overfeeding springers, check them regularly, provide magnesium to prevent milk fever and grass staggers, and supplement with trace elements for immune function. Hygiene, patience, and proper teat care are also essential.

As dairy cows transition from dry to milking animals, they undergo big changes that leave them at risk to many health conditions.

Therefore, it’s vital that cows are properly managed during this time because diseases can have far-reaching effects on their reproductive performance, production, and longevity.

Trigger Points

It’s important to recognise what a normal level of disease is around calving, so you can identify when to intervene. Look out for any of these red flags:

  • More than 5% of the herd requires hands-on assistance to calve.
  • More than 2% of the herd have retained foetal membranes 24 hours after calving.
  • More than 5% of cows become lame in a month.
  • More than 5% of the herd have clinical mastitis in the month after calving.
  • More than 5% of the herd suffer any other health problems at calving or during early lactation.

Physiological Changes

The calving process causes big changes in the body. A cow’s immune function is compromised, and teat canals open during a time when unfavourable ground conditions are common. These risk factors can lead to an increase in mastitis rates. Many of the clinical mastitis cases seen in the first two weeks after calving, when the cow comes into milk, are contracted in the late dry period.

To make calving easier hormones relax the cow’s pelvic tendons and ligaments. However, the hormones affect all the tendons and ligaments in the body including the foot. This creates a less stable foot that’s more prone to damage. In addition, body condition loss after calving affects all areas of fat in the body including the fat cushion in the foot, reducing the foot’s ability to absorb shock. These two factors make the risk of getting lame much higher. Poor stockmanship and management around calving can result in increased lameness (more than 5% of the herd per month) around mating and further into the season.

More like this

Dry cow management is key

OPINION: We need to stop treating the dry period as just a rest between lactations and understand that it’s a significant biological reset that impacts the health and productivity of the next lactation.

FE survey underway

Beef + Lamb NZ wants farmers to complete a survey that will shed light on the financial toll of facial eczema (FE) at the farm level.

Featured

Fruit fly discovery 'concerning'

Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says that discovery of a male Oriental fruit fly on Auckland’s North Shore is a cause for concern for growers.

Fonterra updates earnings

Fonterra says its earnings for the 2025 financial year are anticipated to be in the upper half of its previously forecast earnings range of 40-60 cents per share.

Nedap NZ launch

Livestock management tech company Nedap has launched Nedap New Zealand.

National

Certainty welcomed

There's been very little reaction to the government science reform announcement, with many saying the devil will be in the…

Science 'deserves more funding'

A committee which carried out the review into New Zealand's science system says the underinvestment will continue to compromise the…

Machinery & Products

Landpower win global award

Christchurch-headquartered Landpower and its Claas Harvest Centre dealerships has taken out the Global After Sales Excellence award in Germany, during…

Innovation, new products galore

It has been a year of new products and innovation at Numedic, the Rotorua-based manufacturer and exporter of farm dairy…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

No buyers

OPINION: Australian dairy is bracing for the retirement of an iconic dairy brand.

RIP Kitkat V

OPINION: Another sign that the plant-based dairy fallacy is unravelling and that nothing beats dairy-based products.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter