When should colostrum be fed to calves and for how long? When to adjust calf nutrition is determined by rumen development. Learn more.
Heat stress can cause many issues for the cows and the farmer. How do we prevent heat stress in cattle? Water consumption and housing ventilation can be great combat methods for heat stress in dairy cattle.
Spring is here and that means grazing season is around the corner. There are some things to look out for when starting to graze cattle in the spring. Cool-season grasses tend to be low in magnesium and when cattle become deficient in magnesium, we start to see signs of grass tetany. Grass tetany is a nutritional or metabolic disorder characterized by low blood magnesium. Grass tends to be low in magnesium when they are immature and have high potassium.
Flies, Lice & Ticks – Oh my!
Spring is at our doorsteps and that means flies, lice, and ticks all come back. Flies especially, cause a lot of problems to the herd. Flies spread diseases, like anaplasmosis and pink eye. An abundance of flies on cattle tend to cause stress and irritation, which results in lower milk yields and decreased weight gain.
How can we prepare for fly season? Start by removing potential breeding grounds, which is anything damp.
Molds are fungi (fuzzy or dusty – appearing) that occur commonly in feedstuffs, including roughages and concentrates. Molds can infect dairy cattle causing a disease referred to as mycosis. Mycosis is most likely when cows may be immune-suppressed during stressful periods. A mycosis can occur in various locations such as lungs, mammary gland, uterus, or intestine. An intestinal infection may result in hemorrhagic bowel. Molds may also affect cattle by producing poisons called mycotoxins that affect animals when they consume contaminated feeds, resulting in a mycotoxicosis.
Milk Fever
Milk fever, also known as hypocalcemia is a common bovine metabolic disorder resulting from calcium deficiency. Cows usually experience milk fever when approaching calving or just after calving. Calcium demand for a cow starting lactation is almost double compared to when she was not lactating and pregnant. Around calving, blood-calcium levels may drop below the normal range leading to homeostatic failure.
Calcium deficiency results in:
Why Do We Ferment Forage
Fermenting forages is very beneficial to cattle nutrition and production-wise. When forage is fermented it causes a breakdown of forage material, making it easier for animals to digest. Since the fermented forage is easier to digest, the bodies can digest forage quicker and releases more energy for the animal. The cattle can utilize the feed more efficiently and this will result in less waste in the undigested material that they excrete.
