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Metabolic Diseases

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Grass Staggers

 

Magnesium is needed for correct nervous function. When magnesium blood concentration falls below a critical level the nerves become increasingly excited. This leads to muscles contracting and being unable to relax due to continuous nerve excitement. This leads to muscle tetany (spasm), the classical symptoms of grass staggers and death.

 

Grass staggers occurs most commonly in the spring when cows are turned out onto lush grass that is low in magnesium and high in potassium and again in the autumn when the weather is wet and cold, putting the cow under stress. Magnesium cannot be stored in the body and therefore needs to be supplemented at the correct levels twice a day.

 

NWF’s solution: typically the daily magnesium requirement for a lactating dairy cow is around 0.25% of DMI and 0.4% for dry cows. At grazing the forage should supply half of this. NWF summer compounds contain 6g of Magnesium per kg of feed therefore 5kg of compound will supply 30kg of magnesium per cow per day.

 

Milk Fever

 

Milk fever is caused by low blood calcium levels. After calving the demand for calcium for milk production exceeds the body’s ability to mobilise internal reserves. 5-10% of cows have clinical milk fever at a cost of £154 per cow but 30-50% of cows have subclinical milk fever. These cows are at a much higher risk of having:

 

• Retained placentas
• Low feed intakes after calving
• Reduced immune system competence
• Reduced fertility: subclinical milk fever significantly delays first ovulation after calving

 

NWF’s solution: NWF’s Drytime is designed to be fed in the last 3 weeks prior to calving at a rate of 2-3kg per day. It contains an excellent mineral package specifically formulated to help the dry cow tackle all the challenges ahead. Drytime supplies 20g of magnesium per kg of feed as well as a high level of Vitamin D to help prevent milk fever through a partial DCAB approach on a traditional system. Another key feature of this product is that it supplies 1000 iu/kg of vitamin E.

 

NWF’s Drylife mineral is a mineral package specifically designed for dry cows to be fed at 250g per cow per day in the last 3 weeks before calving. 250g of Drylife mineral supplies at least 45g of magnesium from 3 different sources. For more information on both Drytime and the Drylife mineral including the full mineral specifications, which include protected copper and protected zinc, please contact your local NWF Sales Specialist.

 

Acidosis

 

Modern feeding strategies have changed from being mainly forage based to containing more rapidly fermentable carbohydrate based feedstuffs in order to provide the energy needed by high producing animals. These practices favour the use of silages with a high acid content that tend to be low in fibre. Rations are following a trend towards reduced particle size and a high level of concentrates. Excessive intake of rapidly fermentable carbohydrates usually leads to a decrease in rumen pH due to the accumulation of lactic acid in the rumen. The same effect can be seen in cows on lush spring grass as this is also low in fibre and high in rapidly fermentable carbohydrates. This problem is made worse as saliva production is considerably reduced in diets low in physical fibre, causing a reduction in the buffering capacity, a fall in rumen pH and the development of sub-acute rumen acidosis (SARA).

 

SARA is defined as a disorder of rumen fermentation where rumen pH drops below 5.5 for extended periods of time. A low rumen pH has a negative effect on the population of fibre digesting bacteria which leads to reduced feed intake. The signs of SARA can be difficult to spot in the field as they are subtle and often masked by other common problems such as lameness. However, cows suffering from SARA tend to have mild diarrhoea, reduced intakes and haemorrhages in the hoof.

 

Acidosis can be responsible for reduced feed intakes, fluctuating milk yields and lameness.

 

NWF’s solution: NWF’s rationing program takes into account the acid load and fibre index of the overall diet enabling you to feed for performance without compromising on rumen health. We also have a range of products designed to tackle acidosis and improve rumen health and function.

 

Stable Rumen Pak: A unique NWF product that combines yea-sacc with a specially formulated range of buffering salts. It provides a unique and cost effective way of optimising rumen pH and improving performance.

 

Yea-sacc: a live yeast that helps increase the number of fibre digesting bacteria in the rumen improving fibre digestion and food conversion efficiency. Lactic acid is utilised more efficiently creating a higher rumen pH and a more stable rumen environment. Yea-sacc also helps to increase the amount of Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA), increasing the amount of available energy to the cow for milk components.

 

AcidBuf: A calcified seaweed product that supplies a source of calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide. AcidBuf has a very large surface area for increased rumen buffering capacity, the increased rumen pH produces an ideal rumen environment helping to improve performance and optimise VFA production.

 

Your local NWF Sale Specialist will help you decide which is the ideal product to suit your individual situation.

 

Ketosis

 

Ketosis is commonly seen in high yielding cows particularly after calving. The disorder develops when the demand for glucose (sugar) is high and the intake of dietary energy is inadequate to meet requirements. In this situation cows mobilise back fat to use as an alternative energy source. The fat deposits are firstly broken down to free fatty acids which are converted into ketones (hence the name ketosis). These ketone bodies accumulate in the blood and liver and can result in fatty liver.

 

Cows suffering from ketosis are generally dull and lethargic with depressed milk yields, a “pear-drop” smell can often be detected on the breath.

 

NWF’s solution: In order to help prevent ketosis farmers should work towards maximising intakes post-calving so that energy consumption can better match requirement. “Steaming up” cows in the dry period should be avoided as well as giving large amount of concentrates immediately after calving as this only serves to stimulate milk production and increase glucose demand. Cows should not be too fat at calving as fat cows are far more likely to suffer from ketosis than thin cows. The NWF BCS monitor is the perfect tool for tracking BCS throughout lactation and the transition period. It provides ideal targets to help keep your cows on top form for optimal production, health and fertility. Speak to your local NWF Sales Specialist in order to take full advantage of this vital tool. For optimal ration planning NWF’s RPM program sets out targets to achieve the correct rations throughout lactation.