CARE AND MANAGEMENTAL APPROACH OF THE COW DURING TRANSITION PERIOD
Transition period is defined as time frame from 3 weeks before calving to 3 weeks after calving. Feeding during transition period determines the cows productivity during the preceding lactation period. Providing the right nutrition during this period greatly improve the calving ease, cow and calf welfare, milk production and reproductive performance.
The most critical time in the life of a dairy cow is the first few days postpartum. How well she moves from low to high performance during this time depends on how she is managed during her transition from the dry cow group into the fresh pen. Proper nutrition management during the transition period is critical to avoid metabolic disorders and achieve high milk peaks and high production throughout lactation. The reason the transition period is of such importance is because the majority of dairy cattle disease occurs in the periparturient period, or are associated with it, e.g. retained foetal membranes, milk fever, displaced abomasum, laminitis.
Care and management of dairy animals throughout its production cycle is essential for a Successful dairy enterprise and a small lapse in this will ends in unforeseen sequences. “Management” is a single word which consists of all the activities carried out in a farm. So it consists of feeding, breeding, health care, safe guard the animal from adverse climatic conditions, record maintenance and etc.. In the production cycle of a cow, transition period is a critical period and this will have a direct effect on its lactation and also having a long lasting carry-over effects including culling. The transition period is the period from three weeks pre to three weeks post calving. This period is very critical period and multifocal management is necessary to achieve the maximum production performance of the animal. Irrespective of all factors like season, fodder availability and individual production performance, the transition cow management is remaining same.
Transition period prepares the dairy cow for next lactation cycle. By giving the proper management and nutrition, we can make the animal get ready for a successful and profitable lactation. Ignorance or failure in transition cow care will leads to negative outcomes like peri-parturient problems Retained Placenta, ketosis, milk fever or displaced abomasums) as well as it creates a entry point for the problems like fertility, lameness and mastitis etc..
A successful feeding system and a suitable management strategy bring the animal in to a safety side and make the animal competent to meet the transition period requirements. 3 weeks prior and 3 weeks after calving is very critical period and proper management of cow during this period is must for successful lactation.
Physiological changes———-
As the calving approach, blood progesterone level decreases, estrogen level increase. This influence the feed intake of cattle, as a result DMI (dry matter intake) decreases. During the last week of pregnancy, fetal calf and placenta require greatest energy but DMI decreased by 10 -30 % compared with the intake during early dry period. After calving, for the initiation of milk synthesis and rapidly increasing milk production, high amount of energy is needed. But total intake energy after calving is usually less than energy requirements. This leads to negative energy balance (NEB). As a result of NEB, suppression of immune system occurs which leads to decrease in immunity and increases the incidence of environmental mastitis during calving. The periparturient period in dairy cows is characterized by profound endocrine and metabolic changes to meet out the milk production during early lactation. Increased GH concentration during early lactation stimulates hepatic gluconeogenesis to increase glucose supply. Simultaneously, GH also creates an insulin resistance, which prevents the glucose utilization by the liver, muscle, or adipose tissue and stimulates lipolysis, which mobilizes the fatty acids (mainly non-essential Fatty acids) for milk fat synthesis or used as an energy source to some extent in the postpartum cow. Altogether, the gluconeogenesis-mediated more glucose production and lipolysis-mediated fatty acids are directly available for milk synthesis. Glucose demand is more during early lactation, resulting in hypoglycemic state. Inadequate glucose supply leads to the incomplete or partial oxidation of non-essential Fatty acids, which increases the ketone bodies concentration (primarily Beta hydroxyl butyric acid) during early postpartum period. This excessive blood Non-Essential Fatty Acids and Beta Hydroxyl Butyric Acid unwanted peripartum complications.
Goals of nutritional and environmental management during this period can be summed up as:
- Maintain (or enhance) immune function.
- Minimize the extent of body fat mobilization around calving.
- Maintain blood calcium at and after calving. • Maximize the appetite of the cow at and after calving.
Phases ——
For optimal management, the transitional period is divided into
1.Far – off Dry period
This the phase period from drying off to 21 days before calving where there is no milk production and rapid growth of fetus occurs. Adaptation of the rumen environment to high energy diet which will be fed to the cow post partum, by challenge feeding. Force feed of trace minerals and vitamins, limited intake of salt and close monitoring of the calcium and phosphorus intake prevent the occurrence of metabolic disorders like milk fever, ketosis, acidosis.
2.Close up period—-
It is the phase of last 7 to 14 days before calving in which there is a increase in nutrient requirement but dry matter intake decreased by about 10-30 %. In order to compensate for the nutrient loss by reduced dry matter intake, nutrient density should be increased. Nutritional management of macro minerals is important to enhance lactation and reproductive performance of the cow during postpartum.
3.Fresh cow period——-
It is the phase of full lactation
A balanced transition diet ———
A balanced transition diet must have the right amount of energy, protein, fibre, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and trace elements and the right DCAD level. Dietary Cation- Anion Difference (DCAD) is the difference between the cations (sodium and potassium) and anions (chloride and sulphur) in diet. Feeding anionic diet increases H+ ions (creates acidosis). If cations are fed HCO3 is released (creates alkalosis). DCAD = meq (Na +K) – (Cl+S)/ 100g DM To calculate DACD the expression is: [%Na divided by .023) + (%K divided by .039)] – [(%Cl divided by .0355) + (%S divided by .016)]
CHALLENGE FEEDING———-
Challenge feeding has to practice during this period. Feeding of concentrate mixture mixture should be started initially with 500g /day and increase it gradually to a level of 500- 1000g / 100kg body weight. The challenge feeding is given for ruminal adoption of the cow. Mobilization of fat is prevented by feeding high fat, high protein oilseeds such as cottonseed which supply both protein and long chain fatty acids General recommendation of structural carbohydrate (fibre) in total ration is 30 to 32% of DM and non-structural carbohydrate is 35 to 40% of DM. Protein is given in high level to prevent ketosis, it increases the amino acids availability and there by minimize the mobilization of fat. Protein in transition diet is included at the level of 12% for dry cow phase, 14% in close up phase and at the level of 19% in fresh cow phase. Protein is given to the cow to prevent the incidence of ketosis where it increases the aminoacid availability and minimizes the mobilization of the fat. The immediate disorder noticed after the parturition is milk fever or subclinical hypocalcemia due to dietary cation-anionic difference during the prepartum period. Vitamin E and vitamin A given to the cow through feed improve the immunity of the cattle thereby reducing the incidence of mastitis and retained placenta condition. Vitamin E is supplemented to close up and fresh cow at the level of 1000 IU/day and vitamin A at the level of 10000 IU/day.
Care and management of Close-up Dry Cows (3 weeks prior to calving)
Management strategy
- As per the breeding records, close-up dry cows (3 weeks prior to calving) should be separated and maintained in a comfortable environment to satisfy its requirements. Frequent change of shed will results in social hierarchy issues and this should be avoided.
- Body condition score (BCS) also considered during transition period and too high or too low BCS will need an animal nutritionist opinion. Optimum body condition score (BCS) of a transition cow is 3.0-3.25.
- The housing barn should be clean. Adverse climatic condition can be overcome by providing fans and sprinklers. Non slippery and bedded floor is ideal. Unnecessary frequent handling of animal should be avoided.
Nutritional management
- During this period, the mammary glands will involutes (dries up), the calf is increasing in size, and body weight will be increased. So, the ration should meet out all the nutrient requirement of the animal and previous productive performance of an animal also considered while formulating the transition cow ration.
- To meet out the requirements of last trimester fetal growth, 12 to 13 percent crude protein, 50-60 grams of calcium and 25 to 30 grams of phosphorous should be provided.
- Feed required level of trace minerals and vitamins.
- Provide sufficient feeding space per animal to overcome low feed intake of subordinate animals.
Care and management of Fresh cow (3 weeks post calving)
Management strategy
- Housing and feed space requirement will be the same as close-up dry cows.
- Proper monitoring and detection of metabolic and infectious diseases is essential and start the corrective measure as quickly as possible for the affected animals.
Feeding management
- Start of lactation is a crucial period and we must ensure positive metabolic status to get optimal productivity from the animal.
- Weight loss should also be monitored and heavy loss in early lactation will have effects on reproduction and also cause metabolic disorders
- Feeding should be gradually changed immediately after calving. Abrupt change will affect the ruminal microflora and leads to metabolic disorders.
Health issues related to transition period
Reluctance to follow the above points will favor the occurrence of health problems during transition period. The problems may be arising from the following category.
- Related to energy metabolism (Ketosis, Acidosis)
- Related to mineral metabolism (Milk fever, udder edema)
- Related to immune system (Metritis, Mastitis, retained placenta)
The above three are interrelated and development of one condition will favor the development of another condition. For example decreased muscular tonicity during hypocalcemia will increase the risk of retained placenta.
Following nutritional and managemental strategy may helpful to overcome the health related issues during transition period:
- Prevent the decline of Dry matter intake (DMI) during prepartum and quick increase of DMI during post partum.
- Protein content of feed is essential and it play vital role in mammary gland development, development of the fetus, immune status of the animal. Low protein ration will results in low start up milk, low peak yield and poor immune condition.
- Provide sufficient minerals and vitamins based upon the production level of the individual animal.
- Affected animal should be separate from the herd and individual care should be given for those animals to prevent further aggravation of the condition.
COMMON METABOLIC DISORDERS
1.RUMEN ACIDOSIS ——–
Excessive acidic pH caused by greater fermentation and acid production by microbes that can be neutralized by the animal. The causes of acidosis are intake og high amount of easily digestable carbohydrate and too little fibre. Acute cause of acidosis is death. Prevention of acidosis is to avoid ‘slug’ feeding and balanced starch/ fibre fractions of diet.
2.KETOSIS ———–
The excessive mobilization of body fat caused by an imbalance between glucose need and glucose supply that leads to a built up of ketone bodies in the body. High demand for glucose (milk production or fetal growth) relative to supply (feed intake) leads to decreased glucose in blood and low insulin. The increase in ketone body concentration comes from betaoxidation of long chain fatty acids in the liver. Prevention of ketosis is by avoiding over feeding (Fat cows have poor appetite), provide ample amount of well balanced diet and administer Niacin.
3.MILK FEVER (PARTURIENT PARESIS)——–
An decreased in blood calcium in response to Calcium drain of lactation causes milk fever. Feed intake drops at calving and the cation- mobilizing system is inactive at calving thereby reduction in calcium in blood and as compensatory mechanism parathyroid hormone and vitamin D try to increase blood calcium but the target tissues are unable to respond to hormonal signals. Symptoms are decreased appetite, staggering, animal recumbent and cold ears. Prevention of milk fever is by feeding low calcium diet and high phosphorus during the dry period.
DR. JITENDRA SINGH, DYCVO, KANPUR
REFERENCE-ON REQUEST.
