Louise Salter
Improving how the transition period is managed presents a cost-effective approach to improving farm profitability as it is the period of greatest risk for disease.1
Both scientific research and practical on-farm experiences have consistently emphasized the significance of a well-implemented transition period spanning three weeks before and after calving in enhancing overall per-cow performance.
Dairy farmer Nathan Lamborn milks 600 cows in Fairlie, Canterbury. He can testify to the benefits of a good transition period. Nathan has been using NutriMin® Springer Cow Balancer for the past three seasons. He says the product does what it says by setting up the cows for calving and he appreciates the support he receives from the Nutritech team.
“I have had one case of clinical milk fever this season and a few cases of metritis and retained placentas. I monitor my transition data on CowManager [as shown in Graph One] and am impressed by how quickly the cow’s rumination and eating times recover after calving. This confirms to me I am using the right products and setting them up to peak at the right time,” says Nathan.
Graph 1. Nathan Lamborn’s CowManager Transition Data, showing a rapid recovery post calving.
Putting a financial value to these benefits was the motivation behind PGG Wrightson’s Technical Expert – Animal Production Laura Pattie’s North Canterbury Case Study.Laura wanted to understand the positive impact NutriMin® Springer Cow Balancer could have on-farm.
The study revealed financial gains and improved sixweek in-calf rates when using the product. The 920- cow herd started the trial with an 8.3 percent incidence of milk fever and eight associated deaths, estimated to cost the herd $191,3553 in lost production. The whole herd was given NutriMin® Springer Cow Balancer the following year and the incidence of milk fever dropped from 8.3 to 1.4 percent with no associated deaths, equating to a total saving of $155,020 in production alone over the previous year.
Further to that, the herd made a three percent increase in six-week in-calf rate estimated to be worth another $11,040.4
In addition to a well-planned pre-calving program, post-calving protocols such as administering 1L of JumpStart® to at-risk or health-alert cows. This can stimulate appetite and significantly reduce the recovery time for rumination post-calving, thereby minimising negative energy balance.
