Milk Fever from clover

[bigbluegrass]

My clover has been amazing this year. it is probably 50% of my forage and keeping up with the grass. I just read another thread about bloat, which got me thinking. If I am not mistaken, milk fever can be brought on by feeding a diet too high in calcium just before birth. Isn't clover pretty high in calcium? My cows have been pigging out on it. I am expecting the first calves any day now. I do have one Jersey - who is 6 years old. She is in excellent condition, almost fat. I also have some heavier milking angus - has anyone had milk fever in straight angus? I do rotational graze with daily moves. I am letting them have a little larger area than I maybe should, considering the risk of milk fever. I have so much grass and clover I have a hard time keeping them confined. It has been coming back so fast and thick. Anyone have a problem with milk fever this year? What would you do?

 

[TexasBred]

Beef cattle in general are not nearly as prone to have milk fever as dairy cattle so I wouldn't be overly concerned.

 

[jerry27150]

too little calcium in diet causes milk fever

 

[TexasBred]

too little calcium in diet causes milk fever

Actually it's just the opposite. The dry period diet usually determines whether or not a cow has milk fever or not. Feeding excessive calcium during the last trimester of pregnancy builds up an excess of calcium in the blood. When the cows calves the sudden production of milk pulls excessive amounts from the blood causing milk fever. By limiting calcium concentrations in the blood prior to calving we force the cow to pull calcium from the bone when she begins lactating rather than from the blood. No sudden drop in calcium....no milk fever. Once lactation begins calcium can be supplemented via feed and mineral as well as magnesium to assist in absorption of the calcium and maintain normal levels.

 

[regolith]

too little calcium in diet causes milk fever

Actually it's just the opposite. The dry period diet usually determines whether or not a cow has milk fever or not. Feeding excessive calcium during the last trimester of pregnancy builds up an excess of calcium in the blood. When the cows calves the sudden production of milk pulls excessive amounts from the blood causing milk fever. By limiting calcium concentrations in the blood prior to calving we force the cow to pull calcium from the bone when she begins lactating rather than from the blood. No sudden drop in calcium....no milk fever. Once lactation begins calcium can be supplemented via feed and mineral as well as magnesium to assist in absorption of the calcium and maintain normal levels.

That's good theory when you've got housed dairy cows and full control of their diet. I've always been a bit dubious whether it's actually possible to drop the calcium intake low enough in grassfed dry cows to cause the bone calcium to start circulating, regardless of how much/little clover is in the pasture.
A few vets I've spoken to reckon using the chloride/sulphate forms of magnesium pre-calving and supplementing with both calcium and magnesium after calving is having good results. Some farmers use a 'starter drench' on every mature freshly calved cow, I don't know how many do that though and how much is advertising and how much is effective prevention... you know if a cow's going to go down she's usually going to go down before her first trip to the milking shed.

 

[inyati13]

Hi bigbluegrass. We are practically neighbors and it may be my thread that you read on clover. Last Monday a week ago to this day, I found a heifer dead. I assume it was bloat. She was prefectly fine at 6 pm on Sunday evening and I found her dead at 6 am the next morning. She was behaving normally. In fact, I know this cow well. She was my pet. I combed her every day with a brush that has beads on the tip of the bristles and she was in heaven. So I know she was not suffering any disease. I had the vet out Friday to review my operation and he liked everything. It is not possible to prove what killed her but the extreme crop of clovers this year is a good place to start. I have not had milk fever. In addition, I provide free choice loose mineral which also has calcium in it. I am orginally from Pendleton County are you close to there?

 

[bigbluegrass]

TB what you are saying is the same thing I have read, which is why I am concerned. I have never heard of milk fever in beef cattle, but I do have some that milk pretty heavy. I do have one Jersey cow who is the main concern. I milk her for the house and may put some extra calves on her if needed.

Regolith I was hoping you would reply! I am hoping you are on to something with the forage based calcium not being a problem. I run my Jersey cows on grass only. I hope there is a difference between having them on pasture and having them in a dry lot. I only have one Jersey coming fresh in the next few days. She is my main concern. She is 6 and has is really bagged up right now. I suspect she will milk fairly heavy. I will work her in slowly and hopefully I can avoid any milk fever. Any other advice on the Jersey?

inyati - as a matter of fact I am in Pendleton county. NW corner. Demossville is the area. Wow the clover is crazy good this year. I had one cow look like she was bloated, but she worked through it. Her left side was pretty bulged out for a few days, but she acted normal. At this point, they have been on heavy clover for over a month so I would suspect they have a rumen full of clover eaters. I hope the bloat concern is over, sine it doesn't appear to be going anywhere. We just got another 2" of rain over the weeekend and the temps have been cool, so I suspect it is going to keep on coming for awhile until it gets hot.

 

[TexasBred]

That's good theory when you've got housed dairy cows and full control of their diet. I've always been a bit dubious whether it's actually possible to drop the calcium intake low enough in grassfed dry cows to cause the bone calcium to start circulating, regardless of how much/little clover is in the pasture.
A few vets I've spoken to reckon using the chloride/sulphate forms of magnesium pre-calving and supplementing with both calcium and magnesium after calving is having good results. Some farmers use a 'starter drench' on every mature freshly calved cow, I don't know how many do that though and how much is advertising and how much is effective prevention... you know if a cow's going to go down she's usually going to go down before her first trip to the milking shed.

It's good in practice as well. Most forages do not contain high enough levels of calcium to be deterimental to the cow. Alfalfa is one of the exceptions and should never be fed to close up dry cows. Many dairies do have a very good "close up dry cow" program and chlorides are used heavily in the minerals to lower any chances of milk fever and cah ratios are inverted at 6:12 ratios. Basically all you're doing is fooling the cows system or forcing it to take calcium from the highest available source, which would be the bone rather than the blood. Once the cow calves and begins producing milk supplemental calcium is fed at normal rates and you can also give them an IV solution containing CMPK. High producing cows are most often the ones that are susceptable to milk fever. That's why you hear folk say "It always happens to my best cow".

 

[inyati13]

bigbluegrass, my brother is the County Judge/Executive of Pendleton county but don't hold that against me, Hee Hee. Yes, we got well over 2 inches over here in Maysville. I am concerned again about the bloat problem. By the way, there is a pour on drench that you can get at places like tractor supply that you can pour down their back to relieve the bloat. It breaks down the surface tension and causes the gas to go into solution as I understand it. There is also an anti-bloat block that contains a chemical that also breaks up the bubbles that form inside the reticulum.

 

[bigbluegrass]

You are close! Heck I can dang near spit and hit Maysville. Why don't you tell your brother Judge executive to drop the taxes some.... just saying. Heck, seems like they just raise the taxes every year for the sake of raising them. Don't make me send my wife down there to show them how to operate that place, she'll be cussing them out for leaving lights on and tell them they don't need ac - no new trucks either.. hahaha :lol: :hide:

 

[inyati13]

I will pass that on to brother. He keeps bragging about raising taxes and getting re-elected!!!! :banana: