Pole sana Bwana Fred. Milk fever hit me back in 2022. Lost 4 freshly calved cows between August 29 and October 9. Just a few notes I have learnt since then. Milk fever is not a calcium problem per se. Cows have enough calcium storage/reserves in its bones. The problem is Calcium homeostasis - mobilizing calcium from its reserves. This is the reason why we use DRY COW mineral lick. Dry cow mineral lick has less than 5% Calcium and phosphorus. Why? because the cow isn't being milked, she doesn't need that much calcium and can comfortably use that which it has in its reserves. Dry cow mineral lick usually has a higher percentage of magnesium which assists in many ways (I won't get into the details of it). With that understanding, we normally drench 1.5ltrs of water that contains a lot of glucose for a whole week. We also manage the milking on the first 3 days. Day 1 - Only milk 5 litres of colostrum and leave the cow upto the following day (feed high energy and fibre containing feeds - Bran and pollard) Day 2 - Milk twice (introduce dairy meal gradually) Day 3 - Milk twice From day 4, we milk thrice but continue with the glucose syrup upto day 8-10. Understand, MILK FEVER is not the lack of calcium but how a cow is able to mobilize calcium from its reserves. All the best Fred.
This is very true. During the dry period the cow should have very little calcium in the diet. Low calcium in the diet during the dry period allows the cow's body to adapt to mobilising calcium from the bones. Once the cow calves down the spike in demand of calcium in the body will not be a problem as the body will have already adapted to mobilising the calcium deficit from the bones. Surprisingly my cow will not touch the lactating cow mineral (which is high in calcium)for the first few days after calving down. If I mix it in the dairy meal she won't touch it.
Pole Fred and thank you for sharing. As a beginner, this is helpful information. Meni will overcome. I think using supercal to supplement calcium during the steaming up will be helpful since the growing calf inside the cow demands lots of it for bone development
Thank you for watching.We keep learning each day.Sharing this dairy farming journey ,i have learnt a lot and i hope my viewers too are learning something.
Pole bro, this is just one of the many challanges we go thru kama dairy farmers, True things like this they don't show you, just saying how dairy farming is profitable, Being a farmer is no joke,
Sometimes you don't understand.I steamed my heifer very well but unfortunately after giving birth the placenta didn't come out despite of doing everything correctly.
Which brand of dry cow mineral did you use? I have experienced this twice with a certain brand of dry cow mineral. When I used another brand I didn't experience the problem. Upon doing a simple research online I realised that vitamin E is very essential for preventing this issue. Checking the ingredients the mineral with the problems didn't have vitamin E on the list but the other one which was ok had vitamin E listed.
For high yielders, 10 L and above you need to give Supercal 100 mls daily for the first 5 post calving to prevent this. Then repeat monthly for 4 months. It's a very cheap and important component in dairy farming
I also learnt the hard way.Never steam up with dairy meal High in calcium (dcp) or you will see dust.Also do not milk more than 6 litres of colostrum per milking after birth and leave it just increase the frequency of milking.Do this for the first 3 days. Also,immediately after birth give supercal and ketonex for the first 5 days and use afya bora maxiwa tele or dcp.prevention is better than cure.
Pole sana for this! You can provide info on mineral choices during the dry period and maybe we can provide insights.
Macklick dry from month seven until the last five days prior to calving i introduced macklic super.
@@FredDairyFarm My cows had retained placenta even though I was giving maclick dry cow. I didn't experience any issues with afya Bora dry cow mineral.
@@martinmunene9641 I will try that next time.Thanks for sharing.
Pole sana for that sir. We keep learning on daily basis and its challenges like this ones that keeps us going.
Yeah and i have learnt a lot about it.Thank you
Pole sana Bwana Fred.
Milk fever hit me back in 2022. Lost 4 freshly calved cows between August 29 and October 9.
Just a few notes I have learnt since then.
Milk fever is not a calcium problem per se. Cows have enough calcium storage/reserves in its bones. The problem is Calcium homeostasis - mobilizing calcium from its reserves. This is the reason why we use DRY COW mineral lick. Dry cow mineral lick has less than 5% Calcium and phosphorus. Why? because the cow isn't being milked, she doesn't need that much calcium and can comfortably use that which it has in its reserves.
Dry cow mineral lick usually has a higher percentage of magnesium which assists in many ways (I won't get into the details of it).
With that understanding, we normally drench 1.5ltrs of water that contains a lot of glucose for a whole week.
We also manage the milking on the first 3 days.
Day 1 - Only milk 5 litres of colostrum and leave the cow upto the following day (feed high energy and fibre containing feeds - Bran and pollard)
Day 2 - Milk twice (introduce dairy meal gradually)
Day 3 - Milk twice
From day 4, we milk thrice but continue with the glucose syrup upto day 8-10.
Understand, MILK FEVER is not the lack of calcium but how a cow is able to mobilize calcium from its reserves.
All the best Fred.
This is very true. During the dry period the cow should have very little calcium in the diet. Low calcium in the diet during the dry period allows the cow's body to adapt to mobilising calcium from the bones. Once the cow calves down the spike in demand of calcium in the body will not be a problem as the body will have already adapted to mobilising the calcium deficit from the bones. Surprisingly my cow will not touch the lactating cow mineral (which is high in calcium)for the first few days after calving down. If I mix it in the dairy meal she won't touch it.
Asante sana.This was eye opening.This is the beauty of learning,we keep sharing ideas and taking notes.Thanks again
@@martinmunene9641 Great insights.Thank you
Pole Fred and thank you for sharing. As a beginner, this is helpful information. Meni will overcome. I think using supercal to supplement calcium during the steaming up will be helpful since the growing calf inside the cow demands lots of it for bone development
Thank you for watching.We keep learning each day.Sharing this dairy farming journey ,i have learnt a lot and i hope my viewers too are learning something.
Sorry for this mr fred and thqnk you for sharing this it will be well,quick recovery meni
Pole sana bro but lesson at home
Lesson learnt
Pole brother
It is well.We fall we rise,learn and move on.Thanks for watching.
Pole bro all will be well
All is well.Thank you for watching.
I have learnt something from the comments.
Same here.That's the beauty of sharing.We sharpen each other.
Pole bro,
this is just one of the many challanges we go thru kama dairy farmers,
True things like this they don't show you, just saying how dairy farming is profitable,
Being a farmer is no joke,
Yeah and most farmers don't want to share things like this ,only for beginners to encounter them and give up.Farming is not for the weak.
The same happened to Mine, but did not make.
But all in all we cannot give up
Sorry to hear that.We fall and rise.The journey continues.WE SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP.
Sometimes you don't understand.I steamed my heifer very well but unfortunately after giving birth the placenta didn't come out despite of doing everything correctly.
Which brand of dry cow mineral did you use? I have experienced this twice with a certain brand of dry cow mineral. When I used another brand I didn't experience the problem. Upon doing a simple research online I realised that vitamin E is very essential for preventing this issue. Checking the ingredients the mineral with the problems didn't have vitamin E on the list but the other one which was ok had vitamin E listed.
i have learnt to record everything so that i will not find myself again in such a situation again.We keep learning
@@martinmunene9641 Thank you.You have taught me something i had no idea of.
@FredDairyFarm record is everything and you can always refer to it incase of any doubts.
Where did you mess😢😢
For high yielders, 10 L and above you need to give Supercal 100 mls daily for the first 5 post calving to prevent this. Then repeat monthly for 4 months. It's a very cheap and important component in dairy farming
Pole
I also learnt the hard way.Never steam up with dairy meal High in calcium (dcp) or you will see dust.Also do not milk more than 6 litres of colostrum per milking after birth and leave it just increase the frequency of milking.Do this for the first 3 days.
Also,immediately after birth give supercal and ketonex for the first 5 days and use afya bora maxiwa tele or dcp.prevention is better than cure.
Sometimes you can do everything right and fail.Genetics failed me.The mother had the same problem.
Pole bro,,hope meni atakua sawa
Thanks for the concern.She is doing better now.
mine die last week juu ya milkfever I hv a lot of pain
What minerals did you use during the dry period? Did you use the dry cow mineral? This is where a lot of farmers make mistakes.
@@martinmunene9641 yes
I use CKL minerals
We shall overcome.Some lessons are very expensive.don't stay down,rise and let the journey continue.