HERD HEALTH

Ketosis, also called hyperketonemia, is a disease defined by elevated levels of ketone bodies in circulation, or high ketones, for short. While this is not a new disease by any means, it is still an important health problem to address in your dairy herd.

Much like the focus elite athletes give to their workouts, training programs and diets, managers of high-producing dairy cows must dedicate a similar level of care and attention to fine-tuning the health and routine of their herd.

With as little as 16-kilometre- per-hour winds, a properly designed natural ventilation system will provide more than adequate air exchange for your dairy during hot weather.

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a tube that runs from the mouth to the anus, fulfilling its vital role as a barrier to protect the rest of the body from things like parasites, toxins, acids and antigens that may otherwise cause damage outside of the GI tract.

The transition period is marked by low dry matter intake (DMI) that is inadequate to meet energy and amino acid requirements for the fetus and milk production post-calving.

During the peripartum, dairy cows face an increased demand for nutrients to support the initiating lactation. As this demand is followed by slower increments in dry matter intake (DMI), the levels of energy consumption do not meet the energetic requirements of the starting lactation.