HERD HEALTH

Subclinical ketosis: The quiet milk thief, sickening cows and frustrating farmers nationwide. The bad news: Detecting it effectively and efficiently on-farm can be costly and challenging.

Did you know 58% of your income is directly related to the amount of fat delivered? And an even larger proportion of your gross profits are linked to it?

Meet cow 8968. She lives on a 1,500-cow dairy farm in Wisconsin, where she’s milked three times per day through a double-20 parallel parlour.

On Oct. 11, 1826, Theodore Jones of London, England, received a patent for what he called “wire wheels.” Jones found if he added wires, or what we now call spokes, to a circular rim, the wheel could bear greater stress while maintaining its round shape.

Does your transition cow program include administrating calcium to treat milk fever? Do you also use calcium treatments to help cows transition into lactation? If so, it’s time to re-examine your program and try something different.

“Implementation of best management practices for transition cows will plausibly improve metabolic health, immune function and regulation of inflammation,” says Luciano Caixeta, DVM, Ph.D., and associate professor at the University of Minnesota.