Ketosis is a frequent transition condition that affects 5-80% of dairy farms. Ketosis is characterised as a high concentration of ketone substances in all bodily fluids, such as acetone, acetoacetate, and beta-hydroxybutyrate. Anorexia, reduced milk supply, loss of body condition, hard, dry stools, and rarely neurologic symptoms are clinical indicators of ketosis. This article discusses the dos and don’ts of ketosis management.
Other transition cow illnesses like as metritis, retained placenta, and left displaced abomasum have been linked to ketosis. Monitoring the herd’s degree of ketosis may therefore help to avert these economically important illnesses.
Ketosis monitoring in the dairy herd
It is critical to test enough animals in the herd to monitor the fresh cow incidence of ketosis. A reasonable approach would be to test 12-15 cows. If more than 10% of the cows have ketone levels higher than the established limit of 14.4 ml/dL, the group is said to be in ketosis.
Sufficient bed space and stocking density
Negative energy balance around the time of calving causes adipose mobilisation and ketone body formation because to increased energy demand from milking production and reduced dry matter intake. As a result, it is critical to address the conditions that contribute to decreased dry matter intake, such as bunk space and stocking density.
The minimal sleeping space per head is 24 inches, while the optimum bunk space per head is about 30 inches. The recommended bedded pack area per head is between 120 and 150 square feet (11-14 square metres), while free stall stocking density must stay at one cow per stall.
Pay attention to the dry time.
The dry phase in dairy production systems lasts 60 days and includes both far-off and close-up periods. The pregnant cow is given a break from milking before to the next calving during the dry season to recover body reserves and rebuild milk-secreting tissue after months of milking.
According to research, failing to provide a dry time for a cow lowers milk production in the next lactation by 25-30% and increases the risk of metabolic disorders such as ketosis and milk fever, as well as problems such as displaced abomasum. Furthermore, appropriate dry period management requires accurate record-keeping.
Collaboration with veterinarians and dietitians is essential.
Veterinarians and nutritionists work with dairy producers to detect and manage potential causes of ketosis. Veterinary treatment and preventative procedures must be considered. Subclinical ketosis, for example, may be treated with 300 mL of propylene glycol orally once every day for 3-5 days.
Body condition evaluation
Body condition rating is a useful instrument that has a substantial influence on transition performance and ketosis prevalence. The optimal post-calving body condition score varies from 2.75 to 3 out of 5.
During the transition phase, low and high body condition scores increase the risk of ketosis and have a negative influence on reproductive performance. As a result, it is important to frequently assess the body condition score during dry-off, moving to close-up, calving, and moving out of the fresh pen.
Cows and heifers should not be mixed.
Co-mingling heifers and older cows increases heifer stress, reduces dry matter intake, and contributes to a negative energy balance. Furthermore, in dairy herds, there is a social order, and transferring a cow into a new enclosure with animals it is unfamiliar with might cause further stress. in a result, it is advised that the cows be moved in a group so that they may be with other familiar cows.
Do not overfeed dairy cows.
Each stage of dairy production necessitates a different approach to feeding. Because the cow isn’t being milked during the dry time, too much energy in diet must be avoided. Furthermore, concentrates and grains promote fat accumulation and predispose the animal to difficult births, ketosis, udder edoema, downer cow syndrome, and abomasum displacement.
Dairy cows need a sufficient supply of calories, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Furthermore, trace minerals promote a stronger immunological response after calving and the transition period, enhancing a cow’s inflammatory response and lowering the incidence and severity of ketosis.
