Pre-calving mineral requirements

Having a successful transition from the dry period into lactation is crucial for the animal. It will directly impact milk production, cow health and reproductive performance during the subsequent lactation. Getting the management and nutrition of dry cows right can lead to a successful transition period. This transition revolves around four key areas: body condition, nutrition, minerals and management.

During the dry-cow period, focussing on these four areas will prepare farmers for easier, stress-free calving and set their herds up for successful lactation by reducing metabolic issues around calving, including milk fever, retained placenta, displaced abomasum and ketosis.

As already mentioned, one of the four key areas is getting mineral nutrition correct in the dry period. Dry cows should be fed a dry-cow mineral for the duration of the dry period. Ideally, this should happen between weeks six and eight. This is to ensure that there is a good reserve of minerals built up to allow the cow to calve down without any issues and continue into the lactation to follow.

Silage testing

Most Irish silages do not supply the required amount of minerals to get the cow through the dry period. As a result, these minerals need to be supplemented. If you have not already done so, test your silage for minerals. This will give a good indication of the mineral status and ensure you are feeding a balanced mineral supplement.

It is important to note that the mineral status of our soils and forages varies hugely from farm to farm and year to year. The simplest and most accurate way of knowing the mineral status is testing the forages being fed to cows, whether it be grass, grass silage, maize or wholecrop silage. Once known, informed decisions can be made on the most effective way of supplementation.

Macrominerals

Magnesium is needed for the metabolism and absorption of calcium within the cow around calving. Throughout the dry period, a cow needs more than 40g magnesium/day. If a silage mineral analysis is 0.15 per cent magnesium, a cow eating 11kg dry matter intake (DMI) during the dry period will take in 1.65g from silage. As a result, the mineral supplement will need to supply at least 35-40g of magnesium. If the feed rate of the mineral is 120g/head/day, it needs to be a minimum of 25 per cent magnesium to make up the deficit.

Potassium in Irish silages is typically between 1.8-2.4 per cent. However, the dry-cow requirement is only 0.52 per cent. Potassium interacts closely with magnesium, tying it up in the rumen, which can slow down the absorption and mobilisation of calcium, leading to milk fever. With sufficient magnesium supplementation, the typical levels of potassium can be managed. If potassium is greater than 1.8 per cent in silage, it can be managed with magnesium by introducing Cal-Mag or sweetened Cal-Mag. Levels above 1.8 per cent need further measures as prescribed by a nutritionist.

Milk fever

Research has shown that, where milk fever is relatively well-controlled, approximately 33 per cent of cows may experience sub-clinical milk fever. While dealing with farmers, I often get asked the following question: ‘I had a higher number of cows go down with milk fever before calving, despite using boluses for some. What can I do to reduce the risk of this happening again?’ We recommend the following:

Test dry-cow silage for minerals: If potassium is higher than 1.5 per cent and magnesium less than 0.4 per cent of DMI (40g/head/day), the dry cow is at risk of milk fever or sub-clinical milk fever. Level of magnesium supplementation is very important; a dry cow will need around 40+ g of magnesium in total. Potassium locks up magnesium and magnesium is needed to help mobilise calcium from the bones.

Check the calcium level in the dry-cow diet: If greater than 0.45 per cent of total DMI (~ 5g), the cow will become too dependent on the supplemented calcium. This may result in her not being able to mobilise calcium from her bones, which can lead to milk fever.

The risk of milk fever is reduced if cow body condition score (BCS) is monitored and controlled in late lactation and throughout the dry period. Cows should be dried off between BCS 3-3.25, and this BCS should be maintained throughout the dry period. Cows with both too high and too low BCS are shown to have an increased risk of milk fever.

Importance of trace minerals

Trace minerals, or micro minerals, play a huge role in the overall immunity, fertility and production of dairy cows. Irish grass silages have been shown to be 63 per cent low in copper, 69 per cent low in selenium and 29 per cent low in zinc (Rogers and Murphy, 2000). As a result, supplementation is essential.

Important trace minerals

Zinc (Zn) supplementation is important at all times of the year as it helps to keep somatic cell counts under control, reduce incidences of mastitis and maintain the hardness of the hoof.

Selenium (Se) is a natural antioxidant and boosts the immunity of calves and dairy cows by playing a role in the resistance to viral and bacterial infection. Selenium supplements will only be effective if fed with the correct levels of vitamin E, as the two work in synergy. This is very important on maize and silage diets, where vitamin E is very low.

Copper (Cu) plays an important role in fertility and immunity. Copper deficiency can cause many issues, such as poor growth, reproduction problems, impaired immunity and diarrhoea.

Another common question on farms relates to the level of held cleanings. When the level of held cleanings increases on-farm, the level of mineral supplementation also tends to increase, but this may not always be beneficial. See below some key points on the issue.

First, as always, test your forage for minerals. Choose a mineral based on your forage mineral analysis. High potassium and low magnesium may also be the issue here, so you may need a mineral with higher levels of magnesium.

Then, check the label to see what type of mineral you were feeding; ask your supplier if you are not sure. If most of the elements are inorganic (i.e. zinc oxide), feeding high levels of inorganic minerals can cause mineral interactions, such as the zinc oxide interacting with copper, making it less available for absorption, which may lead to more cows with retained placentas.

Choose a mineral that contains organic minerals (Bioplex and Sel-Plex). These are proven to mimic the minerals found in grass and, therefore, are more bioavailable with better absorption and less chance of mineral interactions.

Minerals that go to work,
not to waste

Research has shown that feeding these trace minerals in their organic form — leads to better absorption, storage and utilisation by the cow. This builds up the cow’s immune system and lowers the risk factors associated with difficult calvings and retained placenta.

Make your dry-cow mineral count by using proven technologies as part of a dry cow nutrition programme that generates greater return on investment, benefitting both cow performance and farm profitability.