Recently I was called to examine a cow that had a sudden drop in milk yield and had not eaten her concentrate that morning. This cow calved with twins three weeks previously and was on treatment for a womb infection. On examination, a displaced abomasum was discovered and surgery was required to correct the displacement.

Interestingly, I had previously performed the pregnancy scan on this cow, along with the rest of the herd, during the summer months. The twin pregnancy in this cow was detected through rectal ultrasonography, in addition to a number of other twin pregnancies in the herd. These cows carrying twins were highlighted in the client’s records as requiring special care and attention in the months leading up to and after calving.

Identifying the ‘special’ cows in your herd is of utmost importance, in particular as we continue further into the calving season. These are the cows carrying twins, cows that are under or over-conditioned, older cows in the herd that may be at risk of milk fever, or cows with other underlying conditions, such as lameness. These special cows are at risk of transition cow disorders around the time of calving. Transition cow disorders include depressed appetite, milk fever, retained foetal membranes, ketosis and displaced abomasum.

Cows that develop a transition cow disorder reduce the profit of a milking herd. They are cows that are more likely to require veterinary attention, have reduced milk yield, take longer to show heat and have reduced conception rates.

For individual cows in the herd that are at risk of developing transition cow disorders, there are a number of preventative strategies available. Such strategies include concentrate feeding in late lactation, tailored dry cow periods, feeding a pre-calving ration and administering a rumen bolus to prevent ketosis in the weeks prior to calving.

At herd level, broader strategies should be developed in consultation with your veterinary surgeon to optimise the transition period of your cows and heifers. Assess the suitability of your pre-calving and early lactation diet and feeding strategies to prevent transition cow disorders. Evaluate cow comfort, cubicle space and management, water availability and water trough space. Pay attention to housing management, ensuring that submissive or younger cows in the herd have the same access to feed as others. Speak to your vet today about the special cows in your herd.

*Cathal Ó Sé works at Riverview Veterinary Group, Bandon, Co Cork. Riverview Veterinary Group is part of XLVets. XLVets is a group of progressive practices which are working together to achieve a better future for agriculture and veterinary in Ireland. For information, see www.xlvets.ie