A recent study from the University of British Columbia suggests both rumination monitoring and recording of feeding behavior are effective in gathering data for preventive health care. Sick transition cows tend to avoid eating much like humans with a stomachache or head cold. Preventative treatment then is all about getting out in front of these conditions and getting cows eating again as soon as possible.
Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, January 3, 2017.
Precalving, healthy cows spent on average 18 to 29 percent more time feeding than cows with subclinical ketosis, cows with metritis and subclinical ketosis, and cows presenting multiple health issues. That trend continued following calving with healthy cows eating at a rate of 13 to 25 percent more than ill cows.
INSIGHTS: You can read about transition for hours, but the key is action. Representatives and veterinarians can use this simple article to start and restart discussions about optimizing cow health during this five- to seven-week period.