What role does nutrition play in the transition program?
The transition period is a very important time for the dairy cow as she prepares for the next lactation. Not only does the nutrition program throughout the transition period allow a cow to reach maximum milk production following calving, it also prepares her for calving. It is important to provide a ration that will reduce metabolic disorders such as milk fever, retained placenta and ketosis.
What aspects of the ration are especially important in the transition cow diet?
First and foremost, we want to make sure cows are achieving good dry matter intake (DMI) during the transition period. DMI plays a large role in how well a cow will perform metabolically and her ability to reach peak performance during the next lactation. Rations should be formulated to provide cows with adequate metabolizable protein and energy during the transition period. Furthermore, another area of focus is balancing for optimal mineral levels. Calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus are all minerals that when properly balanced can help prevent hypocalcaemia and milk fever situations.
What role does DCAD balancing play in the close-up ration?
For a large part of my career I would work to formulate rations avoiding the use of anionic salts, due to the perception that anionic salts suppress DMI, and the complexity of the formulation system to provide the correct amount of anionic salts. However, in the past few years, I have shifted to a partial anionic salt approach. We are focused on letting the cows tell us about the ration. If cows are doing well when DCAD levels are zero, we will maintain the ration dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) at this level. However, if the incidence of metabolic disease increases, I may decrease ration DCAD with BIO-CHLOR Rumen Fermentation Enhancer to -5 and see how the herd responds.
I also feed BIO-CHLOR because it is a product that offers the negative DCAD and protein levels that we are looking for.
Forage testing is a critical piece of balancing ration DCAD. What advice do you have related to when and how frequently forages should be tested?
My philosophy on testing forages for a DCAD-balanced diet is to pull samples whenever you are starting to use new forages or more closely reviewing ration DCAD. Furthermore, tests should be repeated when your operation sees a decline in cow performance. If this happens, conduct a wet chemistry analysis to determine where improvements can be made and if the amount of BIO-CHLOR in the prefresh ration needs to be altered.
What management factors should be top-of-mind for the producer during the transition period?
We cannot underestimate the importance of cow comfort during the transition period. The transition period is a time when cows are close to calving and they need to be comfortable. Cows should be in a well-designed facility with ample space at the free stalls and in the bedded pack. Furthermore, bunk space should be no less than 30 inches to ensure optimal DMI.