• 3.4.

Caring for pregnant Cow

• Cow show first sign of estrus after 45 days of parturition.
• To produce more milk, it is not breed but after 21days(60-90day)( i.e at the start of mid
lactation)
• Milk production is at peak that required to provide quality forage & concentrate depend
on milk yield or
• Challenge feeding is practiced (increasing amounts of concentrate as long as it
continues to respond by increased milk production (lead feeding as the cow is led to
produce more milk).
• So, it is recommend to add cost of concentrate only if extra milk is produced
• After ten month, milking is stopped for 2 month (dry period) that is essential for fair
milk production in the next lactation.
• At dry period (after 305 days of lactation period), more than 50% of the development
of calf fetus (last 6 week (60 %), and recovery of udder takes place .
• So, well-balanced ration is required to provide nutrients for development of calf,
production of colostrum/first milk(high in NV) & replacing any body tissue (renewal of
udder tissue, replenish depleted mineral) and allow more milk yield in next lactation.
• therapy is injected to each quarter followed by teat dip and see for signs of mastitis
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(red &swollen teats.
• concentrates feeding is stopped followed by stop milking and high quality roughage
should be provided but supplemented with only mineral, due to the main source of
vitamins A and D in the cow’s colostrum.
• Lucerne hay is not fed due to high calcium content that cause milk fever after calving.
• If the forage is low quality, large size and poor condition, extract concentrate of 1%
BW is required 6 week before calving for heifer
• Two weeks before calving, a cow should separated from the herd and kept in maternity
pen (3m x4m)
• Maternity should be cleaned, disinfected, and well-watered and provided with dry
bedding.
• Shortly before calving, the cow show sign of parturition like
 Pronounced swelling of vulva with string mucus and a
 relaxation of tissue on either side of the tail setting,
 filling of udder with milk,
 appearance of water bladder that required to watch the cow closely without disturbance
• Most cows give birth without any assistance with calf’s front legs and mouth appear
first then other body.
• But, some need help to prevent calf death if delivery is extended for long period by
pulling front leg after washing the vulva and hand.
• If afterbirth/placenta did not expelled within 3-4hrs, expert is called to assist in
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addition to allowing the calf to suckle cow directly that stimulate expulsion of placenta.
3.4.2. Lactating cow Management
• Milk production rises rapidly until peak is reached (30 to 60 days later) that influence total
production.
• High productive cows reach peak production slowly and once reached, the production starts
to decrease gradually (5% to 6% per month) if the cow is not pregnant.
• When a cow is five months pregnant, milk reduction starts to increase.
• Heifers that first calves decrease milk production at 3% to 4% per month after peak
production
• High producing cows are highly strung and excitement causes a decrease in milk
production.
• So, good supervision is required before and during milking for optimal production i.e
 Cows should never be driven to the milking parlor quickly.
 Regularity should be maintained in milking and feeding times.
 Milk should be completed from udder and completed with short period.
• Lactating cows required larger proportions of water relative to body weight due to >87%
of milk is water (depends on MY, H2O content of feed, amnt of feed consumed, salt content
of feed and environmental temperature.
• Water requirement is increased for other factors except for high moisture content. Lack of
water has an effect on feed intake especially if the feed is low in moisture and thus on milk
yield
• Cows produce about half of their total milk yield during the first 70-100 days of lactation.
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• So, it is essential to provide ration that contain sufficient energy, protein, CF vitamins and
• The requirement of rations for lactating cows is directly related to the milk yield(dependent on
stage of lactation. i.e cows in early lactation require more nutrients compared to late lactation.
• To exploit the milk production potential, cow ration is formulated according to phase/stage of
lactation:
• Phase 1: (early lactation 1-70 days after calving): is at the beginning of lactation,
• cow feed intake is poor i.e does not have the appetite/capacity to take sufficient forage
• Milk production increases more rapidly than feed intake resulting in higher energy demand than
intake( negative energy balance).
• As a result of disproportional FI with milk yield, the cow utilize/mobilize (energy from fat
reserve, protein from muscle and Ca and P from bones) body reserve for milk production that
cause body weight loss (negative energy) at the beginning of lactation (until three months) until
peak production reaches.
• The health and nutrition affects the entire lactation performance.
• The cow is expected to achieve peak production at this phase and failure resulted in reduced
milk yield.
• Excessive weight loss is harmful to cow's health and reproductive performance(not come to
heat at time) leading to long CI.
• Poorly fed Cows at this phase do not reach peak yield and milk production drops from week 1.
• So, concentrates should be added to the basal diet as forage alone not sufficient.
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• Addition of excessive concentrates to the ration cause digestive disturbances /rumen
acidosis, loss of appetite, reduced milk production, low milk fat content).
• So, it should be 50-60% of diet DM & the rest is forage to ensure rumination/proper
function of rumen).
• Feed of high protein content (18%CP) is important due body cannot mobilize all the needed
protein and bacteria protein can only partially meet requirements esp. for high yielding cows.
• If the cow is underfed, milk production cannot recover even when balanced rations are fed at
later stages due the cow use more energy to restore body reserve than milk synthesis and cow
is at critical to regain a positive energy balance.
• Phase 2: (mid lactation 70-150 days after calving): max. production is not achieved by
feeding good feed at this phase if a cow is not fed well during early lactation.
• Increase in feeding at this stage result in fattening than increase in production esp. in poor
productive cow
• So, good feeding during early lactation resulted in extra milk production at mid lactation at
less cost.
• At this phase, the DMI is adequate to support milk production & maintain/slightly increase
body weight.
• Feeding should be to maintain peak production and after peak milk production,
8-10%/month decline in milk production is common.
• High forage quality (hay) with 15-18% CP content and concentrates of high in digestible
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fiber than starch (e.g. wheat /maize bran) is used as energy source.
• Phase 3(late lactation 151-305 days after calving): is a period of recovery and preparation for
the next lactation; body reserves are accumulated more effectively than dry period & milk yield
decline
• Feed intake is to meets energy requirements for milk production, restoration of body reserves and
body weight increases.
• Body weight increase is due to replenishment of body reserves (more efficient than dry period) at
the end of lactation and increased growth of fetus.
• The animals can fed on lower quality roughage and limited amnts of concentrate than other two
phases.
• Phase 4: (Dry Period: 305-365 days after calving): cow continues to gain weight due to wt of
fetus.
• Proper feeding of cow is to realize the production potential of next lactation and minimize health
problems at calving time (milk fever and ketosis). i.e Cows should fed a ration to cater for
maintenance and pregnancy.
• Two weeks before calving, the cow should be fed on extra concentrate in preparation for next
lactation, to store some reserves to use in early lactation and to adapt rumen microbes to digest
concentrates in early lactation to minimize digestive disturbances.
• The cow can be fed good quality forage/poor quality supplemented with concentrate to provide
12% CP.
• But, high amnts of concentrate is not fed to avoid over growth and Ca & P is restricted to 0.4% &
0.25% to minimize incidences of milk fever. 6
Guidelines for concentrate feeding
• The maximum amount of milk produced without concentrate supplementation will
depend on the quality of pasture/forage that vary from 7-20 kg milk per day.
• There are several guidelines on the amount of concentrate fed to a cow.
• But, the only accurate one is calculating based on the cow’s nutrient requirements
and quality of the basal diet.
H. Friesian: Yield (kg/day) kg milk/kg
• Guideline I
concentrate
<18 4:1
18-30 3:1
>30 2.5:1
Jersey/ Guernsey/ Ayrshire
<13 3:1
13-28 2.5:1
• Guideline II:>28
Up to 7 kg of milk comes from the basal
2:1 forage diet.
• For every extra 1.5 kg milk above 7 kg, give 1 kg dairy meal
• 3.4.3. Dairy calves Management
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• 3.4.3. Dairy calves Management
• Calf is the foundation of the future dairy herd for replacements of culled cows
• So, good management result in lower death rate (mortality), replacement of heifers
that start production early and fast growth resulting in rapid genetic improvement.
• 1.Before birth: a few days before the calf is born, the pregnant cow is transferred to
a self contained maternity pen of well watered and free from physical objects.
• 2.At calving: Allow the cow to lick calf to dry immediately after birth and stimulates
circulation and breathing
• Remove the mucus from nostrils to ensure the calf to breath and if cow fail to lick,
rubbed calf with a clean, dry cloth

• Hold hind leg and hang upside down and swing if breathing does not start.
• Disinfecting umbilical cord using disinfectant (I tincture/copper sulphate solution)
soon after birth to prevent entrance of infectious organisms.
• Assisting the calf to suckle colostrum within an hour after stand on their feet within
30mintes due to the antibody constitute of colostrum and highest absorption within
12hrs after birth and very low after 24 hr.
• washing and sanitizing the teat with a solution before nursing .
• 3.Feeding is to reduce mortality and maintain growth rate to wean at 3 months 8
• The digestive tract of newborn is non-ruminant during the first week
• Milk; colostrum, is shunted past undeveloped rumen into omasum and abomasum (bypass fore
stomach).
• Colostrum is the first milk produced by a cow after calving, rich in vitamin A and gamma
globulin (antibodies).
• New-born calves do not have gamma globulin that contains antibodies that protect calf from
various disease.
• So, calves must ingest gamma globulins from colostrum to get a passive immunity against
common calf disease. i.e
• Feeding colostrum during the first 24hrs of calf’s life is important due to the permeability of gut
to antibody decreases.
• limited amount is fed for at least the first 3 days of life(excessive amount lead to calf scour) and
then after milk composition gradually returns to normal.
• Whole milk/replacer is fed for 5-8 weeks after birth (depending on objective of farm, vigorousity
of calf &weaning age) then weaned at three month age.
• The amount to feed per day is dependent on BWt, rate of growth, health of calf and cost of milk.
• If whole milk is expensive, milk replaces can fed.
• Calf is separated from dam with in 24hr (3-4 days) and kept in calf pen and the cow join the herd.
• If the dam dies immediately after calving, colostrum from other cow/colostrum replacer is
prepared as 9
• - Take 1 egg (protein source) and whip in 0.56 liter of H20 - add 0.8 liters of warm water
• - add 1 tea spoonful cod liver oil(energy) -add 1 tea spoonful castor oil (energy) to feed
3/4x/day for 3-4 days.
• From week two to one month, calves is fed on milk mixed with other products (whey/skim
milk)/milk replacer.
From 4th day to weaning, Calf can reared by three system
• i. Whole milk feeding system: is feeding whole milk for the entire period (3 months) by
bucket for calf penned individually/in group.
• Whole milk is kept at body temperature (38.50C) & fed 2/3x/day at 8-10% of BWt.
• Fixed amount of milk is used i.e 3 liter/day for one month, 2 liters /day for 2 month and 1
liter /day for3 month.
• ii. Limited whole milk-dry calf starter method: the amount of milk offered to calf is limited
i.e. whole milk feed for 6-8 weeks and then high quality starter ration contains about 20% CP.
• iii. Milk replacer: is artificially synthesized milk that replace whole milk i.e contain a larger
proportion of milk products and feeding is based on the directions of manufacture.
• Introduce calf to solid feed: small amounts of fresh high quality, soft textured hay (high in
legumes) is offered as free- choice; fed ad lib.
• High quality hay encourages early rumen development that has a beneficial on health and
economy of weight gains.
• After 3 months of age, calves shifted from starter ration to concentrate feed of low protein
content and quality hay (dry feed at 1.5% of body weight). 10
• The amount of concentrate supplemented depends upon the quality of hay.
• 4.Weaning: is the withdrawal of milk/milk replacer and calf fully dependent on other feed.
• It is common at 5-8weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks.
• It is depend on calf weight that attain twice the birth weight and amount of calf consume,
1.5% of its BWt of dry feed, and age of calf.
• Early weaning (5-8week) is possible if more milk is fed and calves introduced to pre-starter
and starter.
• 5.Housing: Calf pen is provide for protection from adverse weather conditions and
predators, avoid parasites,
• provide adequate ventilation to prevent dampness.
• control feeding and management, as clean as possible,
• The pen is disinfected and adequately bedded, free from draft and well lighted
(artificial/natural.
• It is cheap to build and economical to operate, easy to clean.

• It has a dimension of 1.2 X 1.5m (2 m2) space per calf (individual pen) to keep calf

permanently indoor up to 2-3 months(weaning time) then turned to pasture or semi-

indoor(housed only at night. i.e

• The required min internal dimensions for an individual calf pen are 1200 by 800mm for calf
kept up to two weeks of age, 1200 by l000mm for the calf kept to 6 to 8 weeks of age
11 and
• The floor is made of concrete/wooden on ground or raised.
• The raised pens should have a slatted floor that spaced at 1inch(2.5cm) to allow urine and
faces to fall on the ground and raised at least 1foot(30.5cm) from the ground.
• The three side of pen is closed to prevent contact with other calf & droughts and open front
to allow the calf to feed easily from buckets/trough fixed to the outside/inside of pen
• Individual housing is recommended during the first one month and if not possible group
housing can be done
• 6.Identification: is placing number/mark or tag on the body to differentiate one from other.
• not expensive, not damage the animal and readable at a distance.
• is done immediately after birth to allow efficient and proper recording that can be
Permanent or non-permanent.
• 1. Permanent: -ear and udder tattoos (difficult to read and work in dark animals) - brands
(hot iron: for a short time on the legs)
• 2. Non-permanent: neck traps, Ear marking & notching (cut part of ear using agreed code
(expose animal to infection)), Ear tags (use an applicator, easy to read but expensive), brisket
tags and neck chains with tags
• 7.De-horning: is used to eliminate the risk of injury to other animals/people working with
them.
• is done by hot iron, electric and chemical.
• Electric dehorning is for calves under 30 days of age,
• stick of caustic potash is for calves at 1-3 weeks of age and hot iron is for animal of 3
12
month age. saw or cutting wire is used if horn grow to a length of 2 cm(painful).
• 8.Castration: removal of testicles/crushing of the spermatic cord
• Is used to prevent unwanted mating when male and female reared together and make
animal docile and ease handling.
• is done by elastrator ring, emasculator/burdizzo, open/surgical castration using a knife.
• Knife castration: is the safe method to sterilize male animals at any age (need precautions
for wound).
• In elastrator rings, rubber ring is applied around the neck of scrotal sack (on top of
testicles that cutting off blood supply and testicle die off slowly) using applicator within
three days of birth to minimize pain.
• The testicles must be in the scrotal sack distal (away from the body of the calf) to the
elastrator ring.
• Burdizzo: is an instrument used to cut off the blood supply to the testicles, causing cell
death of the testicular tissues resulting in degeneration of the testicles
• is applied at 3-4 after birth to each spermatic cord separately at opposite sides of scrotum,
• The central area is leaving free for blood to circulate.
• Control of Common calf health problems: Most of the common health problems of
calves are due to poor management that include
 Calf scour: cause diarrhea followed by dehydration that caused by nutritional disorders,
viruses/bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella spp, Rotavirus, Coronavirus, Coccicidia,
Cryptosporidium spp.
• Digestive upsets lead to scours are a major cause of death in calves.
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• The disease is severe during the first 3-6 weeks after birth.
• is minimized by:
• vaccinating cow prior to calving, ensure calves to receive adequate
colostrum within 6 hours,
• feeding the correct amount of milk, early recognition, isolation and
treatment of sick calves
• feeding water with salt and other and keeping the hygiene and cleanliness of
feeding utensils and the environment
 pneumonia: is not common in extensive system of dairy but in intensive
system(where bucket feeding is practiced)
• is caused by -fluids going to the lungs via windpipe (trachea) due to faster feeding
rate of colostrum than swallowing rate and -improper ventilation (prevented by
providing clean, airy, fresh air and nipple feeding.
 Navel-ill: is an infection via navel/umbilicus soon after birth that caused by: E. coli,
Corynebacterium pyogenes, Fusiformsis necrophorus, Staphylococcus spp.
 Helminths: the most commons are stomach/intestinal worms (parasitic gastro-
enteritis), tapeworm, liver fluke ...

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