Nutritional health program for high producing dairy herds

Abstract

Procedures followed to develop a nutritional health programme for dairy clients of the Michigan State Univ. Ambulatory Clinic are outlined. Broadly, the programme includes education of the clients, raising dairy replacements rapidly and economically, forage testing to accurately develop least-cost balanced rations, feeding-management programmes for the lactating and dry cow, and metabolic profile testing to assess the effectiveness of other parts of the programme. Results of the programme are summarized; within 23 Holstein-Friesian and 1 Jersey herd, numbering 1502 cows with average yield of 13 788 lb milk and 560 lb butterfat, occurrence in a 12-month period of nutritionally related diseases (e.g. milk fever, ketosis, displaced abomasum, indigestion, internal parasites, obesity) ranged from 1 to 7%.