James worked with Matt Jenkin, from ForFarmers, to develop the best ration for his transition cows, and it was Matt who suggested that James try TRANSLAC Advance. “Previously we were using our own transition cow ration, but we found that we were getting a few incidences of milk fever and too many retained after births,” explains James.
“We had tried using magnesium flakes in water troughs but it was difficult to ensure that all cows received the right dose. Since working with Matt to develop a new transition diet we have found that our milk fever cases around calving have virtually ceased.”
Matt explains: “TRANSLAC Advanced offers a simple calcium capturing solution in a nut form to complement James’ forage. It is also 26% protein therefore consistently supplying the correct nutrition for the cow and her calf. The Guernsey and Jersey cows as a breed can be more prone to milk fever around calving and this solution has all but eliminated that threat, with milk fever at Tredinney now below 1% at calving. This is also a result of James and his dedicated staff’s attention to detail and consistency through the transitions period.”
However, getting the transition period right goes beyond reducing the risk of milk fever. James highlights that; “taking the time to get our transition period nutrition right has also meant that we’re seeing far fewer calving problems, such as retained afterbirths and metritis.”
James also explains that since improving their transition management they have also seen an improvement in colostrum quality. “We measure our colostrum with a Refractometer and we’ve really seen a marked improvement in the quality since modifying our transition cow nutrition and using TRANSLAC Advance. This means we know we’re giving our calves a really good start to life.”