Contents
The internal reserves of cattle are not endless, so the farmer needs to control vitamins for cows after calving and before childbirth. Substances affect the health of the female and offspring. A diet compiled according to the rules will saturate the animals with important components and save them from problems in the future.
Features of feeding a cow before and after calving
Pregnancy and childbirth is a difficult period during which the animal’s body consumes a huge amount of energy. To get healthy offspring and not harm the female, you need to correctly compose the menu. Nutrients are needed to maintain the biological activity of cattle. Chemical processes in the body proceed with vitamins and minerals.
Not all components are necessary for a cow before and after calving. Some of the beneficial elements are excreted by the digestive system. During the dry period, food supplies are not enough for the animal. Problems often arise in winter and spring due to a lack of sunlight, fresh grass. In order for the cow to receive the necessary vitamins, the amount of proteins, fats and minerals in the diet is increased.
2 weeks before calving, bean-cereal hay is introduced into the menu of the cow, and the amount of concentrates is reduced. So that excess fluid does not accumulate in the body, they do not give juicy food. Excess moisture during childbirth leads to dangerous complications, swelling in the udder. The rational menu contains (as a percentage):
- silo – 60;
- coarse food – 16;
- concentrated varieties – 24.
A pregnant cow is fed 3 times a day at the same time. Use quality hay, bran and corn scum. Rotten and rotten foods are dangerous to health. Food is sprinkled with crushed chalk and salt. Warm fresh water is given before each meal.
While the embryo is developing, it is necessary to provide the female with nutritious food. Before childbirth, the body accumulates vitamins, fats and proteins. Before calving, the individual should be well-fed, but not obese. Control the intake of sugar, starch, otherwise there is a risk of getting diseases of the digestive system. On average, weight increases by 50-70 kg.
After calving, it is important not to overfeed the cow, as gastrointestinal disturbances may occur. During this period, the body takes vitamins and minerals from the reserves that it accumulated during the dry period. It is forbidden to starve an animal.
What vitamins are needed for cows before calving
Before giving birth, cows often lose their appetite. The body draws the missing components from the reserve without consequences for the baby. If the female managed to accumulate nutrients in advance, then a short refusal of food will not have a negative effect on the fetus.
The lack of provitamin A adversely affects the health of the female and the viability of the calf, complications during childbirth and the birth of blind offspring are possible. Under natural conditions, carotene comes from succulent feed, which is prohibited during the dry season. The daily norm is from 30 to 45 IU, for prevention during the week they give 100 ml of fish oil.
The lack of vitamins in cows before calving affects the health of the mother and offspring. E-avitaminosis gradually develops into pathology of the uterine mucosa. In the early stages, it leads to the resorption of the embryo, and in the later stages – a miscarriage or the birth of a sick calf. The norm for an adult is 350 mg per day. With a deficiency, veterinarians prescribe intramuscular injections of Selemag.
Vitamin D is an important component that helps absorb the macronutrient calcium. The lack of this vitamin before calving negatively affects the strength of the bones of the cow and the formation of the skeleton of the fetus. Under the influence of sunlight, the substance occurs on the skin of animals. The daily dose is from 5,5 IU or 30 minutes under UV light.
Vitamin B12 in cows before calving is responsible for the formation of blood cells, and if there is a deficiency, it threatens the appearance of sick or dead calves. To replenish stocks, professional compound feed and premixes, high-quality bran and yeast are used. Injections with the drug are indicated after prolonged digestive problems. For 1 kg of weight take 5 mg of cyanocobalamin concentrate.
The complex remedy “Eleovit” contains 12 microelements. The drug is used to prevent beriberi and in the treatment of complications of vitamin deficiency in pregnant women. The course of injections has a positive effect on the viability of the fetus.
What vitamins are needed for cattle after calving
After giving birth, the female is given warm water to drink, after an hour colostrum is milked and fed to the baby. In the first knocks, the menu consists of soft hay, the next day 1 kg of liquid bran porridge is added. After 3 weeks, the cow is transferred to the usual diet (silage, root crops). It is important to monitor the amount eaten and not overfeed the cattle, otherwise obesity and indigestion are possible.
For the normal functioning of the body of the female who has given birth, the level of useful elements is maintained. If you do not make up for the losses, then after a couple of weeks, signs of beriberi in the cow after calving will become noticeable. The standard diet does not fully provide cattle with nutrients, so the menu needs to be changed.
There is a lot of provitamin A in plant food. The deficiency is typical for young females and individuals with high lactation. With a deficiency in animals, the eyes become inflamed and the coordination of movements is disturbed. The prophylactic use of fish oil or a course of injections will prevent the problem. The dose for a cow after calving is from 35 to 45 IU.
The daily requirement of vitamin D is 5-7 IU. After childbirth in adults, teeth often fall out, increased nervousness and excitability are noted. The lack of a useful substance in milk negatively affects the health of the calf (deformity of the limbs, developmental delay). The natural source of the element is sunlight. To prevent the occurrence of a deficiency, it is necessary to walk the cow daily. In cloudy weather in winter, in spring, irradiate with an ultraviolet lamp.
Vitamin B12 is not found in plant foods. Avitaminosis in a cow after calving manifests itself as a violation of metabolic processes in the liver and carbohydrate starvation of cells. The animal does not eat well, dermatitis occurs.
Vitamin E deficiency negatively affects the health of young animals. Calves gain weight poorly, growth and development are disturbed. Prolonged deficiency leads to muscular dystrophy, paralysis. If the cows after calving are not given the desired component, then destructive changes occur in the work of the cardiovascular system. The daily dose of an adult is 5,5 IU.
After calving, cows have different requirements for vitamins. Animals with a high lactation rate are fed 5 times a day, for females of average productivity, three meals a day are enough. The basis of the menu is hay, which is crushed and steamed before use. For 100 kg of live weight take 3 kg of the product.
An optimized diet will save you from emergency fortification. To improve milk yield after calving, it is necessary to use juicy types of food when feeding. Cake, bran are natural sources of nutrients, the transition to greens improves the absorption of food.
Often use drugs based on 4 components (A, D, E and F). For treatment, concentrated “Tetravit” is chosen, and “Tetramag” is suitable for prevention. To find the optimal rate, you need to consult with your veterinarian. A large dose is toxic to the body of animals, and a small one will not give the desired effect.
What else to add to the diet
For full development, not only vitamins are needed, but also substances responsible for the formation of muscles, bones and the immune system. Protein is involved in the synthesis of cells, forms all organs. The lack of protein in cows after calving manifests itself in the form of a deterioration in lactation, an increase in feed consumption, or a perversion of appetite. Calves often get sick, do not gain weight well.
Trace elements are needed to maintain the vital activity of cows before and after calving. The female loses substances along with milk. The deficiency appears as:
- decrease in productivity;
- activation of diseases;
- delay in biochemical processes.
With a lack of copper in cattle, anemia and malnutrition are noted. Adults constantly lick wool, and calves do not develop well. The microflora of the digestive organs is disturbed, which leads to frequent diarrhea. Weakened animals move little, lose vitamins and calcium from the bones. Copper contains hay, grass, which grow on red soil and black soil. Feed yeast, meal and bran will help to prevent danger.
Iodine is responsible for the functioning of the endocrine system. The lack of a microelement provokes the death of the fetus or the birth of a dead baby. After calving, cows’ milk yield deteriorates, and the concentration of fat in milk decreases. Iodine enters the body with greens and hay enriched with salt and potassium.
Manganese deficiency can cause abortion or calf death. Young animals are born weakened, with congenital pathologies of organs. In females, lactation worsens, the fat content of milk decreases. Special additives will help to fill the deficiency. In large quantities, the substance contains fodder flour (from meadow grasses, needles), wheat bran and fresh herbs. For preventive purposes, carbon dioxide and manganese sulfate are introduced into the menu before and after calving.
Table salt is given to cows before and after calving to provide the body with macronutrients sodium and chlorine. In the required concentration, the component is not found in plants, therefore, it is added with feed. Without it, the work of the digestive and nervous systems is disrupted, lactation worsens. The substance improves the absorption of food, has an antibacterial effect.
In order for macronutrients phosphorus and calcium (8-10 mg) to enter the animal’s body during pregnancy, professional premixes are used.
The mineral iron is involved in the synthesis of blood and internal organs. With a deficiency in cows, liver dystrophy, anemia and goiter occur. 5 weeks before calving, the cow is given intramuscular injections with Sedimin. The recommended dose is 10 ml.
Conclusion
Vitamins for cows after calving and before childbirth are necessary to get healthy offspring. During pregnancy, the female accumulates nutrients, which she then actively consumes. Deficiency of one element can lead to the birth of a dead or non-viable calf. A well-designed diet contains all the important components. Injections of veterinary drugs will help to quickly eliminate beriberi.
