Many farms utilizing monitoring technologies on an individual cow basis have historically used them primarily for heat detection. As technologies become more developed and we learn more about cow behavior, the capabilities of those technologies expand further to include uses for transition cow management. Trevor DeVries from the University of Guelph and Barry Bradford from Michigan State University discussed technology use for transition cow management on a recent “Virtual Coffee Break” podcast from the Michigan State dairy extension team.
DeVries shared that of the monitoring systems available, rumination systems have become the most popularized, mainly because they reflect intake levels most accurately. Through research, his team has learned that intake levels correlate highly with rumination in the first 21 days in milk (DIM). Past that, the relationship breaks down some.
Many farms are very hands-on with their fresh cow checks, often locking up a pen and checking temperatures and testing urine and/or blood test for beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) levels. When utilizing rumination technology, DeVries mentions that checking fresh cows is much less intensive and stressful for the pen. The data returned from the rumination monitors allows a producer to pick out individual cows to then go check for a clinical problem. Farms or their advisers also have the ability to better look big picture at the data and see if there is somewhere a management change is needed.
Bradford shared that from his perspective in Michigan, many farms are moving away from intensively checking every fresh cow for the first week or two in lactation and going to rumination monitors. They identify cows that are performing normally and will move them into a peak or breeding pen as soon as 7 to 10 DIM, while other cows are kept in the fresh pen for more attention if they aren’t ruminating as normal. DeVries added he sees similar practices on larger farms in Canada, but that is not as common in smaller farms that don’t necessarily have a pen designated for fresh cows.
DeVries also discussed a recent study he worked on that looked at reducing milking frequency as a treatment for cows identified as having excessive energy mobilization or higher BHBAs. In the study, reducing milking frequency did work to prevent a metabolic problem, but there was milk loss.
Bradford shared that he has been looking at research with automated milking systems (AMS) on incomplete milkings for the first week after freshening to reduce the chance for metabolic issues. Again, this practice comes with a loss of milk and is difficult to implement for farms not using AMS. Both researchers shared their enthusiasm to continue learning more about the transition period and practices that can be successful of farms for healthier transition cows.
