Importance of milk fever

MILK FEVER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT NUTRITIONAL DISORDER AFFECTING TRANSITION DAIRY COWS
• Clinical milk fever affects around 4-9% of UK dairy cows2.
• Individual farms have clinical incidence rates of up to 60%3.
• For every clinical case another 3-6 cows in the herd could be suffering from subclinical milk fever4.
• Clinical cases indicate there is a level of subclinical milk fever in the herd, however herds can also have subclinical milk fever without clinical cases.

EVERY DAIRY COW IS AT RISK OF MILK FEVER, MOST SUFFER FROM SOME DEGREE OF HYPOCALCAEMIA AT CALVING5

Every case of milk fever whether clinical or subclinical has consequences1,4:
• Lowered immunity.
• Slower rumen, abomasal and gut turn over.
• Reduced fertility.
• Reduction in milk yield.

Milk fever is associated with an increase in other early-lactation conditions4: