Preventing Milk Fever in Dairy Cows: Welfare Through Periparturient Management
Milk fever (hypocalcaemia) prevention through dietary management and supplementation is one of the most welfare-effective interventions in dairy cattle production.
Key Facts
- Clinical hypocalcaemia affects 5-10% of dairy cows at calving, with subclinical affecting up to 50%
- Subclinical hypocalcaemia impairs immune function, increasing mastitis and metritis risk in early lactation
- High-yielding multiparous cows are at greatest risk due to high milk calcium demands
- DCAD (dietary cation-anion difference) manipulation in the dry period prevents most clinical cases
- Oral calcium supplementation at calving reduces subclinical hypocalcaemia effectively
Welfare Considerations
Milk fever prevention is both an economic and welfare priority — the welfare harms of clinical hypocalcaemia include the distress of recumbency, muscle weakness, and cardiovascular collapse, while subclinical hypocalcaemia silently impairs immunity and predisposes to mastitis, metritis, and displaced abomasum that cause further welfare suffering. Prevention is far superior to treatment: DCAD manipulation using anionic salts in the transition diet stimulates calcium mobilization before calving, while oral calcium boluses at calving provide bridge supplementation. The welfare return on investment from effective milk fever prevention programs — measured in reduced clinical disease, reduced antibiotic use, and improved early-lactation wellbeing — is substantial.
What You Can Do
- Implement DCAD transition diets under veterinary nutritionist guidance to prevent milk fever in high-risk cows
- Administer oral calcium boluses at calving to all multiparous cows in high-risk herds
- Monitor urine pH in transition cows receiving anionic salt diets to confirm adequate acidification
- Record and analyze milk fever incidence by parity and season to identify prevention program gaps
- Treat subclinical hypocalcaemia in at-risk cows using blood or urine calcium monitoring at calving