Milk Fever and Ketosis: Protecting Cows Around Calving

The transition period — roughly three weeks before to three weeks after calving — is when a dairy animal is most at risk. Her body must suddenly supply calcium and energy for milk while her appetite is still low. Two metabolic problems are common: milk fever and ketosis.

Milk fever (low blood calcium)

Despite the name, milk fever is not a fever — body temperature is often below normal. It usually strikes within 1–3 days after calving, most often in older, high-yielding cows and buffaloes.

Signs

1. Early: restlessness, trembling, unsteady walking, reduced appetite.
2. Then: the animal lies down and cannot rise, often with her head turned into her flank; cold ears.
3. Without treatment: she loses consciousness and can die within hours.

Prevention

• Do not over-fatten cows during the dry period.
• Follow your veterinarian's or nutritionist's advice on minerals in the dry-cow diet — the balance of calcium and other minerals before calving matters more than giving large amounts of calcium.
• Some farms give calcium supplements around calving to high-risk animals on veterinary advice.

Ketosis (energy shortage)

Ketosis develops when a fresh cow cannot eat enough to cover the energy needed for milk, so her body breaks down fat too quickly. It is most common in the first weeks of lactation, especially in cows that were fat at calving.

Signs

• Gradual loss of appetite (often refusing concentrate first).
• Falling milk yield and rapid loss of body condition.
• Dull appearance; sometimes a sweet, nail-polish smell on the breath or milk.

Prevention

• Keep body condition moderate at calving.
• Increase concentrate gradually in the last weeks before calving ("steaming up") and after calving.
• Provide good-quality, palatable roughage and constant fresh water.
• Watch fresh cows' appetite every day.

Fresh-cow check routine

For the first 10 days after calving, check each animal daily for appetite, dung, milk yield and temperature, and look for retained placenta or abnormal discharge. Early action is cheaper than treating a down cow.