Proper care of pregnant heifers and cows starts calves off on the right foot The care for heifers and cows in the days and weeks before calving, known as pre-parturition, has a significant impact on unborn calves.

A well-maintained environment, the right vaccination protocol to protect against pathogens and proper nutrition all benefit both the mother and calf. These factors not only help ensure a smooth calving process for the cow, but also get the calf off to a positive start.

A well-maintained environment

A well-maintained, regularly cleaned space where pregnant cows will lie down and feed is an important consideration for good dairy calf management. Increased stall dimensions are needed for larger-sized, late-term pregnant cows.

In fact, adequate spacing and cleanliness are important for several reasons. Having enough space to move, rest, drink and eat at will, increases the cow’s comfort, thus reducing stress and potential injuries. Keeping the spaces clean helps to remove bacteria and pathogens that can harm them and their calves.

Spacing and comfort

In a freestall setup, stalls should be at least 54 inches wide to ensure larger-framed, pre-fresh cows have plenty of space in their pens. In an open-bedding pack situation, there should be enough area for each cow to have its own space. The rule of thumb is 120 square feet of lying space per cow.

Easy access to nutrition is important for late-term cows, and the size and number of feedbunks will impact this. Feedbunks should allow at least 30 inches of space per cow. To make sure all animals receive the nutrition they need – including cows not as willing to compete for food – stocking density should be no more than 85 percent, or 100 headlocks for every 85 cows.

Since cows are social animals with a hierarchy, limit the amount of pen movement and introductions of new cows to a group to reduce stress. It is best to plan on moving groups of new cows to the pre-fresh area once a week, rather than one or a few new cows every day.

Cows should spend a minimum of three weeks in the close-up pen before calving. In order to avoid potentially negative social interactions with more mature cows and to allow feeding of specifically designed heifer rations, first-calf heifers should be kept separate from mature dairy cows.

The dry cow area should be comfortable for animals, regardless of the season. This means heat abatement in the summer, with fans and proper ventilation, and wind blocks in the winter.

Vaccination protocols

The dry period for cows and heifers is a good time to administer vaccinations they need, while they are not producing milk. Vaccinating during the dry period helps boost the level of antibodies in the bloodstream. During this period, the cow is in the process of producing colostrum, which is known as “first milk.”

The antibodies she produces from vaccination will be passed on to the newborn calf through the colostrum, assuming it is fed in the first six to 12 hours. These antibodies protect the calf against a number of pathogens that cause diarrhea and respiratory disease.

Cows will need vaccinations for a number of common pathogens, including those that cause diarrhea and respiratory diseases. Since cows may receive as many as eight vaccinations during their dry period, there are several considerations that should go into planning a vaccination protocol:

• Gram-negative vaccinations: Some vaccinations contain gram-negative endotoxins. Too many gram-negative vaccinations can be a detriment to cows and calves, potentially causing sickness, anaphylactic reactions and abortions.
  
  Typically, a vaccination protocol should contain no more than two gram-negative-containing vaccines at the same time. In addition, vaccinations should be avoided on extremely hot days in order to ensure a safe and efficacious response.
  
  
• Killed vs. modified-live virus vaccinations: Vaccinations come in killed virus and modified-live virus forms. Killed virus products generally drive antibodies in cows much higher, which is important for colostrum production.
  
  Modified-live virus vaccines can produce high antibody counts and generally produce a longer duration of immunity. Safety can be a factor with modified-live vaccines; if a cow has not been previously immunized to the virus, abortion is a risk.
  
  
• Time: The timing of dry cow vaccination is critical in order to make sure it has the desired effect on calves after they receive colostrum. After a vaccination is given, it typically takes 10 days for antibodies to reach their highest level in the cow’s bloodstream.
  
  The cow will start colostrum production five weeks prior to calving. For these reasons, the best time to vaccinate pregnant cows is at least 50 days, or six to eight weeks, before calving. That way, antibodies will reach peak levels as colostrum production begins.

A well-balanced, nutritious diet

A well-balanced diet supplies the metabolic protein, minerals and vitamins that late-term dairy cows need to grow their calves without supplying excess energy. Feed additives like anionic salts may be needed to help regulate blood calcium, which will decrease as calcium is pulled from the bloodstream to the udder to produce milk.

A clean, stress-free environment with easy access to fresh water and feed is critical for late-term cows as their unborn calves develop and get ready for birth.

Once they arrive, the colostrum meal is the single- most important and economic meal any bovine will consume. A dedicated colostrum management system, complete with monitoring, is necessary to ensure calves are getting the best possible start.

Please talk with your veterinarian to develop the best vaccination protocols for your operation and your herd nutritionist to determine the best feed regimen for pre-parturition animals.  

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