Nutritional Troubleshooting

Nutrition plays a critical role in the health and welfare of your herd, potentially having effects on fertility, mastitis, and lameness as well as productivity. Where a nutritional problem is encountered, we can help provide independent troubleshooting and advice, with one of our vets holding a post graduate diploma in cattle nutrition. Investigations may include analysis of ration formulation and presentation of feed to the cows. Other services that may be applicable include rumen pH and protozoa analysis, metabolic profiling and routine body condition scoring. 

Metabolic Profiles

If there is concern over the performance of a herd, metabolic profiles allow us to ‘ask the cows’ what they think of their ration. Blood is taken from an appropriate selection of cows and are submitted to Edinburgh University’s Dairy Herd Health and Productivity Service for analysis. All results will be shared with your nutritionist so that farmer, vet and nutritionist can work together to make appropriate changes for the herd. Often follow up testing is warranted to see if the changes made on the ground have had the desired effects. When used for routine monitoring, metabolic profiles should be completed around 2 weeks after a major change has taken place – for example, the opening of a new silage clamp. 

Beef Nutrition

Often overlooked, beef suckler nutrition is critical to the performance of the suckler herd as it is linked to colostrum quality, milk production post-calving, staggers risk and fertility in the next breeding period. 

We can use metabolic profiles to assess how the cows are performing on the current rations available. There are three critical times in which to ‘ask the cows’:

• 2-3 weeks after being on full winter rations to assess the adequacy of the available forages

• A group of the first cows due to calve in the last 2 weeks of pregnancy

• This calving cohort should then be re-bled 2-3 weeks after calving to see that their energy and protein requirements are being met

Sheep Nutrition

Pre-lambing profiles

• Carried out 2 -3 weeks prior to lambing, once the ewes have entered the high-risk period for nutritional problems

• 5 ewes from each group (singles, twins, triplets)

• Will allow energy and protein status to be assessed and provide adequate time for alterations in the diet to be made

• Will also assess the risk of staggers and milk fever

Summer profiles

• These are used to assess the trace element and protein status of ewes pre-tupping and growing lambs after weaning

• The aim is to maximise fertility of ewes entering the breeding season, and growth rates of lambs at late summer grazing