Figure 2 - Effect of Powerjet on intestinal mucosa inflammation, oxidative stress and milk production. Haptoglobin (mg/mL)


Albumin (g/L)


0.45 0.4


0.35 0.3


0.25 0.2


0.15 0.1


0.05 0


CONTROL


diff. after - before calving


POWERJET


diff. after - before calving


0 0.39 –56%


–0.5 –1


–1.15 0.17


–1.5 –2


–2.5 –3


–3.5 CONTROL


diff. after - before calving


response occurs immediately after calving even without any pathology or infection (Bertoni and Trevisi, 2013). Inflammation leads to an increase of maintenance needs from 10% to 30% (Mani et al., 2012), increasing energy deficiency in the cows. • Management of negative energy balance: Dairy cows can face a negative energy balance (NEB) in early lactation when feed intake is too low to meet the energy require- ments for body maintenance and milk production. The NEB obliges cows to mobilise body fat in the form of non-esteri- fied fatty acids (NEFA) and leads to an accumulation of be- ta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) in the blood, with a high risk of metabolic disorder. • Prevention of hypocalcemia: Another major cause of metabolic disease is a disruption of mineral balance, primarily calcium balance, after calving. Milk and colostrum synthesis place a large demand on calcium homeostasis mechanisms so that almost all cows develop some degree of hypocalce- mia at parturition. When plasma calcium concentration drops too low to support nerve and muscle functions, parturient paresis, or milk fever, develops (Goff and Horst, 1997).


Nutritional solutions • An integrated approach to manage transition cows is need- ed to deal efficiently with these challenges. Wisium has launched Transi Up, a specific nutritional program for peri-partum cows, to improve health status and optimise milk potential (Figure 1). Premix, nucleus and specialties are de- signed with specific ingredients to meet dairy cows’ high re- quirements in this period. • This program includes various nutritional solutions, such as Powerjet, a patented combination of three active mole- cules from two plants, recognised for their abilities to modu- late intestinal mucosa inflammation and the associated oxi- dative stress. In a study in a commercial farm in France, analysis of blood from 25 dairy cows was completed before and after calving. Haptoglobin concentration was measured to evaluate the inflammation, and d-ROM was measured as an oxidative stress marker. The results (Figure 2) indicate moderated inflammation combined with reduced oxidative stress in the cows that received Powerjet. The improved


POWERJET


diff. after - before calving


–61% –3


31.5 31


30.5 30


29.5 29


28.5 28


27.5 CONTROL P< 0.05


immune response allowed milk production to increase by 2.3 kg per cow per day. • Negative dietary anion cation difference applied to the diet during the close-up phase helps the cow to mobilise body calcium more efficiently after calving. Thus, it prevents post-calving hypocalcemia. It also leads to an increase of performance in parous cows with higher dry matter intake and milk production (1.1 kg/d, Lean et al., 2019). • A powerful technique to provide essential nutrients to the fresh cow is voluntary drenching. Energy Drink consists of a soluble powder to be mixed at a rate of 1.5 kg powder in 30 litres of warm water. Administration should be done once per cow, immediately after calving. Four main benefits can be expected for the farmer from this technique: 1. Quick recovery of the cow after calving; 2. Stimulation of the appetite; 3. Reduced risk of displaced abomasum; and 4. Ease of use.


Monitoring performance of transition cows • Good management of transition cow requires precise moni- toring of herd performance and sanitary issues. Comparing the frequency of metabolic problems with achievable targets provides highly valuable information concerning the way this critical period is managed in the herd. • The evolution of milk production and milk quality should be monitored as the variability of lactation peaks gives a good indication of the effectiveness of a transition program, especially milk fat and milk protein ratio levels.


Conclusion Transition cows face many metabolic challenges, which can have very costly consequences if not managed properly. The use of monitoring tools is important for adapting the nutrition- al strategy in this period. Improvement of the immune system and increased milk production justify the use of a specific program.


References available on request. ▶ DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 8, No. 3, 2021 31 POWERJET Milk production (kg) 31**


28.7


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