It’s exactly the same when it comes to transporting our cows, whether they are travelling down the road to graze or on their final journey.
We know from speaking to many of you that you are doing a great job of assessing that your cows are fit for transport – with a body condition score of three or more and in good health.
At DairyNZ we make a commitment that New Zealand will continue to be a world leader in animal care and our research and science has helped look at more ways we can support our cows to travel well.
Firstly, it’s ideal if you can dry off your cows before transporting them. It makes them less prone to going down during transport. But we understand it isn’t always possible.
If you can’t dry off of your cows one of the best things you can do is give them magnesium and calcium on the day they are to be moved.
We know many of you are aware of the benefits of feeding magnesium but calcium is equally important.
Constant muscle movement during transport can use up the cow’s normal supply of calcium, especially if she is still lactating or being trucked a long way.
Calcium deficiency can affect a cow’s muscles to the point where they can no longer contract properly, which increases the risk of them going down.
To prevent that it’s recommended each cow is given 100g of limeflour and 12-20g of magnesium as an oral drench. Double the amounts if administering as a slurry with hay.
I know this should go without saying but I’m never one to assume anything so make sure your cows always have access to water until they are loaded.
They’ll thank you for it because they won’t get another chance until they arrive at their destination.
You can also try to limit the length of the journey by keeping wherever they are going as short a ride as possible.
It’s common knowledge that cows should be kept off green feed for at least four hours but no longer than 12 hours before transport to prevent effluent spilling onto roads but it’s important to remember that doesn’t include hay or balage.
So make sure they have access to roughage right up until they are loaded.
If you have tall cows let your transport company know in advance so it can avoid back rubs by sending a suitably configured truck.
These things are the very least we can do to show our kindness and care to our cows.
MORE:
Visit dairynz.co.nz/transporting-stock
Jacqueline McGowan is a DairyNZ developer in the animal care team.
What to do
12 to 24 hours before travel:
Ensure access to water at all times
Stand-off green feed for at least four but no more than 12 hours and continue to feed hay/balage
Supplement calcium and magnesium
Liaise with your transport company to send cows to a nearby processing plant
