The most stressful period for a cow is at calving when they not only have to deliver a calf but be prepared to recover and start producing high volumes of milk. This is a time when calcium deficiencies can create significant health problems.
Unfortunately not all calcium deficiencies are readily apparent. Subclinical hypocalcemia is a condition where cows are low on blood calcium yet not low enough to show visible signs. Often cows in this situation acquire other fresh cow disorders such as metritis, DA’s, retained placenta and others.
A number of products are available for producers to help fresh cows avoid the pitfalls of subclinical hypocalcemia. A comprehensive comparison of these products is found below:
