Pregnancy Toxaemia, better known simply as “Preg Tox” is a fatal condition in late-pregnant cows and ewes that is due to low glucose levels in the blood, which then affect the brain and nervous system. In cattle it may be better known as Ketosis. When energy is not meeting the cow or ewe’s requirements, which are extremely high at this time for the growing calf/lamb and udder, the cow or ewe will burn fat reserves that in turn release ketones into the system. Now, ketones are necessary at this time as an energy source, but like many things in life, too much of a good thing can be bad. Excessive ketones can then turn toxic and the cow or ewe is then in big trouble.
Symptoms include separation from the mob, blindness, “star gazing” with their heads held high, tremors and eventually death. Animals that are most prone to Preg Tox include poorly conditioned ones, but over-fat breeders are also at high risk, due to their higher daily requirement of energy to maintain their weight and the excess fat they have to burn. The other part of the mob that are vulnerable are of course, multiple bearers – hence the other common name for Preg Tox in the sheep world is “Twin Lambs Disease”. These animals also have greater energy requirements so need to be fed appropriately.
The key method of prevention is having a sound feeding program in place leading into calving or lambing, to ensure the cow or ewe has adequate energy levels to meet this spike in demand. Now, each season will be different with variations in the mob condition, feed value (quality & quantity) and weather conditions etc. So, it is important to seek good advice on maintaining the mob or flock in an appropriate body condition score by managing feed on offer and supplementing appropriately where necessary.
Programs including utilising either grain or loose lick supplementation in the months prior to calving and lambing can assist here. Products to boost these programs can include AIM Converter Sheep Pellets with grain or AIM Grazemax Lick for a base level supplement. Refer to your advisor for the appropriate option.
After this, all cows and ewes will still suffer some level of metabolic stress at calving/lambing time. As well as energy, calcium levels are equally as important to combat the next threat which is Hypocalcaemia, or “Milk Fever” as it is commonly known. If the animal’s calcium reserves are not released from her bones at birthing time, muscles don’t work properly, resulting in the very common condition called Dystocia, which means difficult birth. This results in either ewe and/or lamb losses, the need to pull calves, or post lambing mis-mothering that leads to dehydration and disease in the offspring, making them vulnerable to predators and bad weather.
AIM Progenx Lead Up Lick can assist here, to both supply extra muscle fuel reserves (which also help prevent Preg Tox) as well as mobilise the calcium from the skeleton to allow the muscles to work properly and avoid the losses due to dystocia.
So calving and lambing management is a “double-barrelled” approach in managing both energy and calcium!
For more info – contact: Peter Gordon, Livestock Production NorMac Yenda Prods 0428 716 645
Article courtesy of Animal Innovations