{"id":22436,"date":"2022-12-16T15:30:25","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T15:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.topro.nl\/topro-knowledge-base\/problem-cows-after-calving-check-the-minerals-in-the-dry-period\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T08:22:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T08:22:29","slug":"problem-cows-after-calving-check-the-minerals-in-the-dry-period","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.topro.nl\/en\/topro-knowledge-base\/problem-cows-after-calving-check-the-minerals-in-the-dry-period\/","title":{"rendered":"Problem cows after calving? Check the minerals in the dry period!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many problems in dairy cattle occur at the start of the new lactation. The fresh cows do not start eating well, develop hoof problems or even go down. These problems can come from low feed intake, poor calcium balance, but also from a weakened immune system. The latter can come from a shortage of certain minerals and vitamins, especially in the dry period. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The dry period is meant to let the cow recover from the previous lactation and prepare for the new one. In this period the focus is not only on the cow, but also on the development of the unborn calf. The calf puts on well over half of its birth weight during the dry period. This demands a lot from the cow, while the cow herself is also in a ‘recovery phase’: the demand for important building blocks rises sharply.<\/p>\n

These shortages are often not made up sufficiently, as the concentrate ration is minimal, or no minerals are fed, or they are not fully absorbed. These shortages can lead to transition diseases in the dam and to weak or stillborn calves.<\/p>\n

Vitamins and minerals matter a great deal<\/h2>\n

A good dry period ration is the basis for a good transition period. It is well known that a low calcium level and sufficient magnesium are wanted in the dry period. But what about other vitamins and minerals?<\/p>\n

Minerals and vitamins play an important part in the immune system. The shortages in dry cows are often seen in selenium and vitamin E levels. Vitamin E and selenium are important antioxidants and reinforce each other. It has been shown that giving vitamin E and selenium in the dry period results in:<\/p>\n