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Abstract :

The objective of this research was to assess prevention practices of postpartum hypocalcaemia in farms from the Grand Ouest region (France). Based on our survey, the use of prevention strategies is common and could depend in part on the variability in diet throughout the year. Practices implemented to prevent hypocalcemia show frequent and important gaps to recommendations from scientific research. Effectiveness of acidified diets during late gestation, assessed through a prospective study, is insufficient in preventing hypocalcaemia in field conditions, leading to a high incidence. Redefining hypocalcaemia prevention strategies in a local context starts with focusing on farms in which progress seems
possible, i.e. in farms with a constant diet throughout the year. In these farms, nutritionists should adapt their advice to the farm context, considering mineral element amounts from forage, in order to improve effectiveness of prevention strategies. This approach should be completed with the implementation of diagnostic tools to detect farms at risk of hypocalcaemia and to monitor the effectiveness of prevention strategies. To this end, milk calcium dosage in early lactating cows show promising results and should be investigated in field conditions.

Keywords :

Dairy cow ; Dry period ; Hypocalcaemia ; Prevention