Correcting mineral deficiencies: preventing hypocalcaemia with boluses

Cow health is an important factor in the efficiency of modern livestock production. Feeding problems, stress and ration-formulation errors can lead to diseases that reduce productivity and may threaten an animal's life. Hypocalcaemia is one such condition and occurs in two forms:

• The subclinical form is associated with general depression and trembling of the legs or body muscles as blood calcium levels fall.
• The clinical form, commonly known as milk fever, has more pronounced signs: the cow lies down with a bent neck, body temperature falls and the animal is almost immobile. Blood calcium is below the physiological range.

The subclinical form is particularly difficult to detect: it occurs three times as often as the clinical form and frequently goes unrecognised. Without preventive measures, the risk of recurrence at subsequent calvings is 50–70%.

The physiologist Ivan Pavlov wrote: “A cell cannot live without calcium.” This macromineral regulates muscle contraction, nervous-system function and metabolic processes. Immediately after calving, cows use calcium rapidly, and a sudden fall in its availability can cause serious disruption. Calcium deficiency reduces milk production and contributes to retained placenta, metritis, mastitis, displaced abomasum and other problems. For the farm, the consequences are treatment costs, lost milk and poorer herd reproductive performance.

Intravenous calcium injections were previously regarded as an effective way to manage hypocalcaemia. However, the rapid, short-lived increase in blood calcium followed by a sharp decline can make this approach less effective and potentially hazardous. Farms therefore increasingly use boluses that provide gradual replenishment of calcium, vitamins and trace elements, support metabolism and reduce the risk of metabolic disorders.

Dietary adjustment and calcium injections do not always produce the desired result, and the problem may persist. Farms therefore need additional tools to reduce the risk of hypocalcaemia and its effects on animal condition and milk production. Specialised feed supplements in bolus form offer one such approach.

Bovino Extra Plus is a calcium bolus for cows, designed to replenish and maintain calcium levels after calving and during periods of high production, and to help prevent ketosis.
It contains a scientifically formulated combination of:
• Readily available organic calcium salts;
• Vitamins D3 and PP;
• Trace elements, including iodine and cobalt;
• Antioxidants.

The ingredients stimulate parathyroid hormone (PTH) production, initiate calcium mobilisation from bone and help restore physiological calcium balance. They also shorten recovery time and support metabolism after calving. This mechanism helps prevent hypocalcaemia and liver metabolic disorders, supports immune status and maintains high milk production.

Figure 1.
Calcium metabolism after calving.

Figure 2.
Incidence of hypocalcaemia in relation to production level and number of lactations.

Boluses form part of an effective herd-management strategy. Their use helps:

• Reduce the risk of milk fever;
• Eliminate the risk of subclinical hypocalcaemia and reduce economic losses;
• Accelerate recovery after calving;
• Improve milk production;
• Support overall animal health;
• Minimise treatment costs and milk losses.

Modern calcium boluses provide safe, effective hypocalcaemia prevention and support milk production, reproduction and metabolic function while improving farm economics.