Coforta 100 for Dairy Cows and Heifers

Coforta 100 - Should you be using this on your dairy cows and heifers?

Coforta 100 contains Butaphosphan (a phosphorous supplement) and Vitamin B12.  It has been around for many years but seems to have fallen out of favour over the past 10 - 15 years.

Phosphorus (P)  deficiency used to be relatively common in freshly calved beef and dairy cows  and caused a severe disease called Post Parturient Haemoglobinuria (PPH) but with the dramatic improvements in transition cow management and nutrition it is now a disease we rarely see.

However, if you are using Zeolite A (X-Zelit) as part of your transition program to control milk fever, Coforta 100 may be an important part of your fresh cow program.  Zeolites work by binding calcium (Ca)  and P in the diet (among other things) - high levels of Ca and P contribute to an increased risk of milk fever.  However, P in is an important component of every cell and enzyme system in the body and an induced deficiency cause by excessive binding  in the transition diet can negatively impact animal health and productivity through a myriad of mechanisms.  Low P can impact the synthesis of ATP which is the most important energy molecule in the body;  it can reduce nerve and muscle activity leading to reduced feed intake and in extreme cases, down cows;  it can reduce microbial protein synthesis in the rumen which leads to reduced milk yield and increased risk of acidosis; it can have long term impacts on fertility and can rarely cause PPH due to increased fragility of red blood cells.

Vitamin B12 

Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that is produced in the rumen and is a key driver of appetite in early lactation.  Vitamin B12 production by the rumen microbes is generally pretty efficient but if cow experience a bout of sub clinical acidosis (as is common in fresh cows due to sudden changes in diet at calving and can be exacerbated by an induced P deficiency), B12 production can be reduced and this will suppress appetite. Cobalt deficiency will also severely negatively impact B12 production in the rumen but this should not be a problem in most herds.

So, herds using X-Zelit as part of their transition diet to manage milk fever and herds where there is a sudden change in diet around calving, putting cows (and heifers) at risk of sub clinical acidosis,  should all be giving a shot of Coforta B at calving.

In addition, any cow or heifer that is off feed or not firing up after calving, regardless of what transition program you are using, will also benefit from a shot of Coforta 100.

Coforta 100 only costs $60 per bottle and cows and heifers only need a single dose of 10 ml at calving to correct any P deficit and ensure they have adequate circulating levels of vitamin B12 to drive appetite.

Give one of our vets a call to discuss this further and to determine if your herd would benefit from using Coforta 100 at calving.