Milk fever prevention without compromising feed quality
X-Zelit helps prepare the cow’s natural calcium response before calving, reducing the risk of clinical and hidden subclinical hypocalcaemia while supporting a high-quality close-up ration. A research-backed pre-calving strategy that activates calcium regulation before the demand of colostrum and lactation arrives.
3 weeks before
Start X-Zelit
2 weeks before
Calcium response primed
Calving
Healthy calcium balance
3 weeks after
Fresh cow performance
Transition cow nutrition
Calcium balance at calving
Quality feed intake
Australian support
The Transition Challenge
Low blood calcium is more than a milk fever problem
For every cow with clinical milk fever, there can be up to eight cows with subclinical milk fever.
Many transition programs force a trade-off between calcium control, ration quality and practical management. Acidified diets can be complex. Restricted low-calcium rations can be difficult to manage. And when cows back off feed before calving, the whole transition period becomes harder.
X-Zelit is built to remove that compromise.
It supports the cow’s natural calcium response before calving, helping protect calcium balance when demand rises — while allowing farmers to keep feeding a high-quality, palatable close-up ration.
The visible problem
Clinical milk fever can mean difficulty calving, weakness, inability to stand and urgent treatment risk.
The hidden problem
Subclinical milk fever may not show obvious symptoms, but can still affect production, health and fertility.
The X-Zelit approach
X-Zelit helps prepare the cow’s calcium response before demand peaks at calving.
The Science
How X-Zelit prepares cows for calcium demand at calving
X-Zelit is fed before calving to bind calcium and phosphorus in the close-up ration, activating the cow’s natural calcium response before milk demand peaks.
Blood calcium through calving
With X-Zelit
Without support
Binds phosphorus in the pre-fresh ration
X-Zelit helps bind phosphorus in the close-up diet, creating a temporary, modest phosphorus restriction before calving.
Activates the natural calcium response
This stimulates the cow’s own defence mechanism for low blood calcium, helping her mobilise calcium reserves.
Supports health, milk & fertility
Higher blood calcium around calving supports cow health, milk production, rumination and fertility.
The Result
Optimal calcium balance at calving
THE BENEFITS
Better transitions.
Better cows.
Better returns.
A smoother transition does more than reduce milk fever risk. It helps protect appetite, calcium balance and early lactation performance — the factors that shape fresh cow health and herd profitability.
Calving
outcomes
- Better blood calcium balance at calving.
- Effective milk fever prevention.
- Better quality colostrum for a stronger calf start.
Fresh cow performance
- Higher feed intake.
- Increased rumination.
- Increased milk yield.
Herd
health
- Improved fertility and reproduction.
- Lower somatic cell count.
- Fewer metabolic diseases including ketosis, retained placenta, metritis and displaced abomasum.
What could clinical and hidden milk fever be costing your herd?
Slide to estimate the visible cost of clinical milk fever and the larger hidden cost of subclinical milk fever.
Drag left or right to change herd size
50
1,000
Estimated transition cost exposure
$9,450
Why is the hidden cost higher?
Clinical milk fever is only the visible part of the problem. For every cow with clinical milk fever, there can be up to eight cows with subclinical milk fever. These hidden cases may not show obvious symptoms, but they can still drive metabolic disease, lost production, fertility issues and higher treatment costs.
Estimated clinical cases
5
Visible milk fever cost
$2,250
Estimated subclinical cases
40
Hidden milk fever cost
$7,200
Estimate only. Based on an assumed 5% clinical milk fever rate, $400 per clinical case, up to eight subclinical cases per clinical case, and $1,000 estimated cost per subclinical case. Actual herd costs vary.
TRANSITION FEEDING
Built for real-world Australian
dairy systems
X-Zelit fits into the close-up ration without forcing a full diet overhaul, making it practical for farms that need effective transition control without adding unnecessary complexity.
Fits the close-up ration — no full diet overhaul
No acidification program or urine pH testing required
Supported locally through Quadrant Farming Solutions
Resources
Practical resources
for better transition feeding
Download farmer-friendly guides, technical information and practical feeding resources for using X-Zelit in the close-up transition period.
PDF · BROCHURE
X-Zelit Product Brochure
A complete overview of X-Zelit, how it works, and how it supports calcium balance through calving.
Download brochure
PDF · FARMER GUIDE
Fresh Cow
Health Guide
Understand how calcium balance affects appetite, recovery, milk production and fresh cow performance.
Download guide
PDF · RESULTS
Australian Results Report
Local research comparing X-Zelit and DCAD in Australian dairy conditions.
Download guide
ARTICLE
How X-Zelit
Works
A plain-English explanation of the X-Zelit mode of action and why it is different from acidified diets.
Download guide
PROOF & SUPPORT
Science-backed transition support for Australian dairies
X-Zelit is backed by university research, field testing and producer experience — with a simple feeding approach designed to support calcium balance, fresh cow health and transition performance.
Uncomplicated excellence in transition feeding
X-Zelit is supplemented in the close-up dry-cow diet before calving. It binds calcium and phosphorus in the ration, helping activate the cow’s own calcium response before milk demand peaks.
University trials and technical research references
Designed to prevent both clinical and subclinical hypocalcaemia
A simpler alternative to complex acidified DCAD programs
View Research
Australian results
Australian commercial trial data showed higher post-calving blood calcium in cows fed X-Zelit, together with encouraging milk-yield and rumination results. Explore the Australian trial and the wider research behind X-Zelit.
See the Australian results
Fresh cow outcomes
Reported outcome areas include blood calcium balance, feed intake, rumination, colostrum quality, fertility and milk production.
Explore outcomes
Advisor support
Practical guidance for fitting X-Zelit into close-up rations and transition programs.
Talk to our team
THE HIDDEN RISK
Up to 8
subclinical cases for every clinical milk fever case
REPORTED WITH X-ZELIT
+30 min/day
rumination increase reported in Cornell first-week data
THE CALCIUM DEMAND
2–4×
rise in the daily calcium requirement at the onset of lactation (Dairy Australia, 2021)
Reported in Vilofoss documentation. Results vary by herd, ration and study.
Stockist locator
Find your nearestX-Zelit stockist
X-Zelit is available through selected rural retailers, dairy suppliers and animal health stockists across Australia. Enter your suburb or postcode below to find nearby suppliers.
Ready to include X-Zelit
in your transition cow program?
Talk to your local stockist or the team at Quadrant Farming Solutions
about fitting X-Zelit into your close-up ration this season.
about fitting X-Zelit into your close-up ration this season.
Distributed in Australia by Quadrant Farming Solutions