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Video case study

Milk fever dropped from 8–10% to less than 1%

In his first year using X-Zelit at Dixie Ridge Farms in Dixie, Victoria, Lex Moloney saw clinical milk fever drop from around 8–10% of the herd to less than 1%, with only mild cases reported.

Dixie, Victoria 640 cows First year on X-Zelit 8–10% → <1% milk fever No ketosis issues
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Lex explains the first-year shift from low DCAD to X-Zelit

Hear how Dixie Ridge Farms moved from a difficult low-DCAD transition ration to a simpler X-Zelit program with strong intakes, very minimal mastitis and no ketosis issues.

Before X-Zelit 8–10%

clinical milk fever reported under the previous low-DCAD program

After X-Zelit <1%

clinical milk fever in the first year, with only mild cases

Herd size 640

cows at Dixie Ridge Farms

Before → After

From a hard-to-source low-DCAD diet to a simpler X-Zelit program

Lex had been running a low-DCAD transition diet, but sourcing the right hay, straw and other ration components was difficult. X-Zelit gave the farm a practical alternative that was easy to mix and worked with more of their own silage.

Before X-Zelit

Milk fever pressure and ration complexity

  • Clinical milk fever around 8–10% of the herd
  • Quite a lot more sub-clinical milk fever
  • Ketosis had been seen in previous seasons
  • Low-DCAD hay and straw were hard to source
  • Palatability and ration design were ongoing challenges
  • Transition feeding required more complexity
After X-Zelit

Less than 1% clinical milk fever in year one

  • Clinical milk fever reduced to less than 1%
  • Only mild milk fever cases reported
  • Sub-clinical cases reduced with the clinical cases
  • Very minimal mastitis
  • No ketosis issues reported
  • Cows came into milk really quite quickly
The challenge

A low-DCAD ration that was difficult to run

Dixie Ridge Farms was seeing clinical milk fever at around 8–10% of the herd, along with more sub-clinical milk fever pressure.

The previous low-DCAD approach also made ration sourcing difficult, especially when trying to find the right low-DCAD hay, straw and palatable feed components.

The solution

X-Zelit fitted into the mixer wagon and home-grown feed system

Lex describes X-Zelit as quite easy to mix into the mixer wagon, with cows taking to the product well and intakes staying really strong.

With nutritional support from Kamilla and Quadrant, the farm was able to tailor the transition ration and include a lot of its own silage.

The result

Less milk fever, no ketosis issues and very minimal mastitis

In the first year on X-Zelit, Lex reports clinical milk fever dropped to less than 1%, and the few cows that did have milk fever were only mild cases.

He also reports very minimal mastitis, no ketosis issues and cows coming into milk really quite quickly.

Reported outcomes

First-year results from a herd with real milk fever pressure

The shift was not just about clinical milk fever. Lex also described improvements across sub-clinical pressure, ketosis, mastitis and the speed at which cows came into milk.

<1% clinical milk fever after X-Zelit
8–10% clinical milk fever before X-Zelit
No ketosis issues reported
Very minimal mastitis reported
Strong intakes on the transition ration
Quick cows coming into milk
Farm value

The value is in fewer cases and an easier transition system

Moving from around 8–10% clinical milk fever to less than 1% creates obvious treatment and labour savings. But for Lex, the value also comes from a more workable feeding program, stronger intakes and fewer surrounding transition problems.

Milk fever <1%

Clinical milk fever in the first year on X-Zelit.

Ketosis None

No ketosis issues reported after previous seasonal issues.

Mastitis Minimal

Very minimal mastitis reported in the case study.

Ration Simpler

Less reliance on hard-to-source low-DCAD ingredients.

Illustrative milk fever saving About 50 fewer cases

Based on Lex’s 8–10% before figure across 640 cows, less than 1% after X-Zelit suggests roughly 50 fewer clinical cases before considering sub-clinical, ketosis, mastitis or labour savings.

Illustrative only: The case reduction is based on the reported before/after percentages. Actual financial value depends on treatment cost, labour, milk loss, cow losses and farm-specific transition performance.
In Lex’s words

What Lex said about X-Zelit

“We’ve been able to reduce those numbers back to less than 1% this year.”
“Very minimal mastitis, and no ketosis issues that we had seen in previous seasons.”
“The cows took to the product quite well — quite easy to mix into the mixer wagon.”
“Definitely recommend, if farmers are having milk fever issues like we were, to give it a try.”
Talk to us

Having milk fever issues in your transition cows?

Speak with Quadrant Farming Solutions about X-Zelit and how it can fit into your farm’s transition feeding program.

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