Healthy cows, consistent performance, greater peace of mind in everyday life
Verena and Sven Bethke are the third generation to run their dairy farm in Schleswig-Holstein. The focus here is on approximately 250 Brown Swiss and Black-and-White cows with an average annual milk yield of 10,000 liters. The health of their cows is particularly important to Verena and Sven, as their goal is a herd that is both healthy and high-performing.
Verena and Sven also faced typical challenges, especially around calving: milk fever, ketosis, fluctuating feed intake, and low colostrum production in cows that had just calved. They wanted to provide the best possible support for the older cows in particular, and maintaining stable milk production throughout the entire lactation period was also important to them. A particular difficulty on their farm was the amount of colostrum. Often, freshly calved cows produced only one to three liters of colostrum. This made it difficult to provide the calves with their initial supply of important antibodies.
Verena and Sven were introduced to PerformaNat during an open house at the Andersen family’s Barslund farm. They now use several PerformaNat products specifically to address the metabolic challenges on their farm.
Verena administers PerformaNat CalciumBoli during the first two days after calving. This has enabled them to manage both clinical and subclinical milk fever much more effectively. Since then, they have had very few cases of cows becoming bedridden. One day later—or whenever their sensor technology triggers a ketosis alert—the cows are given the EnergieBoli. This also helps them keep ketosis well under control. If a cow eats or chews less than usual, she is monitored particularly closely and given additional support with PerformaNat PansenFit powder.
Sven describes the effect as follows:
“Of course, we can also see from the sensor technology that it works. Just a few hours after administering PansenFit, you can already see the rumination curve rising again. For us, that’s a sign that it’s working, and that’s why we’re convinced that PerformaNat’s products are simply a perfect fit for our farm.”
To support the cows not only individually in acute situations but also preventatively as a whole herd, Verena and Sven feed CatiBovin to both the high-performance and the pre-lactation groups. This specifically prepares the animals for the metabolic challenges surrounding calving as early as the dry period. At the same time, it supports and alleviates the metabolic stress of lactating cows.
Since the introduction of PerformaNat products, persistence has improved on the farm, and estrus is also much more easily recognizable in the cows. In addition, Verena and Sven made a particularly encouraging observation: colostrum production has increased. As a result, cows and their calves are now optimally nourished and prepared for a healthy life on Verena and Sven’s farm.
For Sven, the result can be summed up simply:
“With PerformaNat, we’ve found a true all-in-one solution for our cows.”
Verena and Sven Bethke’s farm demonstrates how targeted support around calving and preventive feeding of the entire herd can work together effectively. Anyone facing similar challenges with milk fever, ketosis, or fluctuating colostrum production will find a concrete, real-world example in the Bethkes’ farm of the targeted use of CalciumBoli, EnergieBoli, PansenFit powder, and CatiBovin.