University research
shows anionic salts
reduce clinical milk fever
by as much as 50%
(Beede, 1992; Oetzel
1988).  With CLOSE-UP
PELLET, the reductions
can be 80% or more.

Dairy cows properly fed
anionic salts often have 50%
less retained placenta
(Oetzel, 1988).  And they
average ten fewer days open
(Beede, 1992):

Milk production increases of at
least 1500 lb per lactation are
common in cows fed anionic salts
(Beede, 1992; Oetzel, 1992):

Indian Trail Farms, a
350-cow Michigan dairy
with a rolling herd average
of 23,000 lb, compared
performance of 46 cows fed
CLOSE-UP PELLET with
the year before, when another
anionic salt product was fed:

Anionic salts also decrease subclinical milk fever, which means fewer cases of ketosis, acidosis, displaced abomasum and retained placenta.

MLM-fevers

Milk fevers

Retained placentas

Displaced abomasums

112.5

88.6*

2

2

1

92.1

76.6*

4

8

3

The cow needs nearly three times more calcium (Ca) after calving, as sudden milk production drains this mineral from her.

Normally parathyroid hormone (PTH) raises Ca levels in the blood.  But the cow's response to PTH is compromised if blood pH has been increased by high dietary potassium (K) and sodium (Na)--- positively-charged minerals known as "cations."

Unfortunately K is elevated in many forages, due to increased applications of fertilizer and manure.  The problem is particularly common in dry-cow rations, which contain relatively more forages than are typical of lactation diets.

The "anions" chlorine (Cl) and sulfur (S) are fed to combat high cation levels.  These negatively-charged minerals reduce blood pH, helping to overcome the effects of K and Na.  PTH can then move more Ca from bone into blood.

The relationship between the strong cations (K and Na) and the strong anions (Cl and S) is expressed as Dietary Cation-Anion Difference ("DCAD").  For CLOSE-UP PELLET to be effective, DCAD should be a negative number.

Note: Anionic Salts should never be fed with low dietary Ca, since high levels of Cl and S also increase urinary excretion of Ca.   Anionic salts fed with low dietary Ca may possibly result in more milk fever.

During the last weeks before calving, nutrient demands dramatically increase while feed intake decreases by nearly 30%

A high-quality concentrate must be fed at 1/2% to 1% of bodyweight during the 14 days before calving.  Along with CLOSE-UP PELLET, this helps satisfy nutrient requirements and also allows the cow to adjust to ingredients fed after calving.

One lb. of CLOSE-UP PELLET contains 3000 mEq of anions, plus complete vitamin/trace mineral supplementation.  An effective close-up feeding program must also follow these simple rules:

Supply at least 120 gm of Ca per cow/day.
Feed 40-60 gm of phosphorus per cow/day.
Keep DCAD at less that 0 mEq.
Maintain minimum 19% ADF.
Keep Non-Fiber Carbohydrate under 40%.