Many dairy farms across Northern Ireland are now in the midst of a busy calving season. Amidst all the new arrivals, it’s vital not to lose focus on supporting freshly calved cows to ensure a healthy, productive and profitable lactation.
The Importance of the Transition Period
The transition period, roughly three weeks before and after calving, is often described as the most critical stage in a dairy cow’s lactation cycle. Calving is a demanding and stressful event, so cows need extra care and attention during this time and throughout the first 100 days post-calving. How well a cow transitions during this period has a direct impact on her milk yield, fertility and long-term performance.
Managing Negative Energy Balance
In early lactation, cows naturally enter a state of Negative Energy Balance (NEB), as their energy demands for milk production exceed what they can physically consume. During this same period, cows are expected to reach peak milk yield and return to service, making nutritional management crucial.
The primary goal in early lactation is to provide a well-balanced, energy-dense diet that helps minimise NEB. Doing so supports peak milk yield, improves fertility and reduces metabolic issues.
Feeding Strategy for Fresh Cows
Freshly calved cows should begin with a gradual concentrate build-up, allowing forage intakes to increase steadily until they reach peak levels. Maintaining this level for a period helps the cow recover from NEB and sustain performance. While it may be tempting to switch to Feed to Yield feeding systems at around 30 days post-calving, or even sooner. This can disadvantage lower-yielding cows by restricting their nutrient intake too early. Protecting these cows during early lactation helps maximise overall herd yield and supports recovery. A minimum feed level should be kept in place until 100 Days in milk to allow the cows to transition properly.
Balancing the Diet
A truly balanced diet starts with understanding the quality of the forages on farm. Regular forage analysis allows concentrates to be formulated accurately to meet the herd’s specific requirements.
Protein: Fresh cows often benefit from slightly lower protein concentrates, as excessive protein can reduce fertility and increase costs without improving milk yield.
Fibre: If silages are lush or low in fibre, chopped straw can be added to improve rumen function and reduce the risk of acidosis or displaced abomasum’s whilst trying to increase concentrate levels in early lactation.
Energy: Incorporating protected fats can increase the overall energy density of the diet, helping limit body condition loss and improving fertility outcomes.
Monitoring and Support
Close monitoring of cow performance, feed intakes and body condition is essential in the early weeks of lactation. Small adjustments to feed composition or feeding management can make a significant difference to both yield and reproductive success. Key parameters such as milk protein can also give a guide to the overall herd’s energy status.
To optimise your cows’ transition into lactation and support higher peak milk yields after calving, make sure your concentrate feeding programme is correctly structured. For expert guidance and tailored nutritional advice, contact your local Fane Valley Feeds Ruminant Feed Advisor or call 028 8224 3221
