Good nutrition is fundamental to dairy cow health and this in turn has a direct effect on milk yield and fertility.
Diet analysis
Feed analysis is vital to assess the nutritional value of the diet of the cow especially over the housing period. We can help you to understand and evaluate the quality of your feed and make the necessary adjustments in the diet for your cows to maximise productivity.
Transition cow management
The transition period is the period 3 weeks before calving and 6 weeks after calving- It is vital to get the diet right during this period.
Many subtle changes are taking place in the physiology of the cow during this period
- Hormone changes
- Calving
- Coming into milk
- Loss of body condition
- Recovery after calving
- Dietary changes to meet the demand of milking
- Often going from silage/winter feed to grass
These changes put the cow under additional stress at this important time. Careful planning of nutrition for this period can help to reduce the incidence of the most common problems which occur around calving time in dairy herds, many of which contribute to infertility, such as:
- Mastitis
- Retained foetal membranes
- Displaced abomasum
- Ketosis
- Milk fever
- Fatty liver
We can give tailored advice to suit your situation on how to manage your herd’s nutrition through this important period. Every farm is different and so are the changes and adjustments needed to meet the requirements.
