Feeding dairy cows

How to feed Dairy Cows for maximum production

To maximize production in your farm it is good to always follow a standard feeding regime at different stages of lactation.

As a farmer understanding the stage of lactation of your dairy cows is the most important thing since it guides you in planning for feeding strategy.

Recommended feeding regime for dairy cows at their various stages of lactation is as follows:

Stages of Lactation

A.Early Lactation – It is the most challenging in feeding dairy cows.

• This is the period, 1-2 months after calving.
• It has high milk yield reaching a peak at end of 2^nd month.
• High nutrient requirement for milk products and repair of reproductive tract (uterine involution).
• But low appetite as the animal is recovering from effects of pregnancy and calving (diet wise, space recovery, hormonal imbalance etc.).

Effects

• Cow has to lose weight so as to provide nutrients for milk products
• Cows body reserves can be used to the limit precipitating a crisis – milk fever, ketosis can occur.
• Protein of high quality is a major limiting factor – 16-78%CP in action.

Feeding strategy

• Provide high quality roughage 40-60% of diet
• Provide adequate concentrate but maximum 50-60% of diet Dry Matter
• Good quality protein

B.Mid-to-late lactation (2-8 months).

• During this period milk product is high but starts to decrease but appetite is maximum.
• There are other extra activities like service and conception takes place at this time
• Requires low nutrient supply (1^st and 2^nd trimester pregnancy.
• The animal starts gaining the weight it had lost in early stages.

Feeding strategies

• avail the animal as much forage as possible – to exploit appetite to the maximum
• adjust concentrate levels to products

NB

• Good quality roughage – a high yield cow can comfortably produce 30kg of milk per day
• Give 2-3kg dairy meal per every kg milk over and above 10kg
• Introduce lower quality protein/nitrogen sources at this time e.g. NPO urea (50:50).
• Use lower Crude Protein level in ratio of 12.5%

C. Dry period

• Characterized by rapid foetal growth (last trimester).
• The animal starts to gain weight considerably due to foetal related membranes/ fluid, fat reserves.
• Appetite is high but starts decreasing due to expanding uterus
• Milk production declines to low levels and cow has to be dried up (Reason – to allow repair of alveolar tissue and prepare it for the coming lactation).

Feeding strategy

• Allow normal grazing but 6-8 weeks before expected date of calving, start to steam up the cow i.e., steaming up.

Benefits of steaming

• Dropping of a heavy calf – high changes will be seen
• Cow building reserves to use in the early lactation period
• Ensures complete repair of alveolar or secretary tissues
• Reduces incidents of milk fever and ketosis after calving.