Autumn calving is well underway for many autumn calving herds. Not only should you ensure that calves get the best possible start, but it is also crucial to look after the freshly calved cow.
Freshly calved cows have a requirement for high levels of energy, protein and minerals in the diet, and it is important that this is offered to them.
Freshly calved cows have a low feed intake straight after calving, so it is important that the feed that is offered is of a high quality.
The management of the freshly calved cow is vital during the first few weeks of her lactation. Cows are still in their transition period during the first three weeks pre-calving and three weeks post-calving.
Autumn calving
Autumn calving cows should be let out to grass as soon as they calve down, as the weather seems to be holding over the last couple of days.
Farmers need to be wary that letting your autumn calvers out to grass at this time of year is different to letting spring calving cows out to grass in the spring.
Spring grass is typically a lot more lush and leafy with a high dry matter (DM) content, while grass at this time of year has a lower DM content and a lower feed value.
Freshly calved cows at this time of the year are going to need a high quality forage added to their diet as the low DM grass at this time of year is not going to be enough to fill them.
A high quality forage to the freshly calved cow will maximise the cows’ dry matter intake (DMI) in order to minimise body condition score (BCS) loss and negative energy balance (NEB).
Total dairy intake will be around 11-12kg in the days after calving, rising steadily by 1.0 to1.2kg/week for around a month after calving.
After the first month, intake will rise by 0.5kg/week until peak at eight to 10 weeks post-calving.
Milk yield rises faster than the cows’ intake after calving, which results in the cow losing body condition to support her milk production or starts ‘milking off her back’.
This loss must be controlled to less than 0.5 BCS units through silage and concentrates in the cows’ diet.
Farmers must be careful when feeding meal, as it may increase the risk of digestive upsets and result in substitution of concentrates for forage in the diet, which will increase costs.
Concentrates should be fed to supplement the nutrient deficit, and feeding rates with grass and silage in the diet for the autumn calvers will be 3-6kg depending on different farm circumstances.
During this period, cows need to be watched closely, as issues such as displaced abomasum can often appear.
