Precalving Care Equals
Postcalving Profitability
By: Donna Amaral-Phillips, Ph.D.
Sound feeding and management programs before and shortly after calving can improve the
health, fertility, and milk production of early lactation cows. Special care for cows making the
transition into the milking string can translate into 4 to 5 lbs more milk at peak production.
This improved peak milk production equals 1000 to 2000 lbs more milk over the entire
lactation or $130 to $250 more profit per lactation.
Three Weeks Before Calving- Setting the Stage
Separation of dry cows from the milking herd is a commonly understood management
practice. These far-off dry cows need 50% less protein and about half as much calcium as
compared to the same cow producing 60 or more pounds of milk. Likewise, cows within three
weeks of calving have different nutrient needs and need to be managed separately from the
far-off dry and milking cows. Feed intake has been shown to decrease 20 to 40% five to
seven days before calving while intake of forages in relation to concentrates needs to be
maintained. At the same time, the immune system of the cow is the most depressed two
weeks before calving. Thus, these conditions necessitate managing these cows as a
separate group.
Close-up dry cows should be fed a specially formulated diet to allow for a smooth transition
into the milking herd. Specifically, this diet needs to:

contain a higher nutrient density to attempt to compensate for the expected
reduced feed intake,

provide enough forages to maintain rumen fill and cud chewing (Generally, a
minimum of 5 to 6 lbs of long stem hay is recommended.),

utilize forages and concentrates fed to the milking herd to allow the rumen microbes
(bugs) to slowly adjust to the change in the type of feeds,

allow time for the rumen papillae to adapt to a higher concentrate diet. The rumen
papillae need to increase in length so that they can absorb more nutrients (volatile
fatty acids) in the rumen. (This adaptation may not be as important as originally
determined.)
All of these adaptations will help the cow obtain more nutrients to support milk production
once she calves. Table 1 illustrates the difference in nutrient specs of rations formulated for
the close-up versus the far-off dry cow.
Diets formulated specially for close-up dry cows work well in herds with more than 100 milking
cows, but often times are impractical for smaller herds or during times of the year when few
cows are calving. In some situations, feeding 25% of the diet fed to the milking herd with
additional long stemmed hay is used as the close-up dry cow ration. These diets may supply
adequate amounts of protein and energy and allow for adaptation of the rumen microbes and
papillae. However, they may contain too much calcium, potassium (esp. if alfalfa is fed), and
sodium (if buffers included in milk cow ration or concentrate mix) which can increase the
incidence of milk fever or udder edema. Before using these rations for close-up dry cows, a
nutritionist should review these rations.
Length of Time
Dry matter intake
(% body weight)
NEL (Mcal/lb)
Far-off
Dry Cow
Close-up
Dry Cow
Milking Cows–
High Group
30-40 Days
14-21 Days
Early lactation
1.9-2.0
1.6-1.8
2.5 (after calving)4.0
0.57-0.62
0.63-0.72
0.75-0.78
12
14-15
16-19
Crude Protein (5)
Table 1. Comparison of nutrient requirements used in formulating rations for dry and milking
cows.
Close-up dry cows should be housed and fed separately from the milking herd. The key is to
provide these cows with every chance to consume as much feed as possible. If these cows
are more timid and compete poorly for bunk space, feed intake can be compromised.
Anionic salts have been included in close-up dry cow rations to help decrease the incidence
of clinical and sub-clinical milk fever. When balanced correctly, anionic salts cause a mild
acidosis which results in more calcium and phosphorus being released from the bone and an
increased absorption of these minerals from the intestines. A cow can secrete through her
milk more than 50 times the amount of calcium found circulating in the blood at any one time.
Thus, the body is prepared to supply the tremendous amount of calcium needed after calving.
Early Lactation: The Final Stage
Getting early lactation cows to consume high quality feed is critical for maximum milk
production. During the first few weeks after calving, dry matter intake is 18 to 33% lower than
observed at peak intake. Heifers eat slower than mature cows and on the average may eat
15% less than a mature cow. Figure 1 shows the increases normally seen in feed intake
during the first few weeks after calving. Steady increases in feed intake during the first few
weeks after calving are critical in preventing cows from losing too much body condition too
rapidly. Cows which fail to "take off" in feed intake during early lactation, often times have
lower conception rates and "just do not milk like they should".
To stimulate intake in fresh cows, they should be placed in the milking herd within a day after
calving. Fresh cows are very sensitive to limited amount of bunk space. Adequate bunk space
(30 inch per cow) must be provided with fresh feed always available.
Within a day after calving, fresh cows can receive the high group TMR, if a TMR is fed. If
cows are fed concentrate through the milking parlor or in a tie stall barn, intake of concentrate
should be slowly increased at the rate of 0.5 to 1 pound daily above the amount fed in the
close-up diet. Slow adjustment of cows to increasing amounts of concentrate decreases
problems of cows going off-feed, laminitis (founder), rumen acidosis (pH in rumen too low),
and displaced abomasums (twisted stomachs).
Recommendations
1. Balance rations for far-off dry cows (first 30-40 days of the dry period) to provide adequate
amounts of protein, energy, minerals, and vitamins.
2. Three weeks before calving, place close-up dry cows in a separate lot and feed them a
more nutrient dense ration compared to the far-off dry cow. This diet should contain the
forages fed to the milking herd with low potassium forages (example corn silage) used to
minimize problems with milk fever. Diets formulated with anionic salts can help prevent
clinical and subclinical milk fever, if necessary.
3. After calving, place the fresh cow in the milking herd. If a TMR is fed, cows can be placed
in the high group within a day after calving. If concentrate is fed separate from the forages,
slowly increase the amount of concentrate by 0.5 to 1 pound per day over the amount fed
during the close-up dry period.
Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex,
religion, disability, or national origin.