This archive report was first published on 20 July 2019.
Feeding Dairy Cows from Birth to Lactation ¶
Published on July 20, 2019
Feeding dairy cows from birth to lactation is a critical aspect of dairy farming. Effective feed management can significantly impact the profitability of a dairy farm, with feeding costs accounting for up to 70% of the total cost of production.
There are three main dairy cattle feeding systems in Kenya: extensive, semi-intensive, and intensive. The extensive system involves grazing cows and supplementing them with concentrates at milking time. The semi-intensive system involves bringing in supplemental forages, while the intensive system involves confining cows and feeding them concentrates.
Each cow must produce at least 20 liters of milk per day for the intensive system to be profitable. The nutritional needs of dairy animals are critical to the productivity of the herd, and feeding costs can be as high as 70% of the total cost of production.
Some key targets for dairy farmers include weaning calves at three months or less, first insemination at 15 months or less, and average milk production of at least 20 kg per cow per day. Cattle are fed for maintenance of body weight and for production, and a growing animal should steadily gain at least 500 to 800 grams per day.
Calves are fed milk according to their body weight, and accurate weights are obtained from fasting animals. Heart girth measurements provide good weight estimates, and calves require a good supply of minerals and protein for growth and development.
Along with milk, provide an ad libitum supply of a commercial calf supplement, good quality chopped fodder, and a supply of cool clean drinking water. It is a myth to say that calves that drink water pass bloody urine, which is an indicator of a disease that can be treated.
When weaning calves from milk, start reducing milk gradually to zero over the next four weeks. After weaning, continue providing green fodder or good quality pasture where available. Weaned heifer calves should be grazed on nutritious pastures sufficient to meet their maintenance and growth requirements.
Use a pre-weaned commercial concentrate formulated for calves at the rate of 2 kg per day to supplement grazing by heifer calves from three to six months of age. At six months, switch to a cheaper young stock supplement at 1 to 2 kg per day up to the age of 12 months.
Watch the body condition of the heifers from 12 months on, as overfeeding can result in over-fat heifers with reduced conception rates. At this stage, Rhodes grass or Nandi setaria mixed with desmodium, supplemented with sweet potato vines or leguminous fodder shrubs, form good feeds and reduce feeding costs.
Provide heifers with unrestricted amounts of minerals and clean water. If you do everything right, the heifer will start bulling at nine months and show first signs of heat at 11 to 12 months. Inseminate the heifer when it is three-quarters the average adult weight for its breed.
Feeding the in-calf heifer is also critical, as conception after insemination depends on how well the heifer is fed. Underfed heifers are likely not to show any signs of heat and may fail to conceive at first service.
Heifers that conceive can be maintained on pasture or cut fodder with the young stock supplement at 1 to 2 kg per day and an adequate mineral supplementation to cater for the growth of the heifer herself and the calf she is carrying. In the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, the supplement for heifers can be changed to dairy meal.
Steaming up of in-calf heifers and cows involves feeding high amounts of dairy meal to the cows and heifers before calving. This is done during the last six and eight weeks before calving respectively for cows and heifers. The purpose of steaming up is to provide nutrients to meet the demands of pregnancy, ensure a healthy calf at birth, and provide more nutrients to meet the heavy demand of the coming lactation.
