Take care of cows during calving season
Nutrition during late pregnancy and early lactation affects the reproductive performance of each cow
3 March 2025
2 minute read
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More new calves are dropping each day as fall calving progresses. To ensure they get proper nutrition, keeping the cow herd in top nutritional shape is imperative so cows provide high-quality colostrum for calves at birth and a high quantity of milk until weaning.
Nutrition during late pregnancy and early lactation will also affect the reproductive performance of each cow. In fact, her nutritional status from the time she calves and through the breeding season determines when she returns to estrus as well as her fertility level. Maintaining top nutrition levels can become challenging.
“Seventy percent of a fetus’s growth takes place during the last three months of gestation, so you can quickly understand the need for increased nutrients,” Dr. Scott Westlake, Solvet Technical Services Veterinarian, says. “This means a cow needs to gain about 1.25 lbs. a day, including the fetus and related tissues. If she doesn’t get enough nutrition to maintain this, her body weight and body condition score will go down. It’s not uncommon to feed high-quality feed in late pregnancy to meet nutritional needs.
“A cow’s nutrient requirements remain elevated after calving because she needs to produce the high-quality colostrum essential for a healthy start for her calf and she must produce enough milk to feed an appetite that grows until weaning. Plus, she needs to rebreed during this time. It’s a tall order.”
Nutrient sources
Extra nutrients can come from multiple sources. Grazing crop residues can be economical but will require adding a quality supplement to deliver enough nutrients. If available, corn byproducts can help, or if pairs are confined all winter, a total mixed ration can help support nutrient needs.
Annual forages, such as silage corn or wheat planted behind another crop can offer quality grazing for cows, calves and bulls.
It’s understood that feeding cows is the largest production cost in cow/calf operations. Westlake says it’s also understood that money invested in improving the nutritional status of a cow now will more than pay off in improved cow pregnancy rates and calf performance.
Your veterinarian, county and state Extension service specialists can provide more information about fall calving and herd nutrition.
