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General Management Practices – From Heifer to High-Producing Dairy Cow
Effective management practices are crucial for the health, productivity, and reproductive success of dairy cows at every stage of their life. From heifers to high-producing dairy cows, each phase requires tailored approaches to ensure optimal performance and economic returns. This guide covers key management practices for heifers, late lactation, dry cows, postpartum cows, and the nutritional management of high-producing dairy cows.
Heifers
Managing heifers properly from birth through breeding is essential to ensure they grow into healthy, productive cows. A well-structured feeding program is critical for their development:
- Colostrum Feeding: Provide colostrum for the first 3 days to ensure passive immunity.
- Early Nutrition: Feed colostrum surpluses or whole milk from day 4 to 7, followed by powdered milk or discarded milk (excluding mastitis or antibiotic milk) up to around 60 days.
- Starter Diet: Combine starter concentrate with high-quality hay from day 7 onward, weaning at around 60 days.
- Post-Weaning Diet: Offer a high-protein dry ration until 3.5-4 months, followed by a milking cow’s ration until 6.5-7 months.
- Pre-Breeding Diet: Feed a heifer ration with 1.4 NEL/14% protein until 12 months, then adjust to 1.35 NEL/12.5% protein until three weeks before calving.Gestation Diet: During the last three weeks of gestation, switch to a dry cow ration.
Late Lactation
During late lactation, focus on body weight and Body Condition Score (BCS) monitoring:
- Energy Reserves: Cows regain weight lost during early lactation, converting feed energy to body reserves efficiently.
- Ideal BCS: Aim for a BCS of 3.00 to 3.50 at dry off. Avoid excessively fat cows (risking postpartum metabolic disorders and fatty liver) and overly thin cows (lacking reserves after calving).
Dry Cows
The dry period, typically 60 to 70 days, is crucial for preparing cows for the next lactation:
- Far-off Dry Cows: Maintain body condition and provide adequate calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E, and selenium. Avoid high-energy feeds like corn silage unless restricted.
- Close-up Dry Cows: Expect a decline in dry matter intake (DMI) and limit calcium to prevent milk fever. Introduce silage and haylage to adjust to the forthcoming lactation ration.
Postpartum Cows
Postpartum cows require careful management to avoid metabolic disorders and ensure rapid recovery and peak production:
- Body Condition: Aim for a BCS of 3.0 to 3.5 at calving. Over-conditioned cows risk ketosis and displaced abomasum, while under-conditioned cows may have poor milk yield and reproduction.
- Nutrition: Feed high-quality forage, repeatedly push up feed to stimulate appetite, and strive for peak feed intake as soon as possible.
Nutritional Management of High-Producing Dairy Cows
Proper nutritional management is vital for high-producing dairy cows, especially those treated with Bovine Somatotropin (BST). Effective feeding systems and strategies are essential:
- Grouping Strategies: Group cows by production level, age, days in milk (DIM), or reproductive status to tailor nutrition to their specific needs.
- Feeding Systems: Use systems like Total Mixed Ration (TMR) to stabilise rumen function and ensure each mouthful contains balanced nutrients. Computerised feeding systems can further optimise individual cow feeding.
Body Condition Scoring (BCS): Regular BCS monitoring helps adjust nutrition to maintain optimal body condition throughout lactation. Record BCS during key periods like freshening, breeding, and dry-off.
Production Records: Accurate production records, including milk yield, fat, and protein data, are crucial for fine-tuning nutrition programs. Computerised herd management programs and Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) systems provide reliable data for decision-making.
Nutritional Strategies:
- Energy: High-quality forage is essential for meeting energy needs. Supplement with grain if necessary, but avoid diets with more than 50% grain to prevent metabolic disturbances.
- Protein: Ensure the diet includes sufficient crude protein (16-17%) and undegradable crude protein (35-40% of total crude protein) to support high milk production.
- Fibre: Maintain adequate fibre levels and particle size in the diet to ensure normal rumen function and prevent milk fat depression.
By implementing these general management practices, dairy producers can achieve a balance between high production, good health, and successful reproduction, leading to higher economic returns.
Acknowledgment: This blog post is based on the academic insights from Pinhas Gur of S.A.E. Afikim, Israel, covering comprehensive management practices for dairy cows from heifers to high-producing cows. Their research and expertise provide valuable guidelines for optimising dairy farm operations.