As autumn calving continues there are many areas of the state where calves are being born onto paddocks with little valuable feed available.
This means cows will be reliant on meeting their energy requirements from supplementary feed.
Lactating cows require a significant amount of energy to produce milk, therefore straw or hay alone will not provide adequate energy.
When animals have an energy deficit diet, they will lose condition and reduce their ability to lactate, which will affect calf growth.
If cows lose too much condition, it will also reduce their fertility and ability to get back in calf the following season.
A drop in condition can be hard to spot just by looking at your calving cows, which is why it’s important to score your stock regularly.
The target condition score for autumn calving cows is ideally three, no lower than 2.5, and no lower than two at the start of mating.
It is far more expensive to put condition on stock than to maintain their weight, so getting supplementary feed right at the start will save money in the longer term.
Feed budgets are a highly informative management tool that can assist with decision making and can provide significant financial and animal health benefits by ensuring your cows are receiving an adequate diet for both quality and quantity.
Cows with suckling calves 1-4 months old will require an energy intake of 100 – 148 MJ ME/day or greater and is dependent on the cow weight, with a crude protein of 10 per cent and a dry matter intake of 2-2.2 per cent of their body weight.
Hay quality can vary and while it’s a good fibre source it may not provide enough energy to support a lactating cow.
A feedtest is crucial to knowing what value your hay offers. Supplementation with a higher energy and protein source such as grain or pellets may be a good option.
Dr Hannah Manning Agriculture Victoria, Colac
