How to properly feed a cow before and after calving at home

If you know how to feed a cow before and after calving, as well as how to adjust her daily diet, you can not only improve the quality and quantity of meat and milk received, but also help the animal recover faster from a difficult birth process and avoid some postpartum complications. The health of the expected offspring also directly depends on the correct diet.

What to feed a cow before and after calving at home

In order for the stress of the birth process to have a minimal impact on the animal’s body, the breeder needs to know already 3 weeks before calving how to feed the cow and what changes need to be made to her daily diet.

Feeding before calving

The cow's diet 21 days before calving should be changed as follows:

1. 2-3 weeks before the expected date of birth, the cow is fed basic and concentrated feed in the amount of 1 kilogram, 3 times a day.
2. 1-2 weeks before calving, the amount of concentrate increases to 4 kilograms per day. Feeding scheme: in the morning and in the evening they give 1 kilogram of food, in the afternoon - 2 kilograms.
3. A week before giving birth, the concentrate is given 2 kilograms in the morning, lunch and evening.

Before calving, the animal may experience a loss of appetite and refuse food. Since childbirth is a strong stress for the body, a cow’s lack of interest in food during this period is considered normal. The remaining food does not need to be removed from the feeder so that when hunger appears, the animal can eat.

A few days before calving, it is recommended to give the cow the diet presented in the table:

Nutrition after calving

Half an hour after the end of the birth process, the cow must be given a large amount of water to eliminate the risk of dehydration. On the day of calving, it is allowed to feed the animal only hay and fresh grass. From the second day after birth, you can give concentrated food, bran with water, which can be replaced with oats the next day. Such food will not have an irritating effect on the stomach and will help normalize stool.

Vegetables and root vegetables are given little by little at first, after which the serving size is gradually increased.Juicy feed in large quantities immediately after birth causes indigestion and disruption of water balance in the body, which causes swelling of the udder.

What should you not give?

In order for the cow not to get sick and produce a lot of high-quality milk, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules when preparing the diet:

1. The animal should be fed exclusively with high-quality hay without signs of spoilage.
2. If bread is present on the menu every day, the stillage it contains can negatively affect the health of the cow, so bread should be given only occasionally, as a treat, but not as a main meal.
3. Silage, due to its high concentration of organic acids, is contraindicated for use as the main feed. Neglecting this rule can lead to diseases of the digestive system.
4. To prevent milk from acquiring an unpleasant odor, all plants with a strong aroma and taste should be excluded from the diet.
5. Before giving them to a cow, vegetables and fruits must be cleared of seeds and seeds to protect the animal from eating disorders.
6. The simultaneous intake of beets and potatoes provokes intestinal discomfort and flatulence.
7. Green potatoes and unripe tomatoes can cause poisoning due to the solanine they contain.

Features of feeding in winter

Due to the lack of fresh plant food in winter, the animal’s diet changes significantly. The task of the livestock breeder in the winter is to try to compensate the cow for the lack of greenery as much as possible.

The main winter feed for a cow is hay, which requires 15-20 kilograms per head per day. Other products that should be included in the daily diet in the amount of 5-10 kilograms per head are chopped and peeled vegetables and root vegetables. You can make up for the lack of green grass with 10-15 kilograms of silage or haylage. Concentrated, combined feeds and mash of barley, oats and wheat have good energy value.