Whenever you feed a pregnant cow, there are some things you need to keep in mind. One of these things is that you need to give her enough energy and protein to support her and her calf. The longer you leave her without these things, the more likely she will suffer from health problems.
Managing body condition score
Managing body condition score when feeding pregnant cow can be an important part of your calving strategy. This is especially true for first-calf heifers, which can be difficult to produce if their body condition is not in the right condition.
There are many ways to determine if your pregnant cow is in a good condition. One of the most common ways is to have her scanned by a veterinarian at a local animal clinic. In addition, it is important to monitor your herd’s body condition to improve overall management. During early lactation, a daily loss of one to one and a half pounds of body weight is expected.
However, if you want to maximize your reproductive performance, you must also manage the cow’s body condition score during the dry period. Cows with a BCS of 4.5 or less can be highly unproductive.
Limit-feeding corn-based diets
Putting corn in its proper context, it is a relatively high energy feed owing to its starch content. However, it is also very palatable to cattle. As such, it is a common ingredient in beef cattle diets. Similarly, its relatively low calcium and phosphorus content means that it is best used in moderation.
It is also a good idea to include the right amount of selenium in a diet, as it plays a vital role in fetal development and maternal reproductive performance. As a result, a supplemental mineral mix containing selenium is essential. However, not all regions of the country have access to selenium-rich soils. Therefore, it is important to devise a feeding program that provides optimum levels of selenium while also providing other essential nutrients.
Trace mineral supplementation
Providing adequate trace mineral supplementation for pregnant cows is crucial to the success of a reproductive effort. It can help enhance immunity in the calf and may even be necessary for optimal performance in the offspring.
There are many different factors that can affect the way an animal responds to trace mineral supplementation. However, there are several general approaches that can be used.
First, if a cow is pregnant, it should have an adequate supply of trace minerals during the dry period before parturition. This may allow the cow to enhance her immune function and increase the mineral content of her colostrum.
The amount of trace mineral consumed by a cow is a function of its body size and genetics. Calves, on average, require approximately eight ounces of mineral per day.
