Manage BCS Loss

Regardless of diet, cows will lose condition after calving as they go into NEB (Negative Energy Balance). The key is to keep this body condition loss to a minimum in order to maximise the cow’s chances of going back in-calf. This can be achieved by getting cows out to grass at every opportunity while also supplementing them with a high energy feed such as Bandon Co-op’s Fertility Booster ration.

Beware of Underfeeding

Low milk protein ≤3.0% is usually a sign of insufficient energy intake by the cow
In early lactation butterfat : protein ratio should be no greater than 1.4:1 (eg. with protein at 3.1%, butterfat should not exceed 4.34%). If butterfat is higher than this it is an indication that energy intake is low and the cow is mobilising fat from her body to compensate.