In this article, we tell all about the influence of feeding on the unborn calf.
If we look at the meaning of feeding, it is often understood as offering feed to the cow. There is often the thought that the cow will eat the feed anyway. Everything seems under control, the cow will continue to produce milk anyway. There is just something very clearly overlooked here. Feeding cows means looking at the cow's needs and anticipating to these needs. What does she need for optimal milk production and fertility? Matching her needs as closely as possible, and steering for dry matter intake, energy and protein values per kilo of dry matter is key for optimal results. That is what we mean by feeding.
It is becoming increasingly possible to really exploit the genetic potential of cows. But to do this, you have to stay focused on her needs. Simply feeding is no longer enough. You have to look closely at the cow's needs.
The unborn calf
But what role does nutrition play in the quality of colostrum and the unborn calf, and especially microbial protein production. The rumen must produce sufficient microbial protein. This is reflected not only in the quality of colostrum, but also in the nutrition of the unborn calf.
When you inseminate a cow, you match the genes of the mother and father. Together, this forms the calf's genetics, the hardware, so to speak. Then what matters is how those genetics are further programmed. This is where software, epigenetics, comes into play. The nutrition of the unborn calf, or pregnant cows and heifers, seems to have a significant influence on the programming and thus the future performance of the calf.
In practice
'In practice, we also see this issue passing by,' says our specialist Harrald Helmers, himself a dairy farmer in Giethoorn. He has compared on his farm, but also at his customers' farms, the first lactations of heifers born to heifers with heifers born to second-calf and older cows. What is striking is that on the majority of farms, heifers born from second-calf and older cows perform better in the first lactation than heifers born from heifers. This is remarkable because genetically, heifers from heifers should give about 200 litres more milk on average.
How can this be explained? The second-calf and older cows, while the calf was still growing, often received a qualitatively well-balanced dairy or dry matter ration. Heifers, on the other hand, received the lower-quality ration. Thus, the ration fed during gestation has an effect on the performance in the first lactation of the then-unborn calf.
TIP! On a rainy afternoon, find out the effect of feeding the unborn calf on your farm. You will be amazed.
Want to know more about feeding the unborn calf or make an appointment with our specialists to see how we can optimise this on your farm? Feel free to contact us.
