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Nutrition and Dairy Cow Fertility

Cows that eat well, keep condition and avoid metabolic trouble generally breed back better. Feeding for fertility is mostly about steady intake, balanced rations and low stress around calving.

Energy comes first

Early lactation is a hard time. A cow needs more energy than she can eat, so she mobilizes body reserves. The deeper and longer that gap, the greater the chance that her first heats are late or weak.

Anything that helps her eat more helps fertility: palatable feed, consistent mixing, fresh feed delivered on schedule, enough bunk space and comfortable stalls.

Watch how cows act at the bunk. Pushing, sorting and long waits are signs that feeding space or timing needs a look.

• Fresh feed delivered on a regular schedule
• Enough bunk space for every cow
• Clean, well-mixed ration
• Low stress at the feed bunk

The transition period

The weeks before and after calving have a large effect on later fertility. Cows that go through calving with metabolic or infectious trouble, such as ketosis, milk fever, retained placenta or uterine infection, tend to breed back more slowly.

Work with your nutritionist on dry cow and close-up rations, mineral balance and feed management. Your vet can help set up a monitoring routine for fresh cows so problems are caught early.

Keep the groups steady where you can. Frequent moves between pens upset eating and lying patterns right when cows need stability.

Protein, minerals and vitamins

Rations must be balanced for protein, energy, minerals and vitamins. Too little or too much of some nutrients can affect reproduction. The right amounts depend on the herd, forages and stage of lactation, so rely on a ration balanced by a qualified nutritionist.

Do not add products or supplements on a hunch. Ask your nutritionist what evidence there is for a product and how you will measure whether it helps on your farm. Keep a written record of every ration change and the date it started, so you can look back when breeding results move.

• Ration balanced by a qualified nutritionist
• Forage quality tested regularly
• Minerals matched to your forage
• No unproven add-ons

Forage quality and feed management

Forage drives much of the ration. Test forages regularly and adjust the ration when quality changes. Spoiled or moldy feed reduces intake and may carry toxins that harm fertility and health.

Check feed storage, face management and bunk cleaning. Remove leftover feed that has gone bad. Feed that cows refuse to eat is feed that cannot support breeding.

Ask for forage test results on a regular schedule and keep them filed with ration changes so you can match feed changes to breeding changes. Ask your nutritionist how often forage samples should be taken and which tests matter most for your crops and storage.

Water and cow comfort

Water is a nutrient. Cows drink a lot, especially in early lactation and hot weather. Make sure troughs are clean, easy to reach and always full.

Comfort also affects feeding. Cows that cannot lie down enough eat less and are more likely to be lame. Check stalls, bedding and stocking density.

Clean water troughs and check flow rates in the hottest and coldest seasons, since poor water access shows up quickly in milk and intake.

• Clean water, easy access
• Comfortable, well-bedded stalls
• Avoid overcrowding
• Regular hoof checks

What to ask your nutritionist

Ask how your rations compare to what your cows need at each stage, how forage tests are used, and what the fresh cow plan looks like. Ask what herd data would show that feeding is the cause of a breeding problem, and what you would see if it were not.

Bring reproduction records to the meeting. If conception rate falls in certain months or groups, the pattern can help find the feeding link.

Write down the questions before the visit so the meeting stays on topic, and write down what you agreed to do afterward.

Common mistakes

Common mistakes include chasing a single nutrient, ignoring forage changes, and overlooking cow comfort and water. Another is waiting until cows are thin to react. Early signs include dropping feed intake, loose or very firm manure and falling milk.

A written feeding and monitoring plan, reviewed with your nutritionist and vet, helps avoid reactive changes.

Review the plan after each season and note what changed in feed, health and breeding results. Put someone in charge of checking feed refusals, manure and intake each day, and have that person report to you the same day if anything looks off.

More in Breeding, Genetics & Reproduction

• Heat Stress and Reproduction
• Lameness and Conception Rates
• Postpartum Fertility Management
• Voluntary Waiting Period Decisions
• Breeding Heifers: Age and Weight Targets
• Heifer Fertility and First Calving