Postpartum Nutrition in Beef Cows

After calving a cow is milking, recovering and getting ready to breed again, all on the same feed. This stretch decides a lot about next year's calf crop.

Key points

Early lactation is a high-demand period; plan feed before calving.
Condition at calving sets the starting point for rebreeding.
Group young and thin cows so they can be fed to their needs.
Use forage tests and a regional mineral program.
Check the pair together and keep calving records.

The demands of early lactation

A cow's nutrient needs are usually at their highest early in lactation. She is producing milk for a growing calf, repairing her reproductive tract and trying to return to heat cycles. The goal in a cow-calf system is one calf per cow per year, which leaves little room for a long delay.

If the diet falls short, the cow protects her milk first and her reproduction second. That is why a thin cow often fails to cycle on time.

Plan for these demands before calving, because by the time cows look thin it is hard to catch up.

Condition at calving sets the starting point

A cow that calved in good condition has reserves to draw on. A cow that calved thin has none, and no amount of feed in the weeks after will fully make up the difference quickly. This is why late-gestation feeding and postpartum feeding have to be planned as one program.

Use the 1 to 9 body condition scale at calving and again before breeding. Ask your extension specialist for the targets that suit your herd, and watch which groups slip.

Matching feed to the cow

Lush spring pasture can cover needs well, but stored forage and late-season grass often fall short. Test your hay and know what your pasture is likely to supply at different times of year.

Groups with higher needs include:

First-calf heifers, still growing and now lactating
Second-calf cows, which also have to rebreed
Thin cows that calved below target condition
Heavy-milking cows that call for more nutrients

Minerals and water

Mineral status affects fertility and milk. Regional soil and forage differences are real, so a program that works in one area can be wrong in another. A nutritionist or extension office can help you design one around your forage tests.

Lactating cows drink a lot. Keep tanks clean, check floats and make sure there is enough space that every cow can drink without being pushed off.

Keep mineral feeders full and sheltered, and note how much disappears from week to week. A sudden drop or surge in intake is worth a call to your nutritionist.

Watching the pair, not just the cow

Calf behavior is a useful clue. A calf that looks gaunt or constantly seeks milk may be telling you the cow is short on milk or feed. Look at cows' condition during routine checks and sort any that are losing flesh quickly.

Keep a short record for each cow of calving date, condition at calving and any problems such as retained placenta or udder trouble. Call your veterinarian about anything that looks like illness or a cow that is not eating.

At weaning, compare each cow's calf weight, her condition through the season and whether she rebred. Cows that stayed in shape on the same feed as the herd are usually the kind to keep. Cows that always fall behind are costing you feed and may need a different place in the program.

What to ask and common mistakes

Ask your nutritionist how much your current forage supports a lactating cow, when to supplement, and how to check that supplements are working. Typical mistakes are waiting until breeding season to notice thin cows, feeding the whole herd the same way, ignoring young cows' higher needs, and assuming green grass means adequate nutrition. Any additive or supplement should be used strictly by label and with guidance.

When feed is short

Dry years and poor hay crops happen. When forage is short, decide early which groups to protect first, usually young cows and those closest to calving or in early lactation. Culling cows that cannot keep up may be cheaper than feeding them.

Your extension office, FSA office or lender can explain what options exist in a drought year, and program terms change, so ask for current details.

Whatever the year brings, write down what you fed, what it cost and how the cows responded, so the next shortage starts with a plan instead of a scramble.

When to get help: Ask a nutritionist or extension specialist to match supplementation to a forage test, and call your veterinarian about cows that stop eating, show signs of illness or have udder or reproductive problems after calving.

Sources and further reading

Organization homepages are linked so you can search them for current guidance on this topic.

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