Improper feeding of a cow during pregnancy often causes heavy calving, the birth of a weak calf, and low productivity during lactation. A pregnant animal should receive adequate amounts of nutrients, minerals and vitamins.
Pregnant cow menu
A dairy cow, depending on weight and productivity, eats up to 30 kg of feed per day. Cattle - ruminants, the basis of their diet is: hay, haylage, straw, in summer - pasture grass. As a top dressing, they are given root crops, pumpkin, silage, mixed feed or grain mixture: 1/3 of oats and 2/3 of barley.
During pregnancy, the cows' menu needs to be adjusted. Pregnancy lasts 40-41 weeks, an especially crucial moment is the start when the cow is abandoned to milk. The dry period lasts 50-60 days, during this time the organism of the future “mother” rests, gains strength, prepares for calving.
For the normal development of the fetus, an increase in the amount of protein feed is required, the provision of the body with vitamins A, D, carotene, and minerals. In the first months of pregnancy, the laying of the main organs of the fetus takes place, therefore it is so important to provide the uterus with adequate food in sufficient volume. The lack of carotene will be made up by 1 kg of carrots and 0.5 kg of coniferous flour. Calcium supplements are required: chalk 80-100 g, bone meal 50 g. They give cake and bran, they are rich in phosphorus. An indispensable product is salt, sold in briquettes.
Number of feed
Cattle are fed three times a day, it is recommended to give:
- hay from perennial grasses 8-15 kg, part of it can be replaced with straw;
- tubers and pumpkin 10-15 kg;
- feed grain 2-3 kg.
Do not feed frozen or rotten root vegetables. Moldy, soaked hay is unacceptable in the diet.
In the first 2-3 weeks of launch, they reduce the rate of melons, silage, and limit the amount of water. In the summer, the cows are not allowed out into the pasture, the green mass is replaced with hay. This is done with the aim of reducing milk production, then feeding back to normal. Raw potatoes are completely excluded from the diet, starch clogs the milk ducts. During the dead period (the last two months), the calf gains weight, so the cow is well fed, but not overfed. By the time she is born, she should be in good condition. An indicator of proper nutrition is a 10% weight gain during the dry period.
Diet affects the composition of colostrum, which is important when feeding newborn calves. A week before calving, juicy feed is excluded from the diet, hay and haylage are given to the animals. You can drink the "chatterbox" from the steamed hay dust and bran. A pregnant cow is given clean, slightly warmed water to drink; cold drinks can provoke a miscarriage.
