Spring-calving cows should be housed at BCS 3 and calve at a target of 2.5 BCS. Getting this wrong can lead to calving problems and delayed heats. Mid-pregnancy is the time cow condition should be altered, not the last six to eight weeks of the gestation period. Adequate cow nutrition becomes increasingly important in the last six to eight weeks of gestation, with the growing calf’s demands increasing daily.

Therefore, the cow needs to eat more silage, not have it restricted. If dry matter energy is restricted at this point in the gestation period, there is a risk of metabolic disorders after calving and cows will be slow to come back into heat. Therefore, BCS should be altered over the next two months if spring-calving cows need to lose, or gain, condition before calving.

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