Feeding for Yield: Spring-to-Summer Transition Tips

The spring-to-summer transition is a crucial time to monitor your herd’s productivity. As grass quality and availability shift, so arises the challenge of managing your cow’s nutrition effectively to sustain milk yields. It may sound daunting, but with a few simple tweaks to your herd’s routine and diet, you can ensure that they remain productive, healthy and profitable as we move ever closer to the summer months. 

Identifying Key Challenges 

Late spring and early summer grass can often see significant fluctuations in grazing availability and quality. Sugar-rich grass can lead to acidosis which compromises rumen function and milk fat production and inconsistent energy supply can lead to lower milk yields if not managed correctly. Additionally, cows can enter into a negative energy balance, where the cow will use her body fat reserves to sustain milk production if energy intake falls short of production demands, resulting in reduced fertility and health problems.  

Heat stress also becomes a significant concern as temperatures rise and results in lower dry matter intake. This reduction, coupled with increased energy demands for maintenance, contribute to lower milk output. Studies have reported a reduction in milk yield of 25 to 35% where heat stress conditions have been evaluated. 

Practical Steps to Maintain Herd Productivity 

To ensure that your cows are as healthy and productive as they can be during this seasonal shift, consider the following practical steps: 

1. Testing Grass Quality 

Ensuring that your grazing is delivering the optimum balance of vitamins and minerals is vital for safeguarding herd health and productivity in the summer. Carrying out routine soil and grazing analysis ahead of time will allow you to address shortfalls before they cause you problems. 

2. Keep your Herd Cool 

To help your herd stay productive in the summer sunshine, you’ll need to be prepared to manage heat stress. You should be able to provide your cows with ample access to clean, cool drinking water. Clean their troughs to keep water fresh and position them in shaded areas to keep them as cool as possible. Improve ventilation in housing to increase airflow and lower respiration rates.  

3. Modify Milking Times 

Adjusting your milking schedule to avoid the hottest part of the day can also help keep your cows cool and calm during the summer months. Aim to milk as early as possible in the morning and again after 5pm, when temperatures are lower and cows are less likely to be stressed by heat and overcrowding. 

Supporting Productivity with the ‘Cool’ Nutrient 

Supplementing your herd’s diets with rumen-protected fats is an effective method for supporting their productivity year-round. They allow you to formulate higher energy density diets without the risk of acidosis which can come from starchy sources of energy, such as cereals. But did you know that they have an additional benefit during warmer months? 

“Fat is what we often describe as a ‘cool’ nutrient. Not being fermented in the rumen, it generates minimal heat increment. Consequently, heat arising from digestion and metabolism of fat is much lower than other feed ingredients and the animal generates less internal heat. The inclusion of diet fat is often increased in the hottest part of the year to help reduce metabolic heat and increase energy density to help counter reduced dry matter intake.” - Dr. Richard Kirkland, Global Technical Manager, Volac Wilmar. 

Rumen-protected fats, such as Megalac, can greatly enhance herd productivity during the spring-summer transition. Decades of extensive research have demonstrated that Megalac can help increase milk yield in both grass-based and high-input dairy systems. For example, the average increase in milk yield recorded across 18 research studies is 2.3 litres/cow/day from a standard Megalac supplement of approximately 500g/cow/day. 

In addition to boosting yields, Megalac also supports cow fertility by improving egg quality and conception rates. In research work at the University of Florida (USA), Holstein cows offered 450 g of Megalac/day for 120-days from calving had higher conception and pregnancy rates. 

By including rumen-protected fats in your herd’s diet, you are not only helping to maintain their performance when intakes may otherwise fall short, but also helping them to cope with warmer conditions. This makes fat supplementation a key strategy during the transition to summer, ensuring energy demands are met without compromising rumen health. 

Planning Ahead for a Successful Summer 

Successfully navigating the spring-to-summer transition requires proactive herd management. By monitoring your cows carefully and incorporating rumen-protected fats, such as Megalac, you can maintain consistent energy intake and milk production. 

Taking these steps will not only help sustain your herd’s productivity during this challenging period but also set a strong foundation for continued profitability and cow health throughout the year. Need help maximising your herd’s milk production? Reach out to the Megalac team for tailored feed advice: Contact us.