Mid - late lactation

• Energy requirement is less demanding during this period mainly due to lower milk production.

• With that being said, sufficient energy is still important for pregnancy and to build up body condition score for next lactation cycle.

• It is generally a better idea to improve the condition of the herd during late lactation period rather than dry period.

Dry period

• During this period, it is crucial to maintain or increase the body condition of your herd to make sure there is enough energy for early lactation.

• If the cow calve with sufficient body reserves, they can cycle within 2 - 3 months after calving.

• However, if cow calve with poor body reserves, milk production with greatly reduced due to insufficient energy.

• Dietary energy can be channelled towards weight gain rather than made available from desired weight loss.

• Hence, high feeding levels during early lactation cannot make up for poor body condition during calving.