Feeding a dairy cow
1. Types of feeds
Feeds can be divided into two groups, roughages and concentrates.
• Roughages are bulky feeds e.g. Napier or Boma Rhodes grass, maize stovers
• Concentrates are products such as dairy meal, maize bran.
• Dairy cow needs water and dry matter component of diet which contains energy,
protein fibre, minerals and vitamins
3. Feeding phases in the lactation curve
• Phase 1: 0–70 days (peak milk production):16–18% CP
The animal has a negative energy balance the roughage: concentrate ratio of the diet should be 40:60
NOTE: (first 39 days): Calcium and phosphorus intake at this stage should be supplied in proportions
of 60–80 and 30–40 g respectively
• Phase 2: 70–140 days :14–16% CP
The roughage proportion of the diet should be raised to 50:50
• Phase 3: 140–305 days 12–14% CP
comprising minimum concentrate and high quality roughage
• Phase 4: Onset of 60-day dry period 10–12% CP
4. Concentrates feeding
Two feeding methods can be recommended:
• Challenge feeding: increase the amount by 0.5 to 1kg per day
as long as the there is an increase in milk production
• Concentrate re-allocation: feeding all of the ten bags during
early lactation, amounting to about 8 kg concentrates per day
for the first 12 weeks of lactation
2. Feed portioning
• Maintenance: maintain the body functioning
• Growth: in order to grow to its full size
• Reproduction: nutrients to support the growth of
the unborn calf.
• Milk production: nutrients in order to produce
more milk
Farmers’ workshop: 5–10 February 2018
Nandi and Bomet counties, Kenya
Feed
 
Water
Dry matter
    
Energy
(Molasses)
Protein
(Lucerne)
Fibre
(Stovers)
Vitamin
(premix)
Minerals
(Mineral
block)
5. Why we need to dry off our cows
Dry period is the most important phase of the lactation curve as the cow and her udder are prepared for the next lactation.
Any abnormalities during the dry period will have a negative effect on the cow’s health.
Phyllis Ndung’u
Mazingira Centre, International Livestock Research Institute,
P.O. Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya.
This project was funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development.
This document is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. July 2018
Dairy cow lactation curve
6. Approaches of drying off cows
• Dry cow therapy: Disinfect the teats before and after administering the treatment
• Milking frequency: Begin by reducing the number of milking per day from twice to once a day then stop.
• Nutritional approach: Timely reduction of concentrates, feeding more fibrous roughage such as hay
Phyllis Ndung’u, Peter Kirui and Linus Kiprotich
ILRI thanks all donors and organizations which globally support its work through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund