Late lactation is one of the most important windows for setting cows up for calving, early lactation, peak milk and reproductive performance.

In this episode of the myCOW podcast, dairy nutritionist Shaun Balemi explains why building cow condition before dry-off matters, and why the type of condition gained can affect cow health after calving. Shaun breaks down the difference between subcutaneous fat and visceral fat, how rapid condition gain can affect liver function, ketosis risk, inflammation, appetite, milk production and days to first cycle.

The episode also covers practical late lactation management strategies, including body condition scoring, milking frequency, feed allocation, protein supply, mineral balance and fibre levels. Farmers will learn why the goal is not simply to put condition on cows, but to build the right type of condition over the right timeframe.

Key takeaways

• Building cow condition in late lactation can reduce excessive condition loss after calving.
• Dry-off body condition score should ideally sit close to calving target, around 4.7 to 4.9 BCS.
• Subcutaneous fat is generally slower to build and slower to mobilise, making it more useful for early lactation performance.

• Visceral fat is more likely to mobilise quickly, increasing pressure on the liver and contributing to inflammation.
• Poor liver capacity can increase the risk of ketosis, lower appetite and reduce glucose availability.
• Stored protein and amino acids support liver function, fat utilisation, appetite and peak milk.
• Excessive negative energy balance can affect mastitis risk, metritis, endometritis, lameness and hypocalcaemia.
• Cow condition, liver health and inflammation can influence days to first cycle, egg quality and reproductive outcomes.
• Once-a-day milking or adjusted milking frequency can help cows gain condition when feed allocation is maintained.
• Diet balance matters: energy, protein, fibre and minerals all influence how efficiently cows gain condition.
• Manure scoring, rumination data, milk indicators and body condition scoring can help monitor whether the diet is working.
• Starting condition gain earlier gives cows more time to build condition steadily before dry-off.

Keywords

Late lactation cow condition, body condition score dairy cows, dry-off management, transition cow management, early lactation performance, dairy cow nutrition, ketosis prevention, negative energy balance, peak milk production, reproductive performance dairy cows.