Having a well balanced diet containing the right amount of energy, protein and mineral is a key part of having a productive and healthy herd, especially around calving. The correct diet will reduce the risk of metabolic disease around calving and improve fertility for the next year. Failure to get a cow back in calf can often be due to nutrition issues and this will result in significant economic loss. Blood sampling dams pre-birth to assess their nutritional status is commonly done with dairy cattle and sheep but less so with beef herds. From blood sampling pre-calving, actions can be taken to correct any issues found. Having your forage analysed is essential when doing this so informed decisions can be made on how to change the ration.  

Pre-calving blood sampling newsletter in full