Dairy NZ

Daily cow requirements

Dry cow liveweight MJ ME/kg Lwt change (Diet ME required or saved)

• Lwt gain 72
• Lwt loss -30

Example: Daily requirements of a 450 kg JXF cow, 12 weeks before calving and gaining 0.5 kg/day Lwt (1/2 BCS in 30 days) at 11.0 MJ ME/kg DM.

• Maintenance = 54
• Pregnancy = 12
• Lwt gain (0.50 kg Lwt x 72 MJ) = 36
• Total MJ ME = 102

Total kg DM Eaten (102 divided by 11.0 ME) = 9.3 kg DM

Note: Diet ME required increased by 36 MJ ME from gain of Lwt

The feed requirement figures are 'eaten' feed demand plus 6% to allow for feed wastage observed under good feeding conditions of pasture in farmlet trials. Where feed (pasture or supplement) wastage rates are higher than those stated, requirements for feed offered need to be increased.  The requirements are calculated for pasture at 11.0 MJ ME/kg DM. For different pasture quality make the following adjustments to calculate ME or DM requirements. 

Dry cow dry matter requirements

Kg liveweight per body condition score (kg Lwt/BCS = 6.58% of cow Lwt)

Dry cow requirements for one body condition score gain (kg DM/BCS)

Note: Dry matter requirements have been rounded up to the nearest 5. The pasture requirements are based on good feeding conditions.  For other feeds there is a small allowance of 6% for wastage.  Where wastage rates are higher, the requirements need to be increased accordingly.

The above figures for BCS gain when feeding supplements are under review as of June 2010. For the latest figures refer to DairyNZ Farmfact: Feed requirements of dry cows (1-8)

Maintenance and pregnancy requirements no body condition score gain (kg/DM/cow/day) 11.0 MJ ME/kg DM autumn pasture

Maintenance and pregnancy requirements gaining 1 body condition score gain in 60 days (kg/DM/cow/day) 11.0 MJ ME/kg DM autumn pasture