At a glance: The first 60 days after calving are the most critical phase in a dairy cow's life. This period determines whether the cow remains healthy, achieves high performance, and becomes pregnant again quickly.
What happens during early lactation?
After calving, milk yield increases rapidly – often faster than feed intake. The cow cannot meet her energy requirements through feed alone and enters a negative energy balance.
This means the cow consumes more energy than she takes in. To bridge the gap, she mobilizes body fat – with far-reaching consequences for the entire metabolism.
The chain of problems in early lactation
Negative energy balance
Energy requirements exceed feed intake by up to 40%.
Fat mobilization
Body fat is broken down – up to 1 kg per day in the first weeks.
Liver strain
Free fatty acids flood the liver – ketosis and fatty liver are imminent.
Fertility problems
A stressed metabolism delays the recovery of the ovaries.
Why the energy gap is so dangerous
A moderate negative energy balance is normal. It becomes problematic if mobilization is too intense or lasts too long. Then NEFA levels in the blood rise, the liver becomes overwhelmed, and ketone bodies accumulate.
The consequences are diverse: ketosis, displaced abomasum, weak immune defense, fertility disorders, and ultimately economic losses.
What does this mean in practice?
Successfully managing early lactation lays the foundation for an economical lactation. The goal: to keep the negative energy balance as short and shallow as possible.
In addition to optimal forage quality and feeding management, rumen-protected fats play an important role – they provide concentrated energy without burdening the rumen.
Practical tip
Rumen-protected fat powders such as BEWI-SPRAY® deliver concentrated energy directly to the small intestine – without disturbing the rumen flora. This specifically bridges the energy gap.