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When the calves hit the ground this calving season, farmers need to make sure there is enough nutrition for them to make them a productive part of the herd. Provincial Ruminant Nutrition Specialist Murray Feist says that begins with having the proper nutrients for the pregnant cow.

"Within the first couple of hours the colostrum that the cow produces is what helps set that calf up for it's immune functions and ability to fight diseases that it might encounter as it's growing.  We want to make sure we have a healthy cow, to make sure that we have a healthy calf." Feist says farmers should be feeding the cows higher-quality forages, to provide adequate nutrition before birth, "Most producers are trying to keep over their higher quality forages be it silages or green feeds or hailiges and try and work that into the ration hopefully in the last couple of weeks here before calving and into the lactation swing."

Feist adds after the cow calves, her feeding intake will go up dramatically, "We need to have a higher quality forage on hand so that she can digest that feed so she can the nutrients she needs." Feist says if there is a shortage of high-quality feed, farmers should try to incorporate more grain into the cow's diet while using the lower-quality forages.