grass fed dairy

Hello. I am raising a jersey cow on grass. I am worried she isn't getting enough calories. What are some recommendations for increasing calories without feeding grain?

Calories are concentrated in the upper sections of grass. in general the lower to the ground the more protein. With proper grazing management allowing the grass time to regrow your cow should get all the calories she needs.

Hi Laura,
Not getting enough calories is a major concern for Jersey cows that are grass-fed. Their high butterfat and low body reserves mean that they really need a high energy diet to not deplete themselves. The simplest non-grain supplement is molassas. You can dilute it and spray directly on your pasture forage, right in the area the cow is grazing. You can also spray molassas onto alfalfa hay, that makes an excellent supplement.

Grass fed and grain free is absolutely the way to go. It just requires excellent quality pastures to succeed. I would recommend Jim Gerish's book Management Intensive Grazing for a good look at what constitutes dairy quality pasture, and how to manage your pastures to achieve those levels.

good luck!