How Nutrition Plays a Crucial Role in a Cow Having Twin Calves
How Nutrition Plays a Crucial Role in a Cow Twinning in cattle—when a cow gives birth to two calves—is a fascinating but relatively rare event. Naturally occurring in only 1-5% of pregnancies, depending on breed and management, twin births are more common in dairy cows (up to 5-9% in high-producing Holsteins) than in beef cattle (around 1-2%). While twins can boost calf output and potentially improve herd efficiency, they often come with challenges: higher risks of dystocia (difficult calving), retained placenta, lower calf survival rates, and increased metabolic stress on the cow. Nutrition plays a pivotal role in both increasing the likelihood of twinning and supporting a successful twin pregnancy. Optimal feeding influences ovulation rates, embryo survival, fetal development, and the cow's overall health. Factors like body condition, energy intake, protein levels, minerals, and forage quality all contribute. In this blog, we'll explore how targeted nutrition can affect...