For many dairy farmers, spring does not always go the way it does on paper. Cows are calved, demand is rising, and the plan is to drive milk from grass as early as possible. But when grass covers are light, growth is slow, or weather conditions hold grazing back, the pressure starts building quickly. Milk can slip, cows lose condition and breeding performance becomes harder to protect.
This is where a lot of spring systems come under strain. The challenge is not just getting cows out — it is making sure they are getting enough energy every day to sustain output, hold body condition and stay on track for breeding. When grass supply is behind demand, the answer is not to hope it improves next week. The answer is to act early and feed the deficit properly.
Why low grass covers put spring performance under pressure
In early lactation, cows are already under pressure from high energy demand. Milk production rises quickly after calving, but intake does not always keep pace. If grass covers are low at the same time, the gap widens even further.
That is when output begins to fall faster than it should. Cows may appear settled, but if they are not physically able to consume enough dry matter and energy, performance will start to suffer. The impact is not limited to litres in the tank. Low energy intake in spring can also lead to loss of body condition, weaker heats and poorer conception later on.
A drop in milk from grass is not always avoidable, especially when growth is under pressure, but a sharp drop usually signals that cows are short on energy. Holding the lactation curve matters. Even relatively small declines in output, if they continue for several weeks, can have a significant impact on overall milk solids and profitability.
The real issue is total energy intake
When farmers say there is “no grass”, what they are often dealing with in practical terms is a shortage of total daily intake. Cows may be grazing, but they are not getting enough from the paddock to meet demand. If that deficit is not filled, cows will start drawing on body reserves and performance will fall.
This is why spring feeding decisions need to be based on what cows are actually able to eat, not just on turnout date or rotation plan. A cow cannot milk off intention. She can only milk off the energy she consumes.
The key is to maintain total dry matter intake and keep the rumen working efficiently while grass supply catches up. That usually means introducing or maintaining a proper buffer feeding strategy rather than waiting until yields drop sharply.
Buffer feeding is there to protect output, not replace grass
There can sometimes be a reluctance to buffer feed in spring because farmers do not want to blunt grass utilisation. But when grass covers are low, well-managed buffer feeding is not working against the grazing system, it is protecting it.
The purpose of buffer feeding is to fill the gap left by low grass growth, while keeping cows milking and avoiding unnecessary stress on the system. It helps maintain energy intake, supports rumen health and reduces the risk of cows slipping backwards just when they should be moving towards peak performance.
The important thing is balance. Buffer feeding should complement the grazing platform, not compete with it. The aim is to keep cows adequately fed while preserving appetite for grass and maintaining grazing quality in the next round. Where grass supply is tight, maintaining rotation discipline and filling the shortfall with forage and concentrates is often the most sensible route.
Start with forage quality
A spring buffer diet is only as good as the forage it is built on. If silage quality is poor, intake will be limited and energy density will be harder to achieve. That leaves cows underfed even when a buffer is technically in place.
Good quality silage provides the base for a more effective spring feeding plan. It supports intake, improves consistency and gives more scope to build energy into the diet without overloading cows with concentrate. When grass is scarce, the quality of what replaces it becomes even more important.
This is especially relevant on farms where cows are on off grazing. In those systems, the indoor portion of the diet has to work harder. If the buffer is stale, bulky or poorly balanced, cows will not compensate properly.
Building a spring diet that holds milk
When grass supply is under pressure, the focus has to shift to maintaining a consistent supply of energy and effective fibre. That means looking closely at the overall ration rather than just adding extra meal and hoping it carries milk.
A well-structured spring diet should start with quality forage, then include suitable starch ingredients and where appropriate, a sugar source to help improve intake and rumen function. The goal is not simply to push energy harder. It is to help cows eat well, digest efficiently and continue converting feed into milk.
Sugar can play a useful role here. It is highly palatable, energy-dense and supports rumen microbes, which in turn helps improve the utilisation of both starch and fibre. In practical terms, that can help cows hold intake better at a time when every kilo of dry matter matters. In on-off grazing systems, it also helps provide energy in a relatively small volume, leaving more room in the rumen for forage and grazed grass.
Do not let grass quality slip as covers tighten
One of the challenges during periods of stressed grass growth is that farmers can start chasing cover at the expense of quality. But once grass quality slips, output usually follows.
If cows are not going into leafy, digestible grass consistently, it becomes much harder to sustain milk from the grazing platform. Holding quality through spring is critical, even when supply is tight. That means keeping control of the rotation, avoiding paddocks getting too strong and making sure post-grazing residuals stay where they need to be to protect regrowth and next-round quality. Guidance from farm advisory sources on stressed growth conditions also points to maintaining grazing quality and using extra feed to bridge the deficit rather than letting the rotation unravel.
Protecting fertility while protecting output
This is the part that often gets overlooked. When grass is short, the immediate concern is usually litres. But the effects run deeper than that. If cows spend too long short on energy in early lactation, fertility can take a hit. Body condition drops, heats become less obvious and cows can be slower to go back in calf.
That is why feeding through a spring grass shortage is not simply about holding the bulk tank. It is about protecting the whole season. A cow that loses too much ground in March or April can cost far more in missed breeding performance than she does in milk alone.
Supporting energy intake during this period helps reduce the time cows spend in negative energy balance and gives them a better chance of reaching a strong peak while still recovering well after calving.
Practical signs the system is under pressure
Farmers usually know when something is not right before the figures fully show it. Yields begin to soften, cows become less settled, dung changes, body condition starts to come off or cows appear hungrier than they should.
These are often early warning signs that the ration is no longer matching demand. Waiting for a major drop in milk before reacting usually means the system has already fallen behind.
Where grass covers are low, it is worth asking a few simple questions:
Is grass allocation genuinely enough for the group in front of you? Are cows getting the right buffer, or just something to fill space? Is forage quality good enough to support intake? Are you protecting rumen function as well as energy supply?
Often, small adjustments made early can prevent a much larger drop later.
A spring plan should be flexible, not fixed
No two springs are the same and no two farms are carrying the same grass cover, soil conditions or calving pattern. That is why spring nutrition needs to be responsive. A plan made in February may need to change by March or April depending on grass growth and cow performance.
The most resilient systems are the ones that adapt quickly. They monitor output, assess grass honestly and make feeding decisions based on what cows need now, not what the plan said a month ago.
Keep cows moving forward, even when grass is behind
Low grass covers in spring can put serious pressure on milk output, cow condition and fertility. But the biggest losses usually happen when farms wait too long to respond. When cows are short on energy, performance does not stand still, it slips.
A strong buffer feeding strategy, built around quality forage, balanced energy and good rumen function, can help sustain output until grass supply improves. Just as importantly, it can protect the cow herself through one of the most demanding stages of the year.
If you are trying to sustain milk output this spring with little or no grass cover, contact Specialist Nutrition for practical on-farm advice. Our team can help you assess your current diet, identify where cows may be short, and put a feeding plan in place that supports milk, fertility and overall herd performance.
