Atkins for cows?

I was listening to a vet in the area that was saying that he was running into alot of problems with cows especially heifers not being in good condition to calve. He said that due to the poorer quality of hay this year the people are supplementing more than usual with corn glueten. He claims that the additional protein and lack of energy (corn) was causing an accelerated loss rather than a gain. He was reccomending at least a three to one corn mix if any gluten at all. Is this an atkins effect?

Patrick

I think your vet needs a nutrition class. Protein is what makes for better fertilization rates and easier calving. The overall condition of the cows is the problem. When the body doesn't have the available nutrients it isn't going to perform very well. Whether that's breeding, calving, or growing good calves. A cows digestive system is completely different than a humans. Corn is actually low in protein and higher in carbohydrates. If you want to feed more protein you need to feed more oats and soybean meal. You don't get protein from corn. Because of it's high carb rate corn is an excellent source of energy.