Grass paddocks have wintered well on most dairy farms He commented: “Early spring grass is a very valuable source of nutrition, as it combines high levels of fibre, energy and protein. The challenge confronting dairy farmers with spring calving cows over the coming weeks is that of hitting what’s called the sweet spot. The freshly calved cow is in a high stress state, so she needs a fair bit of management. “It’s then a case of maximising grass intakes while minimising sward and ground damage. “There are many dynamics associated with early lactation nutrition as cows are metabolically at their most stressed post-calving and grazing conditions can be challenging,” Patton said.