A method of feeding a ruminant that entails providing a feed that comprises sugar alcohol and at least one additional feed component, where the feed is free of rumen-protected fatty acid or comprises less than 10 weight percent rumen-protected fatty acid, based on the total weight of the feed and further entails orally supplying the feed to the ruminant during a pre-partum period when the ruminant is pregnant, where the ruminant ingests the feed and sugar alcohol during the pre-partum period.
