Supplementing your cows' diet
By
David Dugan-
January was a tough month when it comes to weather in our area. There was more snow than normal, not that it was a great amount of snow, but it seemed to just always be here.
There were constantly new snow storms in the forecast, and usually not much melting. The temperatures were cold enough that it caused cows to really eat the hay, according to most farmers that I have talked to.
February had been less stressful with warmer temperatures and even a dry spell. The hay consumption has slowed to some degree. Less mud and warmer temperatures will normally cause that.
With that said, many cow/calf operations are in full swing calving, while others are still a month or more away. Last week the Cow School held at Eastern Brown discussed late gestation and early lactation for the cow herd. Minerals were discussed the previous week.
The importance of a good mineral program will have an effect on how well cows are able to use the feed you provide for them. The trace minerals may be needed and not provided in the feed.
However, some of the mineral that you are providing may already be available at adequate levels. Some of the hay that is being fed may be adequate in phosphorus, for example. Phosphorus is one of the most expensive parts to most mineral programs.
On a different note, the protein in your hay may be adequate for mature cows. However, the energy may be low, and in situations where the temperatures are extremely cold, or when cows get wet and a cold wind blows, energy is really needed.
When it is all said and done, we really are only guessing on what to feed the cow herd. We hope the hay is providing what they need. Hey, they are eating it just fine, right? They seem to be doing ok on the mineral that I have always used, right?
Bottom line, we want the cows to perform at their highest potential every year, produce a healthy calf that weans at about 600 lbs. at 205 days of age, breeds back and does it again year after year for the least cost possible to us. Yet, we want to guess that we are providing those same cows what they need to do this.
We all remember 2010 to be a year that started off dry in April in the Ohio Valley, then April showers came in May and we could not get the hay put into a bale when it should have been.
Hay was overmature when it was cut, and research shows us that when hay overmatures, it loses nutritional value on a steady decline the longer it stays in the field. So how early was your last hay cut? If you have mostly orchard grass, and you start that answer with June, it was already declining. If you started with July, well...
OK, so most of us are in the same situation. The hay was mostly cut in June, so we know that it probably does not have the nutrients that the cows need. So still put some protein tubs out in the field to help the old girls out, right? Are we still talking about producing these calves as economically as we can? Protein tubs are not high in energy which is what is needed most. They are convenient, but if you are looking to provide those cows the best chance to have healthy calves as cheaply as possible, you may want to think again. Even though shelled corn is over $7 a bushel, it is really high in energy. Just a few pounds, maybe 2 or 3 pounds of whole shelled corn, will provide energy. There are also some by-products that can be used, like soybean hulls, dried distillers grain, corn glutten, and more. None of these are cheap compared to what they were just a few years ago, but cattle aren’t, either.
OK, so we need to know what our hay has in it. That can be done with a simple forage test. This will give you better than a guess as to what your hay is really providing. It will also allow you to supplement the minerals and energy into the diet so those cows can perform up to their potential. The cost of the test varies, but the possible savings will probably take care of that expense really quickly.
If the savings on the cost of mineral and feed is not enough to make you think about how to best manage the situation you are currently in with the hay that you have and the cows that you are feeding, how about thinking on these lines?
Think about calves that are selling really high and all reports are that the cow herd in the United States is as low as it was in the 1950s. There will most likely not be more calves to market in the coming months, especially when heifer calves are selling high as feeders, too.
Add to that the fact that cull cows are crazy high, so there are fewer cows to produce calves. Having healthy calves means more profit for you if the number of calves continues to be low. Cows that are in good body condition because they have been fed right, their nutritional needs are met, will producer healthier calves that should make it to market, gain better getting there and make you more money. Cows that are not in good body condition will more often have weaker calves, more will not survive, and in the end you make less money.
Things to remember
• Quail Management Workshop – March 5 at the Donald Geer Farm in New Vienna. Call (937) 205-3021.
• Southwest Corn Growers – annual meeting in Leesburg on March 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Leesburg Fire Dept. Contact John Yost at 740-335-1150 for more details.
• Third Annual Small Farm Conference – This is a two-day event at Wilmington College on March 11-12. Details will be available soon.[[In-content Ad]]
There were constantly new snow storms in the forecast, and usually not much melting. The temperatures were cold enough that it caused cows to really eat the hay, according to most farmers that I have talked to.
February had been less stressful with warmer temperatures and even a dry spell. The hay consumption has slowed to some degree. Less mud and warmer temperatures will normally cause that.
With that said, many cow/calf operations are in full swing calving, while others are still a month or more away. Last week the Cow School held at Eastern Brown discussed late gestation and early lactation for the cow herd. Minerals were discussed the previous week.
The importance of a good mineral program will have an effect on how well cows are able to use the feed you provide for them. The trace minerals may be needed and not provided in the feed.
However, some of the mineral that you are providing may already be available at adequate levels. Some of the hay that is being fed may be adequate in phosphorus, for example. Phosphorus is one of the most expensive parts to most mineral programs.
On a different note, the protein in your hay may be adequate for mature cows. However, the energy may be low, and in situations where the temperatures are extremely cold, or when cows get wet and a cold wind blows, energy is really needed.
When it is all said and done, we really are only guessing on what to feed the cow herd. We hope the hay is providing what they need. Hey, they are eating it just fine, right? They seem to be doing ok on the mineral that I have always used, right?
Bottom line, we want the cows to perform at their highest potential every year, produce a healthy calf that weans at about 600 lbs. at 205 days of age, breeds back and does it again year after year for the least cost possible to us. Yet, we want to guess that we are providing those same cows what they need to do this.
We all remember 2010 to be a year that started off dry in April in the Ohio Valley, then April showers came in May and we could not get the hay put into a bale when it should have been.
Hay was overmature when it was cut, and research shows us that when hay overmatures, it loses nutritional value on a steady decline the longer it stays in the field. So how early was your last hay cut? If you have mostly orchard grass, and you start that answer with June, it was already declining. If you started with July, well...
OK, so most of us are in the same situation. The hay was mostly cut in June, so we know that it probably does not have the nutrients that the cows need. So still put some protein tubs out in the field to help the old girls out, right? Are we still talking about producing these calves as economically as we can? Protein tubs are not high in energy which is what is needed most. They are convenient, but if you are looking to provide those cows the best chance to have healthy calves as cheaply as possible, you may want to think again. Even though shelled corn is over $7 a bushel, it is really high in energy. Just a few pounds, maybe 2 or 3 pounds of whole shelled corn, will provide energy. There are also some by-products that can be used, like soybean hulls, dried distillers grain, corn glutten, and more. None of these are cheap compared to what they were just a few years ago, but cattle aren’t, either.
OK, so we need to know what our hay has in it. That can be done with a simple forage test. This will give you better than a guess as to what your hay is really providing. It will also allow you to supplement the minerals and energy into the diet so those cows can perform up to their potential. The cost of the test varies, but the possible savings will probably take care of that expense really quickly.
If the savings on the cost of mineral and feed is not enough to make you think about how to best manage the situation you are currently in with the hay that you have and the cows that you are feeding, how about thinking on these lines?
Think about calves that are selling really high and all reports are that the cow herd in the United States is as low as it was in the 1950s. There will most likely not be more calves to market in the coming months, especially when heifer calves are selling high as feeders, too.
Add to that the fact that cull cows are crazy high, so there are fewer cows to produce calves. Having healthy calves means more profit for you if the number of calves continues to be low. Cows that are in good body condition because they have been fed right, their nutritional needs are met, will producer healthier calves that should make it to market, gain better getting there and make you more money. Cows that are not in good body condition will more often have weaker calves, more will not survive, and in the end you make less money.
Things to remember
• Quail Management Workshop – March 5 at the Donald Geer Farm in New Vienna. Call (937) 205-3021.
• Southwest Corn Growers – annual meeting in Leesburg on March 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Leesburg Fire Dept. Contact John Yost at 740-335-1150 for more details.
• Third Annual Small Farm Conference – This is a two-day event at Wilmington College on March 11-12. Details will be available soon.[[In-content Ad]]