Beef Nutrition News

Lallemand Animal Nutrition Launches Ruminant Digestive Health Platform

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:13:02 GMT

A newly relaunched educational platform from Lallemand Animal Nutrition, rumantdigestivesystem.com , highlights a growing shift in cattle health management: Focusing only on the rumen is no longer enough to optimize performance, health and efficiency.

What Is a Whole-System Approach to Ruminant Digestive Health?

A whole-system approach evaluates the entire ruminant digestive tract, including both the rumen and lower gut, and how these compartments interact to influence:

Feed efficiency
Microbiome balance
Immune function
Disease risk

This approach reflects emerging research showing postruminal function plays a measurable role in overall herd outcomes.

From Rumen-Centric to Full Digestive Insight

Historically, ration formulation and digestive health strategies have centered on rumen fermentation. However, increasing attention is being placed on the lower gut, particularly its role in inflammation, nutrient absorption and systemic health.

To address this, Lallemand Animal Nutrition has expanded its interactive learning platform to cover the full digestive system, helping veterinarians and advisers connect research with practical management decisions.

The platform combines scientific data with applied insights, supporting a more complete understanding of how digestive function drives productivity and welfare.

Key Topics Covered in the Platform

The platform consolidates core areas of ruminant digestive health into a single resource:

Rumen–lower gut interactions
The ruminant microbiome and its function
Digestive development from calf to mature animal
Common challenges such as SARA, liver abscesses, leaky gut and BRD
The role of probiotics and microbial-based solutions

This structure helps translate complex digestive science into actionable strategies for on-farm use.

Using this Platform in Practice

The updated platform serves as a centralized, science-based tool to strengthen both decision making and communication among nutritionists, veterinarians and producers.

According to Lallemand, it supports a more comprehensive evaluation of digestive health issues by encouraging a broader view of the entire gastrointestinal tract. This allows for stronger integration of nutrition and health strategies, rather than addressing problems in isolation. It also helps veterinarians engage more confidently with emerging research, making it easier to incorporate new insights into practical recommendations. By shifting from a compartment-focused approach to a system-level perspective, veterinarians are better equipped to interpret multifactorial conditions where rumen and lower gut interactions influence outcomes.

The platform also functions as a practical communication tool.

Its interactive, visual format helps explain complex digestive processes in a way that is easier to understand and apply. This supports:

Clearer explanations of digestive function
Reinforcement of nutrition and management strategies
More effective discussions around performance and herd health

This improves the likelihood that recommendations are both understood and implemented on farm.

As ruminant nutrition research advances, translating new findings into daily practice remains a persistent challenge. By combining current science with real-world context, this platform helps bridge that gap, allowing veterinarians to apply emerging insights more effectively during herd visits and consultations.

A whole-tract approach to digestive health is becoming essential, and tools that integrate research with application will be critical in delivering more precise, system-based recommendations.

Spring Pasture Growth Raises Grass Tetany Risk in Beef Herds

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:07:12 GMT

As spring moisture and fluctuating temperatures drive a surge in forage growth, conditions are aligning for an increase in grass tetany risk across many beef operations. The same environmental shifts that are jumpstarting wheat pasture and other small grains can also create the mineral imbalances that trigger sudden losses in lactating cows.

With rapid pasture growth underway in many areas, grass tetany risk is rising in susceptible herds, according to Paul Beck, Extension specialist for beef nutrition with Oklahoma State University. High-quality forage is often directed toward cows with the greatest nutritional demands, placing early-lactation animals directly into higher-risk environments.

Fertility and Forage Growth Driving the Issue

Cool-season annuals are a valuable resource, particularly when they reduce reliance on hay and supplemental feed. But as pasture quality improves, mineral balance can shift in ways that are not immediately visible.

“Our best managed cool-season annual pastures have had adequate fertilizer high in nitrogen and potassium, both of which are necessary for grass growth. But high nitrogen and high potassium interacts with the marginal magnesium level in these forages and create issues with beef cows as they begin lactating,” Beck says.

Nitrogen and potassium fertilization support aggressive forage growth, particularly during periods of favorable moisture. At the same time, they can interfere with magnesium uptake, leaving cows vulnerable even when forage appears nutritionally rich.

Magnesium absorption occurs primarily in the rumen and can be impaired by high potassium levels, which reduce transport across the rumen epithelium. This is why fertilized, rapidly growing forages create a consistent risk pattern.

Periods of rain followed by rapid pasture growth can further amplify the risk, especially when cattle are transitioned quickly onto highly digestible forage.

Early Signs Easy to Miss as Cases Develop Quickly

Grass tetany remains a neurologic condition driven by low blood magnesium, and clinical signs can escalate rapidly once levels fall.

“Cows will start shaking and have uncontrolled muscle movements. They will lose their balance. That will be one of the first signs you see,” Beck says.

In the early stages, affected cattle may appear nervous or uncoordinated. As the condition advances, animals can go down and become unable to rise, with death occurring shortly after if intervention is not successful.

Because of this rapid progression, cases are often first recognized only after severe signs appear.

Early treatment with intravenous or subcutaneous calcium-magnesium solutions can be effective, particularly before animals become recumbent. Relapses are possible, and animals should be monitored closely following initial treatment.

Grass tetany should be differentiated from other causes of neurologic signs and sudden death, including hypocalcemia, polioencephalomalacia, and lead toxicity. History, pasture conditions and response to magnesium therapy can help support a presumptive diagnosis in the field.

Prevention Hinges on Timing, Not Reaction

Despite the speed at which grass tetany can develop, the risk itself is highly predictable. That makes prevention the most effective strategy, particularly during periods of rapid pasture growth.

“The best way to counter the problem is to act before we get to it,” Beck says.

That means preparing ahead of turnout, not reacting after symptoms appear. In practical terms, that looks like identifying high-risk pastures and production stages in advance, then ensuring supplementation is in place before cattle enter those environments.

This is especially important during spring transitions, when forage conditions can change quickly over a short period of time.

Mineral Intake Remains the Weak Link

While most producers are aware of the need for high-magnesium mineral, consistent intake remains the primary challenge.

“Magnesium oxide does decrease the palatability of mineral mixes, making it important to manage the feeding of these minerals,” Beck says.

Magnesium oxide is widely used due to its availability and cost-effectiveness, but reduced palatability can limit voluntary intake. Without active management, even well-designed mineral programs may fall short.

Management Focus as Risk Window Opens

With pasture conditions improving and turnout underway or imminent in many areas, attention is shifting toward practical prevention.

Risk mitigation should focus on:

Ensuring high-magnesium mineral is available before and during turnout.
Monitoring intake closely, rather than assuming consumption.
Placing feeders in high-traffic areas to encourage consistent use.

A Seasonal Risk That Follows Predictable Patterns

Grass tetany tends to emerge when rapidly growing forage, high-producing cows and inadequate magnesium intake intersect. Spring conditions consistently bring those factors together, making this a predictable — yet preventable — challenge.

Outbreaks often affect multiple animals within a short timeframe, particularly when herd-level mineral intake is inconsistent. This makes grass tetany both an individual animal emergency and a herd management issue.

Timely supplementation and close management of intake can help you stay ahead of the problem before clinical cases begin to appear.

Can Phytogenics Shield Your Herd from Acidosis and Heat Stress?

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:27:08 GMT

Heat stress is intensifying, subacute ruminal acidosis remains widespread and dairy producers are under increasing pressure to maintain performance while reducing reliance on medications. Many of these challenges share a common thread: the gut.

From microbial imbalance to compromised intestinal barrier function, disruptions in gut health can trigger inflammation, reduced production and poorer welfare outcomes. Herd health is increasingly approached through the lens of gut integrity and systemic inflammation, and interest in nutritional tools that support digestive stability is growing.

Nicole Reisinger, senior scientist with dsm-Firmenich Animal Health and Nutrition in Austria, studies how feed additives influence gut biology, biomarkers and animal health. In a recent conversation on the “ Dairy Podcast Show ”, she described emerging evidence that plant-derived compounds may help cows cope with physiological stress affecting the digestive tract. Phytogenic feed additives may support gut health by stabilizing rumen microbial populations, strengthening intestinal barrier function and reducing inflammatory responses.

What Are Phytogenic Feed Additives for Cattle?

Phytogenic feed additives are gaining attention as part of this shift toward preventative herd health. Derived from plants, they include essential oils, herbs, spices and plant extracts, often combined into blends designed to produce complementary biological effects.

Reisinger notes part of their appeal lies in the biological roles these compounds already play in nature.

“The nice thing is that they’re kind of designed by nature. Those compounds all have a purpose in nature, so it’s quite logical that they would also have an impact on animals,” Reisinger says.

Rather than relying on a single compound, many phytogenic products combine multiple ingredients designed to influence several physiological pathways.

“It might be that one substance is not enough. You need to combine them in the right way so that you really have the effect you are interested in,” she explains.

These combinations may influence microbial activity, inflammatory pathways and digestive processes simultaneously — an approach that may be useful when addressing multifactorial health challenges in cattle.

Can Phytogenic Feed Additives Improve Rumen Health During Acidosis?

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) remains one of the most common nutritional disorders in high-producing dairy herds. While ration formulation and feed management remain central to prevention, a growing body of research is beginning to show how phytogenic blends may influence rumen function during acidosis challenges.

This includes controlled work from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, where phytogenic blends containing compounds such as menthol, thymol and eugenol have been shown to improve rumen pH, stabilize fermentation patterns and reduce inflammatory markers during SARA challenges.

“For acidosis, there were quite a few positive effects we could see. It really started with feed intake and then also saliva production and buffering the rumen pH. We had an influence on the pH of the saliva, but then also on the microbiome, which is very essential,” Reisinger says.

What recent research suggests:

A recent meta-analysis of essential oils in ruminants found these compounds can shift fermentation pathways, reduce ammonia production and improve efficiency without compromising animal health.

These effects are consistent with observed changes in rumen stability and feed utilization during acidosis challenges, where microbial modulation appears to play a central role in maintaining digestive function.

How Does Heat Stress Affect Gut Health in Cattle?

Beyond rumen acidosis, heat stress presents another major physiological challenge for cattle, particularly as extreme temperatures become more frequent and severe.

Heat stress can affect the digestive system in several ways, including:

Reduced blood flow to the intestinal tract
Increased gut permeability (leaky gut)
Movement of endotoxins into circulation
Activation of systemic inflammatory responses

“Phytogenics are essential for this kind of challenge because they can really impact gut permeability. They can really help to strengthen the gut barrier, and this is one of the major things we see with heat stress,” Reisinger says.

What recent research suggests:

Phytogenic blends can improve feed efficiency and nutrient utilization in lactating dairy cows under summer conditions without negatively affecting milk yield, even when dry matter intake is reduced.

By helping maintain intestinal integrity, phytogenics may improve the animal’s ability to cope with environmental stress.

Where Do Phytogenic Feed Additives Fit in Herd Health Management?

Despite the potential benefits, feed additives alone cannot solve complex herd health problems.

“It’s always a combination of nutrition as well as management. We also need to be honest that it’s not the feed additive alone,” Reisinger says.

Sound ration formulation, transition cow management and environmental controls such as ventilation and cooling remain essential. Phytogenic additives may serve as another tool to help cows remain resilient when stressors arise.

What recent research suggests:

In grazing dairy cows , phytogenic blends can lead to improvements in rumen fermentation and milk production comparable to monensin, supporting their role as a viable alternative.

What Is the Future of Phytogenic Feed Additives in Cattle?

Interest in phytogenic feed additives continues to grow as the dairy industry looks for preventative approaches that support productivity and animal welfare.

“I think phytogenics are a good choice for the future, especially thinking about staying a bit more into the natural support,” Reisinger says. “Consumers are probably interested in us looking more into biological support than giving medication.”

Many of the dairy cow’s most significant health challenges begin in the digestive tract. Supporting gut stability may be central to helping cows remain healthy and resilient in the face of both nutritional and environmental stress.

Mycotoxin Risk Holds Steady in 2025

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:49:09 GMT

According to the dsm-firmenich World Mycotoxin Survey , which assessed the global mycotoxin threat, 86% of North American samples tested above the recommended threshold for at least one mycotoxin. While mycotoxin levels haven’t necessarily escalated from 2024 to 2025, there was a shift in the distribution, which has some implications for cattle and swine operations.

“The 2025 results show a continued mycotoxin challenge, with contamination rates rising for both aflatoxins and zearalenone and average levels increasing across all major mycotoxins,” said Ursula Hofstetter, head of mycotoxin risk management at dsm-firmenich, in a press release.

The Major Players

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by fungi, most commonly Fusarium, Aspergillus and Claviceps species. They develop in the field and can persist through harvest and storage. Weather stress, hybrid selection and storage management all influence which toxins dominate in a given year.

The primary mycotoxins shaping North American livestock risk in 2025 were:

Deoxynivalenol (DON)
A Type B trichothecene produced by Fusarium species. Commonly found in corn and wheat. Often referred to as ‘vomitoxin’.
Zearalenone (ZEN)
Also a Fusarium toxin. Structurally estrogenic and frequently present alongside DON in corn and small grains.
Fumonisins (FUM)
Produced by Fusarium verticillioides and related species. Predominantly found in corn.
Aflatoxins (AFLA)
Produced by Aspergillus species. More common in drought- or heat-stressed corn.
Ergot alkaloids (ERGOT)
Produced by Claviceps species. Typically associated with small grains.

These toxins rarely occur in isolation. Co-contamination often shapes the reality producers see on the farm.

What Changed from 2024 to 2025

The 2025 North American mycotoxin prevalence in raw materials compared to 2024 shows the following shifts:

DON: 74% → 76%
ZEN: 73% → 78%
FUM: 46% → 55%
AFLA: 15% → 17%
ERGOT: 44% → 9%

Trichothecenes remain deeply entrenched, with DON prevalence increasing slightly. Most of this increase is a result of an increase in wheat (73% → 93%). Meanwhile, fumonisins rose meaningfully and ergots dropped sharply.

Cattle: Rumen Function, Immune Resilience and Production Losses

Cattle historically are considered somewhat more resilient to mycotoxins than monogastrics, owing to partial ruminal detoxification. However, evidence increasingly shows persistent exposure to Fusarium toxins like DON, ZEN and FUM, especially in combination, can exert significant effects on digestion, immunity and metabolic health.

When looking at global finished feed samples for ruminants:

DON was prevalent in 69% of samples and above the risk threshold in 53% of samples.
ZEN was prevalent in 73% of samples and above the risk threshold in 33% of samples.
AFLA was present in 34% of samples and above the risk threshold in 29% of samples.

Studies have demonstrated short-term exposure to Fusarium toxins, including ZEN and FUM, affects fermentation patterns and the microbial community, which in turn can reduce fiber breakdown and volatile fatty acid production — key drivers of energy supply in cattle. Even modest disruptions to the rumen microbiota can reduce feed efficiency and gain over time.

The immune system is also affected by mycotoxins. The immunosuppressive effects of common mycotoxins in ruminants have been documented , including alterations in cytokine gene expression, immunoglobulin production and macrophage function.

Further, individual toxins like AFLA have well-established effects on liver function and general metabolism in cattle. Chronic AFLA exposure has been linked to reduced appetite, lower weight gains and elevated liver enzymes, indicating compromised hepatic function that can impact production and health resilience.

These findings indicate how cattle performance and disease resistance can be eroded by the mycotoxin patterns reported in the 2025 data. Persistent DON and ZEN exposure, combined with higher FUM presence, places additional load on rumen fermentation and immune competence, potentially contributing to subclinical production drift.

Swine: Immune Disruption, Gut Barrier Injury and Performance Drag

In swine, elevated prevalence of DON, ZEN and FUM can exert systemic effects on immune function, gut integrity and reproductive physiology at both clinical and subclinical levels.

When looking at global finished feed samples for swine:

DON was present in 85% of samples and above the risk threshold in 41% of samples.
ZEN was present in 79% of samples and above the risk threshold in 19% of samples.
FUM was present in 44% of samples and above the risk threshold in 8% of samples.

Research has shown DON and FUM alter the gut epithelial barrier, impair immune defenses and increase bacterial translocation from the gut, making pigs more susceptible to infections even when properly vaccinated. In the immune tissues themselves, DON exposure has been linked to changes in the gene expression of key antimicrobial and inflammatory regulators, implying a weakened ability to respond to disease challenge at the cellular level.

ZEN adds another layer of complexity. Beyond its well-known estrogenic effects (i.e., swelling of reproductive tissues and altered estrous cycles), ZEN has been shown to suppress antibody production in porcine immune cells, reducing levels of IgM, IgG and IgA. These immunoglobulins are important for protective vaccine responses. This explains why farms employing what should be effective vaccination programs still report breakthrough disease.

Collectively, these mechanisms mean widespread DON and ZEN exposure is a disease vulnerability issue. When the gut barrier is compromised and immune cell function is suppressed, pigs are less able to defend against respiratory pathogens, enteric bacteria and systemic infections alike, and their response to vaccination may be diminished.

Mycotoxin Co-Contamination Defines 2025

The defining feature of mycotoxins in 2025 is not a single toxin spike, but co-contamination. Feeds routinely contain multiple mycotoxins at once and their effects overlap, creating steady biological pressure.

The result is rarely dramatic toxicosis, but production drift is reflected in reduced gains, narrower reproductive margins, lowered health resilience and increased performance variability.

With persistent DON, rising ZEN and higher FUM prevalence in North America, ingredient-level vigilance and close monitoring of performance trends are important. The mycotoxin burden did not spike, but it did rearrange.

7 Steps for Assessing Calf Abortions

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:28:44 GMT

This time of year, the last thing cattle producers want to find when checking cows is an aborted fetus.

Bob Larson, Kansas State University veterinarian, says there are multiple potential causes for abortion. Neospora is a common infectious cause of abortion, transmitted both vertically (from mother to fetus) and horizontally (via feed contaminated by canine feces). Other possibilities include viral diseases, such as IBR or BVD, and feed-related issues like moldy hay or listeria.

Larson and fellow K-State veterinarian Brad White recently discussed a case on the “Bovine Science with BCI” podcast in which a rancher with a couple hundred cows found an aborted fetus in their pasture. The producer wanted to know what to do next.

Larson and White suggest these seven steps when finding an aborted fetus:

1. Gather initial information

Identify which animal aborted. This includes determining age and status in herd: heifer or mature cow, new addition or long-term member.
Look for physical signs like retained placentas.

“One of my first questions is I’ve got to kind of figure out who, who is aborting, as in, what kind of describes the animal that’s aborting age? Is it a new addition to the herd? Is it’s a cow that’s been in the herd a long time? Those are the types of questions,” Larson explains.

White says it is important to investigate the fetus to try to determine fetal age.

In the case presented, the rancher says no one was claiming the fetus and they could not determine the mother.

2. Collect samples promptly

Recover the aborted fetus and, if possible, the placenta, as both provide crucial diagnostic tissue.
Collect a range of fetal tissues: lung, liver, kidney, brain, and consider additional fluids such as abomasal and follicular fluid.
Store fresh and fixed samples or freeze if not sending immediately.

Larson says collecting the aborted fetus (and placenta, if available) for diagnostic sampling is essential. The placenta is considered a highly valuable diagnostic tissue, but various tissues from the fetus (lung, liver, kidney, brain, etc.) can also be analyzed.

He suggests samples should be collected and stored (e.g., frozen) after first finding the first abortion but not necessarily sent to a lab immediately. If additional abortions occur, the value of sending samples for diagnosis increases.

The value of testing and taking action also increases with more cases.

“Hold on submitting samples for testing after the first abortion — consider sending if a second or third case occurs,” Larson says. “A single abortion may not signal a herd problem.”

3. Assess the herd environment and feeding practices

Understand what the cows are eating — hay, silage or supplements — and any recent changes or feed quality concerns like moldy hay or exposure to silage.

4. Interpret sampling results and rule-outs

If diagnostic testing is performed, interpret both positive and negative findings in the context of herd health and history.

Larson explains detecting Neospora in the fetus increases suspicion but does not confirm it as the immediate cause of the abortion; context and other risk factors must be considered. A negative result for Neospora lowers its likelihood as the cause.

5. Monitor for additional cases

Observe the herd closely. Larson stresses monitoring for additional cases is important.

6. Review herd management and biosecurity

Evaluate animal movement in and out of the herd, introduction of new cattle and biosecurity protocols.
Plan possible future interventions based on patterns or risk factors identified.

Long-term recommendations center on reviewing herd biosecurity, feeding practices and potential exposure risks. Identifying the signalment (age, breed, source) of affected animals helps target preventive measures.

7. Act based on findings and herd impact

Avoid unnecessary interventions unless cluster or patterns emerge. This includes palpating the herd or collecting serology.
Record findings and actions.
Consult with veterinary diagnostic labs or experts as needed.

Larson stresses immediate aggressive intervention is unlikely to affect the outcome of an ongoing abortion event, but understanding causes aids in future prevention and management.

“I can’t really think of a situation where having information today would change the outcome,” Larson says in response to getting in the entire herd and palpating after finding one fetus.

White summarizes these steps help ensure a logical, evidence-based approach to diagnosing and managing cattle abortions.

Your Next Read: Is There an Optimum Cow Size?

Vitamin E Deserves a Second Look in Beef Herds

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 20:02:03 GMT

Vitamin E is one of those nutrients that doesn’t get a lot of attention until something goes wrong, but it plays a steady, year-round role in keeping cattle healthy. It is a small inclusion in the ration that supports several big-ticket items: immunity, muscle integrity, calf health and resilience during stressful periods. While vitamin E is often discussed in relation to meat color, the health and production benefits matter just as much.

“When we talk about vitamin E nutrition specifically, it really is such an exciting nutrient because not only does it impact the animal from an immune response perspective, but we have the opportunity to make real incremental improvements on the productivity of that animal”, says Zeno Hubbert, Ruminant technical expert at dsm-firmenich.

Why Vitamin E Matters for Cattle Health

Vitamin E acts as a major antioxidant in the body. Its job is to protect cells from oxidative stress — something cattle deal with daily through normal metabolism, immune challenges and environmental stressors. When vitamin E levels are low, tissues are more vulnerable to damage and immune responses don’t fire as cleanly.

Severe deficiency is rare in feedlot cattle, but when it does occur, it can show up as white muscle disease, weak calves, or general muscle and nerve problems. But the real story isn’t about preventing dramatic deficiencies. It’s about making sure cattle have enough vitamin E to stay healthy during high-stress stages such as processing, shipping, early feedlot adaptation, late gestation and early calfhood.

Feedlot Cattle: Support During Stress & Recovery

In feedlots, vitamin E is well-known for how it affects meat quality, but its impact on health shouldn’t be overlooked.

“When we talk about feedlot cattle, we’re not aiming to just keep that animal out of a state of deficiency. For me, that’s almost a no-brainer. It’s non-negotiable,” Hubbert says. “We’re aiming for optimization of productivity.”

Research has shown vitamin E supplementation to beef steers before or after transit may not affect growth performance, but can lower the stress response of these animals. Further, vitamin E supplementation has been shown to increase antibody titers of newly received steers after vaccination for bovine viral diarrhea virus.

When vitamin E is supplemented for meat quality, the standard is to feed at increased levels for at least 100 days to see results in the muscle tissue. This is the time period required to equilibrate the liver and tissue soluble levels with the intake amount. There are very few studies on vitamin E spanning this duration with beef cattle in an effort to observe growth performance or immune response. This is an area requiring further attention.

Cow-Calf Operations: Where Vitamin E Really Shows Its Value

Vitamin E can pay off meaningfully in the cow-calf world. Late gestation is an especially important time because the cow’s vitamin E status directly influences the calf.

“If we look at the vitamin E level in milk, it’s only supplying about 16% of the requirement of that newborn calf,” Hubbert explains. “So we definitely have a requirement for vitamin E supplementation in that newborn calf. We can definitely affect the health of that calf by supplementation of the late gestation cow.”

Research has shown that vitamin E supplementation to late gestation beef cattle can benefit both the dam and the calf, especially with the added environmental stress of winter calving and the consumption of stored forages. In one study , winter born calves from vitamin E supplemented dams had higher weaning weights. Additionally, calves born to vitamin E supplemented heifers have been shown to have increased antibody titers at birth, pasture turn out, and weaning in response to routine vaccines.

Is Vitamin E Supplementation Right for Your Herd?

While vitamin E is essential for cattle, whether it is worth adding or increasing in the ration of a herd comes down to the cattle’s stress load, forage quality and production stage.

“We need to be strategic,” Hubbert says. “It’s very much dependent on the range conditions, whether we have drought conditions — how much access to forage those cows have. It’s a conversation to be had with the nutritionist and not just a blanket recommendation across the board.”

Cow-calf herds often see the biggest return, but feedlot cattle under heavy stress during receiving or diet changes may also benefit from increased vitamin E levels to support antioxidant defense or recovery. A quick review of the mineral program and forage conditions can reveal whether adjusting vitamin E could be beneficial.

“I think that vitamin nutrition is generally something that, due to the small level addition to the ration, goes by unchecked,” Hubbert says. “The impact that a vitamin deficiency can have on that animal in terms of productivity is significant. It’s such a small addition to a ration from a cost perspective, it’s almost as if it’s an investment in the health and productivity of that animal.”

Biotics in Bovines: Postbiotic Applications for Beef Cattle

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 18:27:28 GMT

Beef production involves dramatic changes in environment, nutrition and social structure, creating repeated stress points that challenge both the rumen and the immune system. Calves face the shock of weaning and comingling, and feedlot cattle undergo abrupt dietary transitions and frequent handling.

Postbiotics, beneficial microbial products, provide a non-living, heat-stable option that can help buffer these disruptions by influencing rumen stability and immune activity. Because the microbial metabolites are delivered directly, rather than relying on live microbe survival, postbiotics can be easier to implement in beef production settings where feed delivery, pen competition and weather conditions can vary widely.

This is the sixth and final installment of the Biotics in Bovines series, where we have explored the role and application of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in dairy and beef cattle nutrition. Each installment has examined a different facet of microbiome-focused nutrition from how these products work to what recent research says about their effectiveness and on-farm value. The goal is to help veterinarians and producers make informed, evidence-based decisions about integrating biotic feed technologies into herd health and performance programs.

For applications in beef, yeast fermentation products have been most commonly explored. These products are largely derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, containing inanimate microorganisms and/or their components. Additionally, lactic acid bacteria fermentation products may hold postbiotic promise for beef cattle.

The incorporation of these compounds may support enhanced gut barrier integrity, immune regulation, and microbial adaptation to dietary changes, especially those related to fiber digestion. In turn, these effects can help improve rumen fermentation, feed efficiency and animal performance.

Evidence in Beef Systems

In beef heifers fed high grain rations, supplementation with a yeast fermentation product resulted in improved rumen fermentation profiles. This was evidenced by increased organic matter and fiber digestibility, along with enhanced rumen buffering. This has also been seen in calves where a starter containing yeast postbiotics promoted microbial stability while mitigating subacute ruminal acidosis.

In Angus steers , supplementation with a yeast fermentation product did not affect rumen pH, but did reduce the total concentration of rumen volatile fatty acids and increased total tract dry matter, organic matter and starch digestibility. These results indicate potential improvements in energy efficiency and animal performance with postbiotic supplementation.

In backgrounding steers fed a lactic acid bacteria fermentation product, increased dry matter intake and average daily gain were observed compared to animals supplemented with monensin. In corresponding in vitro digestion trials, decreased propionate and increased butyrate levels were observed. Propionate is known to have an effect on satiety and may have affected intake in these animals. This work also suggests postbiotics may have applications in reducing antibiotic use.

Limitations and Research Gaps

Postbiotics are perhaps the least studied of all current biotics approaches for cattle. Despite some demonstrated benefits, we still lack information on optimal dosing and long term metabolic impacts. There may be potential for postbiotics to help mitigate methane production, but more in vivo research is required for verification.

Practical On-Farm Guidance & Strategies

Target periods of increased stress: Postbiotics can help support cattle through times of rumen instability and immune suppression.
Use probiotics to ease dietary transitions: Postbiotic supplementation at times when rumen dysbiosis is likely could help ease these transitions by maintaining gut equilibrium.
Apply to improve utilization of variable quality diets: During winter feeding and pasture transitions, postbiotics may help stabilize fermentation and fiber digestion, smoothing out any performance dips due to inconsistent forage quality.
Prioritize consistent delivery: Uniform exposure to postbiotic products is key to obtaining results. Avoid inconsistent top-dressing or delivery methods that differ by pen or time of day as these inconsistencies may be reflected in any response.

Your next reads:
Biotics in Bovines: Postbiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Beef Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Probiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Probiotic Applications for Beef Cattle

Biotics in Bovines: Probiotic Applications for Beef Cattle

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 17:27:14 GMT

In beef production systems, every gain in efficiency matters whether that’s stabilizing feed intake, supporting growth through stress events or improving animal health. Probiotics might be a way to facilitate this efficiency through fine-tuned rumen and gut health.

This is the fourth installment of the Biotics in Bovines series where we will explore the role and application of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in dairy and beef cattle nutrition. Each installment will examine a different facet of microbiome-focused nutrition from how these products work to what recent research says about their effectiveness and on-farm value. The goal is to help veterinarians and producers make informed, evidence-based decisions about integrating biotic feed technologies into herd health and performance programs.

Probiotcs, defined as live microorganisms that confer a health benefit when fed in adequate amounts, aren’t new to the feed industry. However, recent studies in both grazing and finishing systems have clarified when and how they can deliver measurable results. Rather than blanket use, probiotics in beef systems are most effective when used strategically during transitions, stress or high-energy feeding phases.

What Probiotics Do in Beef Systems

Probiotics used in beef production most often include yeasts (Saccharomyces), spore-forming bacteria (Bacillus spp.), and occasionally lactic acid bacteria (Enterococcus and Lactobacillus).

Their effects center on three main functions:

Rumen stabilization: Yeast cultures help moderate rumen pH in high-grain diets promoting fiber-digesting bacterial populations.
Digestive efficiency: Bacillus strains produce enzymes that enhance starch and fiber breakdown, improving feed conversion.
Immune and stress modulation: Some probiotics appear to blunt cortisol response during transport or feedlot induction, supporting intake and weight recovery after arrival.

Emerging research has also linked probiotic use with lower pathogen shedding, creating potential food safety benefits for feedlots and packers.

Evidence in Beef Cattle

For cow-calf systems, probiotics are primarily evaluated for calf vigor, weaning transition and heifer development. A group of Red Angus cows offered a live yeast supplement from 30 days precalving through weaning showed improved body condition scores at weaning, while their calves had higher weaning weights and average daily gains. The growth promoting effects of yeast supplementation to calves preweaning seem highly dependent on strain , but what has been consistently shown is a reduction in diarrhea and pneumonia incidence.

Probiotic supplementation has also been linked to reduced stress responses. In a behavioural study with beef heifers, probiotic supplementation showed fewer signs of distress during chute handling, though serum cortisol levels were unaffected. In feedlot cattle , yeast supplementation could help mitigate the negative effects of heat stress when offered in preparation for exposure to increased temperatures.

Finishing feedlot cattle are often fed high-concentrate diets for extended periods of time making rumen health maintenance imperative. Probiotics are a logical avenue for this maintenance. Cattle fed high-concentrate diets have been shown to benefit from a yeast-Enterococcus probiotic mix affecting rumen digestion resulting in improved average daily gain and feed efficiency.

Probiotic supplementation has also been shown to help high-risk cattle. Steers fed a Bacillus-based probiotic through a three-month grazing period did not show a reduced incidence of bovine respiratory disease, but these animals did have reduced rates of mortality and removal compared to control animals.

Practical On-Farm Guidance

Use probiotics during stress or transition phases. These are the times when the rumen can be most dysregulated and need an extra bit of support that probiotics can offer.
Evaluate responses beyond rate of gain. Not all probiotics are tailored for growth performance. Monitor for other positive impacts on morbidity, feed conversion and stress response.
Consider the rest of your nutrition program when choosing a probiotic. Strain choice can be tailored to improve the digestion of a given feedstuff or buffer the rumen with high-concentrate diets.
Ensure consistent delivery and intake. Daily intake is essential; inconsistent feeding undermines benefits. In feedlots, probiotics should be incorporated into the total mixed ration. For grazing herds, probiotics can be offered along with regular mineral supplements.

Limitations and Research Gaps

While evidence for probiotics in beef systems is growing, strain-specific responses have been inconsistent, and data is sparse for extensive cow-calf operations. Controlled studies under feedlot conditions are increasing but vary widely in probiotic formulation and dosage.

Actionable Takeaways

Consider your herd specifically. Probiotics are not a one-size-fits-all solution for beef cattle. Different microbes serve different purposes and should be matched with your production challenges and goals.
Integrate probiotics into herd health protocols, not just nutrition plans. Probiotics can complement disease reduction efforts through rumen health support.
Document outcomes over multiple lots. Track animal performance and health over consecutive groups to give yourself an idea of whether observed benefits are repeatable.
Leverage fecal scoring and rumen pH monitoring as diagnostic tools. Pairing probiotic use with routine rumen fluid or fecal consistency evaluation can offer early indications of effectiveness.

Your next reads:
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Beef Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Probiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle

Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Beef Cattle

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:29:47 GMT

Interest in microbiome-focused nutrition is growing rapidly in the beef industry. With pressure to reduce antibiotic use and improve feed efficiency, prebiotics — non-digestible feed substrates that selectively nourish beneficial microbes — are gaining traction as practical, evidence-based tools to support health and performance.

This is the second installment of the Biotics in Bovines series where we will explore the role and application of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in dairy and beef cattle nutrition. Each installment will examine a different facet of microbiome-focused nutrition from how these products work to what recent research says about their effectiveness and on-farm value. The goal is to help veterinarians and producers make informed, evidence-based decisions about integrating biotic feed technologies into herd health and performance programs.

Check out the first installment here: Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle

Prebiotics are typically non-digestible carbohydrates, such as mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and beta-glucans sourced from yeast cell walls, yeast culture and agro-industrial wastes. These compounds act as selective fuel sources for beneficial gut microbes but can also support gut barrier integrity, reduce colonization by pathogens and enhance volatile fatty acid production, particularly butyrate, which fuels intestinal cells.

In beef cattle, the primary goals of prebiotic supplementation are to improve growth rates and feed efficiency, allow for better health during periods of stress (weaning, transport, feedlot entry), improve carcass quality and reduce incidence of digestive upsets.

Evidence in Beef Cattle

Recent trials show prebiotics can support growth, gut health and immune development in young beef animals. In a group of grazing beef calves , supplementation with a beta-glucan concentrate increased average daily gain, especially in the first month after weaning. Further, these animals had increased fiber digesting bacteria and decreased methane producing bacteria in the rumen.

In growing beef cattle , hydrolyzed yeast supplementation (containing MOS and beta-glucans) has been linked to improved nutrient digestibility and increased rumen fermentation efficiency, but reports on growth performance are variable.

Prebiotics can play a stabilizing role during diet transitions and periods of stress; however, these are often offered as a prebiotic/probiotic combination. During feedlot adaptation , cattle offered a probiotic-yeast derived prebiotic blend for the first 45 days have been shown to have an improved response to bovine respiratory disease treatment, but no changes in growth performance were observed. The lack of observed growth response in probiotic supplemented cattle is consistent across multiple studies.

In general, the research available on the application of prebiotics alone in beef cattle is slim. However, it’s not unreasonable to think that similar positive growth and development results seen in dairy calves could also be observed in beef calves. A combined synbiotic approach could prove best for beef cattle.

Practical On-Farm Guidance

Choose products with proven data. Select prebiotics backed by published trials in cattle. Look for specific strain or compound data (e.g., MOS from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, FOS derived from chicory root) so you know what you’re feeding.
Match product type to production phase.
- Cow-calf: MOS and yeast cell wall products in creep feed or milk supplements can enhance calf gut health and reduce pathogen pressure.
- Backgrounding: Prebiotics in growing diets can support cattle through diet transitions.
- Feedlot: Combine prebiotics with probiotics during step-up and finishing phases to maintain feed intake and reduce acidosis risk.
Track measurable outcomes. Evaluate fecal consistency, feed intake, average daily gain and treatment frequency. Measuring inflammatory markers, such as haptoglobin or fecal calprotectin, can also be valuable.
Integrate, don’t isolate. Prebiotics work best as part of a whole-system nutrition plan alongside consistent feeding, low-stress handling and proper bunk management.

Limitations and Research Gaps

While early findings are promising, prebiotic effects in beef cattle remain variable. Many compounds degrade in the rumen, limiting their reach to the hindgut. Responses also depend heavily on diet composition, environmental stress and microbial diversity. Large-scale, multilocation beef trials are still needed to define cost-benefit relationships and standardize effective doses.

Actionable Takeaways

Start with the cow-calf phase. That’s where prebiotics have the strongest evidence base for improving gut health and reducing pathogen load.
Trial prebiotics in controlled groups. Compare average daily gain, fecal health and treatment rates to establish a farm-specific return on investment.
Expect incremental, not dramatic gains. Prebiotics are performance stabilizers and health promoters, not growth promoters.
Monitor consistency. Benefits fade if feed intake or product delivery is erratic.

The Impact of Low Trace Minerals in Cattle May Be Bigger Than You Expect

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:12:13 GMT

Trace minerals — including copper, selenium, zinc, manganese and cobalt — are needed in vanishingly small amounts. However, when these nutrients fall even the smallest bit short of a cow’s needs, the consequences can be significant. These results can include slower growth, compromised immunity and poor reproduction.

Although trace minerals make up less than 0.01% of an animal’s body weight, they’re fundamental co-factors in enzymes, antioxidants, metabolic and immune pathways. Subclinical deficiencies may be a more extensive problem as the symptoms are not evident and there is no intervention, leading to economic losses.

David Schaeffer, professor at the University of Illinois, and his colleagues recently published work analyzing trace mineral concentrations from beef and dairy livers submitted to the California Animal Health & Food Safety Lab System laboratory between 2012 and 2021. The aim of this work was to compare any correlation patterns of copper, selenium, and manganese contents, and incidence of disease.

This work included 1,495 liver samples collected from cattle submitted for diagnostic testing. They were categorized as beef (857) or dairy (638), and further grouped by age (neonates, adolescents and adults).

The study revealed significant differences between deficiencies in beef and cattle. Overall, 73% of beef cattle and 45% of dairy cattle were found to be deficient in at least one trace mineral. In beef cattle, 46% of cattle were deficient in selenium, while 39% were deficient in manganese and 33% were deficient in copper. In dairy cattle, 10% of cattle were deficient in selenium, while 37% were deficient in manganese, and only 5% were deficient in copper.

(Adapted from Schaeffer et al., 2025)

The observed increased incidence of deficiency in beef cattle is likely expected as these animals often rely on free choice minerals, while dairy cattle are fed a total mixed ration including a mineral supplement. Interestingly, Schaeffer also reported a large portion of dairy cattle may have been oversupplemented as they observed above normal copper and selenium levels.

Associations between mineral status and disease occurred across both groups, but were most prevalent in beef cattle.

In beef cattle reported to have bovine respiratory disease (BRD), 68% of animals were deficient in copper, selenium or both minerals. The median age of these animals was 8 months, and most of them had been recently transported and co-mingled with other calves.

One thing the authors noticed was some conditions that are usually subclinical in beef cattle, for example parasites, were fatal in animals that were deficient in copper, selenium, or both.

“Now obviously we don’t know the condition score of those animals,” says co-author David Villar on a recent episode of “Have You Herd?”. “I would imagine it was pretty poor to die from internal parasites.”

As stated above, dairy cattle cases had much lower prevalences of trace mineral deficiency. Along with this, they also had lower incidences of correlation between deficiency and disease.

Of the dairy cattle with only one deficiency, the most frequent diagnoses were BRD (23%), Salmonella (14%), scours (16%), and septicemia (6%). Of all dairy cattle, 11% of those with BRD also had a copper or selenium deficiency.

It’s important to remember these are correlations between mineral status and disease, not causation.

Villar highlights what he hopes producers and veterinarians would take away from this work: “The main conclusion I would make is that beef, but not dairy, are still largely deficient in essential microminerals, copper and selenium. We need to check the herd management to see what’s happening.”

These results present an opportunity for producers and veterinarians to build preventative mineral nutrition programs, especially in beef herds where deficiencies are more prevalent. Proactive monitoring and targeted supplementation could reduce disease, mortality and economic loss in cattle herds.

Every Cycle Counts: Energy, Fertility and Profit in the Beef Herd

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:58:02 GMT

With calf prices sitting around $4 per pound, there has never been a better time for beef producers to prioritize reproductive performance. As Ted Perry, beef cattle technical services with Purina Animal Nutrition, points out, every missed heat cycle isn’t just a lost pregnancy, it’s 50 lb. of lost calf growth.

“When you look at the profitability of cow-calf operations in previous years, if we could make $100 per cow per year, that was a big deal,” Perry says. “Now with these prices, we could potentially lose $200 per heat cycle.”

That kind of economic pressure has many veterinarians and producers re-examining how to tighten up breeding windows, improve conception rates and, ultimately, get more calves on the ground early in the calving season. Even small improvements in conception rates or tighter breeding windows add up quickly across a herd. Shifting just a few calves earlier in the calving window can offset the cost of nutritional interventions many times over.

Why Energy Balance Matters

The foundation of reproductive success in beef cows is energy balance. Cows that enter the breeding season in poor condition often take longer to return to estrus, reducing the likelihood they’ll conceive in the desired breeding window. Negative energy balance is common after calving, particularly in young cows still growing themselves. This can result in delayed estrus, weak heat expression and lower conception rates. Perry emphasizes managing body condition score (BCS) is non-negotiable.

“Make sure the cows are pushing that BCS of 6, and make sure the bulls are pushing that,” he says.

Energy status influences not only whether a cow cycles, but also egg quality and embryo survival. Research consistently shows cows with adequate energy reserves at breeding conceive earlier, stay pregnant more consistently and wean heavier calves. Simply put, managing energy status sets the stage for reproductive success.

Research on Energy Support

Purina has been evaluating nutritional strategies to support reproductive performance under today’s market conditions.

In a two-year study involving 164 beef cows, animals fed a new technology, CX8, beginning 30 days prior to breeding through 90 days after showed higher first service conception rates from artificial insemination compared to controls, with results improving in the second year.

The mechanism?

“There are multiple additives, such as yeast, to support rumen health, increased levels of trace minerals and phytogenic compounds providing antioxidant properties to support performance,” Perry explains. “However, with multiple components, you can override the system. You can end up with the two components canceling each other out. That’s been a huge part of our research: making sure that everything we use is complementary — one plus one should equal two and a half.”

The approach also accounts for rumen efficiency. By balancing rumen function with the right mineral and additive support, cows can extract more energy from their diets, channeling that into reproductive success.

At the same time, bulls also need careful nutritional management. Perry says semen production depends heavily on BCS.

“If [bulls] are too thin, they’re not going to produce enough semen … [If] we get them too fat during the rest period, then we put them out and they’re running and chasing everybody to get bred. What happens to their body condition? They’re dropping. They’re in starvation mode. They’re not going to produce semen,” he says.

Because semen maturation takes about 60 days, Perry recommends ensuring bulls are at BCS 6 approximately 120 days before turnout — essentially by Christmas if breeding starts in May.

Another area of interest is early embryonic loss. While the work is ongoing, Perry notes artificial insemination and embryonic transfer practitioners are reporting potentially lower rates of early embryo death in herds receiving nutritional support during breeding, potentially boosting conception success even further.

Build the Foundation

Still, Perry cautions no supplement can fix a fundamentally weak nutrition program.

“You’ve got to have the building blocks in place to start with,” he says.

Veterinarians and producers can work together on these building blocks to improve reproductive outcomes in a number of ways:

Monitor and manage BCS. Aim for cows to calve at a BCS of 5 to 6. Cows in this range are more likely to cycle and conceive on schedule.
Make a nutrition plan. Design mineral and feeding programs that balance energy needs with reproductive goals.
Prioritize young and thin cows. These groups are most vulnerable to energy shortfalls and reproductive delays.
Align nutrition with breeding seasons. Matching feed quality and supplementation to peak demand periods pays dividends in conception rates.

Once these fundamentals are in place, advanced nutritional strategies — whether CX8Additive Technology or similar products — can provide an extra push in conception rates.

Takeaways

For veterinarians, the message is clear: reproduction is both a biological and an economic conversation. Helping producers link nutrition and reproduction not only improves herd health, but also directly impacts profitability.

For producers, today’s calf market represents both an opportunity and a challenge. As Perry puts it, with calf prices so high “now is the time that you find out what works at your ranch.”

Cost-Effective Supplementation for Growing Calves

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:56:56 GMT

From a moisture standpoint, the summer of 2025 has been good for many cattle producers. As a result, many have ample standing forage.

The Oklahoma Gold and Oklahoma SuperGold supplementation programs were designed to cost effectively improve the growth of calves and stocker cattle grazing pastures in late summer and fall. Both are based on limit-feeding high-protein supplements.

Crude Protein (CP) content and digestibility of warm season grasses declines during mid-summer and fall. No doubt many producers watched green pastures turn brown during August when there was little rain coupled with several weeks of intense heat. This weather pattern corresponds with declining quality of standing forage.

In late spring and early summer calves can gain 2 to 3 lb./day on the same pastures that now may be limiting gains to less than half that amount, even with ample standing forage. Why? Because cattle’s growth performance is based on the most limiting nutrient in their diet.

The same grasses that would have contained more than 10% CP in late spring and early summer are now likely well below that level. Regardless of our warm season forage type, (native grasses, Bermuda, sorghum Sudan or millet), the same maturity pattern holds true. A 500 lb. calf gaining 1.5 lb./day requires a diet containing a minimum of 10% CP.

Bottomline: at this point, CP has become the growth limiting factor in a calf’s diet.

The Cost-Effective Solution

If you have standing forage to be used before wheat pasture comes on, or just wanting to cost effectively add weight to growing calves, the key to improving growth rates is protein supplementation. As opposed to high energy creep feeds, Gold and SuperGold programs are designed to improve growth rate through high protein supplementation when ample standing forage is available.

The Oklahoma Gold program includes a 38% CP supplement at a rate of 1 lb./day and includes an ionophore additive along with vitamins and minerals. The Oklahoma SuperGold program is similar as it includes supplementing a 25% CP at a rate of 2.5 lb./day.

The Oklahoma Gold program is one of the most cost effective and industry proven supplementation programs ever developed.

From early June to October, several trials conducted at OSU, indicate feeding 1 lb./day of Gold can increase gains of stockers grazing summer pastures by up to 0.6 lb./day. Furthermore, the Gold program is based on a low volume of feed and offers the flexibility of feeding every-other-day. In some situations the SuperGold feeding program may offer advantages. Remember, both of these feeding strategies work based on ample standing forage.

Rust in the Ration: How to Combat Southern Rust’s Impact on Corn Silage

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:04:47 GMT

With the warm and wet conditions this season, southern rust is on the rise in Midwest corn crops. It may be time to start considering the impact that could have on corn silage and preparing to adjust rations accordingly. While southern rust is not a direct threat to herd health, it has been shown to lower the nutritional value of silage and can compromise feed quality.

Southern rust, a fast-developing fungal disease caused by Puccinia polysora, does not itself produce toxins, but it weakens the plant and provides the opportunity for other diseases to move in. These opportunists include various Furasium species, which produce mycotoxins (fumonisin and deoxynivalenol) that can be harmful in feed.

Southern Rust and Corn Silage Quality

Southern rust is known to impact corn silage quality. A study from the University of Florida showed increasing rust infestation resulted in increased dry matter and fiber fractions, but that dry matter digestibility decreased by 13%. Further, high rust silages had lower neutral detergent fiber digestibilities than medium and no rust silages. Southern rust also affected the concentrations of lactate and volatile fatty acids, causing both to decrease with increasing infestation. These results indicate decreased nutritive value.

The observed increased dry matter also reduced silo packing effectiveness. If moisture levels are too low at harvest, it is difficult to achieve adequate packing, which leads to poor fermentation and an increased risk of mold growth.

Because southern rust coverage reduces the photosynthetic area of the leaf, grain fill is often hindered, leading to a lower energy and protein content in the silage.

Southern Rust Silage Management

There are a handful of strategies producers can apply to counteract the effects of southern rust:

Adjust harvest time based on moisture content. Southern rust can cause corn to dry down faster than normal. Monitor moisture levels closely to ensure the proper fermentation of silage.
Consider a silage inoculant. Inoculants improve fermentation, and the rapid pH drop can inhibit mold and yeast growth.
Ensure good packing and storage. Pack silage well to limit oxygen exposure and prevent mold growth. Cover bunkers immediately and weigh down coverings thoroughly.

Feeding Southern Rust Silage

To counter the nutritional challenges of feeding southern rust-infected corn silage, dietary supplementation may be necessary.

Prior to inclusion, test all potentially infected silage for mycotoxins. This will allow you to determine the safety of the feed and avoid potential health issues. If mycotoxins are high, the incorporation of a mycotoxin binding agent into the ration will help reduce toxin absorption in the animal’s digestive tract. Additionally, supplementation with antioxidants, such as vitamin E and selenium, could help animals by countering oxidative stress caused by mycotoxins and supporting immune function.

If grain fill was affected and starch levels are low, you may need to incorporate an additional energy course to compensate. Further, poor grain fill could reduce the already low protein content of corn silage, and protein supplementation may be required.

When incorporating infected silage, ensure it is thoroughly mixed into the TMR to dilute potential ‘hot spots’. Inclusion levels of contaminated silage in the feed may need to be limited or removed entirely for sensitive animals, including lactating or breeding animals. Livestock should be monitored closely for symptoms of mycotoxin toxicity, such as reduced intake, weight loss, digestive issues or reproductive challenges. Be prepared to respond if issues arise.

When feeding corn silage infected with southern rust, caution is essential to protect livestock health and performance. The thoughtful use of compromised silage can help minimize risk while maintaining efficiency and animal well-being.

Your next read: Southern Rust Set To Take Big Bite Out Of Midwest Corn Crop?

Eight Components of a Strong Preconditioning Program

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:34:20 GMT

Many spring-calving producers are thinking about weaning and marketing this year’s calf crop.

“In preparation for weaning and marketing, many producers do some level of preconditioning to add value and prepare calves for the next stages of life,” says Chris Clark, Iowa State University Extension and outreach beef specialist.

In a recent press release Clark describes preconditioning strategies and explains why it is valuable.

He says there is not a solid, consistent definition for preconditioning and the meaning of the term can differ person to person, regionally and among various programs.

Clark says this definition summarizes his perspective on the meaning and importance of preconditioning: “Preconditioning is a set of practices and procedures applied to prepare cattle for the next phase of production. Weaning and marketing involve many potential stressors that can negatively affect beef calves: separation from dam, new environment, diet change and new social dynamics, just to name a few. The idea of preconditioning is to prepare cattle, minimize those stressors, support health and performance, and ultimately, help cattle reach their genetic potential.”

He adds specific precondition practices often include castration, dehorning, vaccination, adaptation to new feeds and bunk breaking.

Although most preconditioning practices are associated with weaning, some of these things can actually be done well ahead of time, even in the neonatal period of a calf’s life.

“Well-preconditioned cattle are the culmination of a holistic management program that starts when calves are born and arguably even while they are in utero,” he says.

Clark shares these eight components of a strong preconditioning program:

Castration and dehorning procedures should be done as early as possible with appropriate anesthesia and analgesia to minimize pain and distress.
“Castration and dehorning surgeries should generally be performed within the first two to three months of life,” he says. “Dehorning should be done through genetic selection or through disbudding calves before the horns become well established.”
If these procedures have not yet been done, talk to your veterinarian about the best timing and technique. Open wounds can be a problem in the summer because of fly pressure, so it is worth some thought and discussion about how to best proceed at this time of year.
Vaccination to establish immunity prior to the stress of weaning and marketing.
Stress associated with weaning and marketing can cause immunosuppression, making animals more susceptible to respiratory disease and other infections. Preweaning vaccines help ensure protective antibodies are on board at weaning, which can help prevent and reduce the severity of disease.
“Work closely with your veterinarian to determine the products and vaccine schedules that make the most sense for your operation,” he says.
Deworming to reduce internal and external parasite load can help promote animal health and performance.
Cattle commonly consume infective nematode larvae while grazing, so strategic deworming as they are coming off of pasture into drylot or feedyard settings can make a lot of sense.
Implanting with growth-promoting hormone implants is very much an optional part of a preconditioning program.
Implants improve performance and feed efficiency and can improve profitability when cattle are retained long enough to take advantage of these improvements.
“In a strong cattle market where each pound of gain has great value, implanting may be worth considering,” he says. “Keep in mind the new FDA guidance and emphasis on not reimplanting within a phase of production unless the implant product is specifically labeled for reimplantation.”
He explains with this recent development, some buyers might prefer cattle that have not been implanted, so it may be worth thinking through the value of enhanced performance versus buyer preferences and demand at market.
Adapt cattle to feed like what will be fed after weaning.
“Creep feeding consistently increases weaning weight but may or may not be profitable depending on the cost versus value of gain,” Clark explains. “In the current market with significant value for every pound of gain, creep feeding may be worth considering.”
Even when not obviously profitable, creep feeding or some kind of supplementation can help calves adapt to new feeds and feeding systems. This should support a smoother transition throughout weaning.
Postweaning feeding programs should be well-balanced to support health and growth but modest enough to prevent foot and rumen issues and over-conditioning of animals.
“Buyers generally like cattle to be relatively ‘green,’ meaning they prefer to buy cattle that are not overly fat,” he adds.
Weaning is considered by some to be an integral part of the preconditioning process.
In fact, in some sponsored preconditioning programs, cattle are not truly preconditioned if not weaned for 45 to 60 days. Weaning allows producers to start cattle on feed, adapt them to the next phase of production, and treat any illnesses that might occur.
Consider low-stress weaning strategies such as two-step weaning, fence-line weaning, pasture weaning, etc., and think ahead about what might work for you. Weaned cattle should be past some of the most stressful and high-risk times and ready to enter the next phase of production.
Strive for excellence in the basics of animal husbandry.
Shelter, shade, bedding, water, feed and low-stress handling are all components of good animal care, and the most well-preconditioned animals are those that have been well taken care of from conception to marketing.
Daily care and record keeping are key components of preconditioning.
Create a plan for performing and keeping records of daily care, and develop a record-keeping system for treatment and feed records.
“Plan to check cattle daily throughout the weaning phase to look for signs of illness, develop a working relationship with a veterinarian and establish a treatment plan in case of illness,” Clark says.
Review recommended biosecurity protocols and implement as appropriate to protect the health of your calf crop. Prepare records that can be shared with buyers so they understand how cattle have been cared for, what products have been administered and what procedures have been done.

Clark summarizes preconditioning does several things. First, it enhances animal health, well-being and performance, and increases the odds that cattle will perform to their genetic potential. Additionally, preconditioning minimizes risk.

“In the current record-breaking cattle market, cattle are more valuable than ever, and with great value comes great risk,” he says. “Every illness, every mortality, every bout of weight loss and shrink hurts that much more than it would in a weaker market.”

Preconditioning can help manage that risk and improve the likelihood of success for producers in all phases of production. Consider preconditioning to optimize cattle health and performance and promote the success of buyers of your cattle.

Check out other calf weaning stories.

Don’t Waste Feed: Let Manure Scores Guide Cattle Nutrition

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 13:41:57 GMT

Evaluating cattle productivity often focuses on common benchmarks such as body condition, weight and feed consumption. Yet, there’s another informative — and sometimes ignored — performance indicator in plain sight: manure.

What comes out of the back end of your cattle can tell you a lot about your nutrition program. By utilizing a manure scoring tool, you can analyze your cattle’s manure and better understand how well the rumen is working to ensure your nutrition dollars are being used by the cow and not just passing through into their manure.

“Think of manure scores as a short-term report card on how the diet’s doing in the rumen,” says Ted Perry, Purina Animal Nutrition cattle nutritionist. “By scoring manure on the 1-5 scale, you can gain insight into the rumen environment, optimize your nutrition program and get more out of your feed resources.”

What do the manure scores look like and mean?

(Purina Animal Nutrition)

Manure score 1: The manure is more liquid than solid, with a cream soup consistency and possible gray color. The rumen isn’t functioning correctly, and what’s passing through is essentially water. This can also be an indication of acidosis and rumen upset. It is most commonly seen in feedlot diets.

(Purina Animal Nutrition)

Manure score 2: Manure doesn’t stack up properly. The manure pat is usually less than 1 inch thick and relatively runny or nearly liquid-like. The color will generally be the normal manure brown, typically experienced when forages are lush in the spring.

(Purina Animal Nutrition)

Manure score 3: This is the ideal manure score to aim for year-round in your cow herd. It has a normal manure pat form and will be relatively firm and retain its shape.

(Purina Animal Nutrition)

Manure score 4: The manure pat is thick and becomes more profound, yet it is not stacking. Rumen is not balanced for protein, carbohydrates and fiber degradability. It tends to happen when corn is added to the diet, and you’ll see undigested corn particles in the manure.

(Purina Animal Nutrition)

Manure score 5: The manure pat is firm and stacks over 2 inches high. It can also resemble horse manure in its look because undegraded fiber passes through the rumen. You can break open the manure and see the fiber.

How can you improve manure scores?

Manure score 1 requires the most significant diet change and will need a lot of fiber, usually in the form of hay.

“You’ll also want to work with a nutritionist to adjust the diet properly when the manure score is so low,” Perry says. “If the manure score is 2, ensure a quality mineral balanced for trace minerals is available, along with providing any supplemental fiber.”

When scores are higher (4 and 5), supplementation can bring the rumen back in balance by increasing forage digestibility. Using a cooked supplement like a tub or block helps regulate the manure score by feeding the rumen microbes appropriate amounts of starch, protein, vitamins and minerals.

“If you feed the rumen microbes properly, you’ll get better forage digestion,” Perry says. “For instance, it’s not uncommon to see cows grazing corn stalks with protein tubs having a manure score of 3 because the rumen microbes have been fed right.”

To maintain an ideal manure score of 3, adjust your supplementation and mineral as forages change.

“Forage quality constantly shifts throughout the year, so your nutrition program must also shift,” Perry says. “Adjusting the nutrition program based on manure score helps keep the cow herd in optimum body condition score (BCS).”

When should you gather manure scores?

Manure scores can be gathered throughout the year. A good time to utilize this tool is in tandem with body condition scoring to get an even better idea of how your nutrition program is working. If you currently work with a nutritionist to help body condition score your herd, they can also assist you with manure scores.

“It’s also a good idea to check manure scores whenever there’s a diet change,” Perry explains. “If you’ve moved the herd from one type of forage to a new one, like dormant native grass in late winter to wheat pasture, there will be a difference in the manure.”

Similarly, if you’re grazing pasture or feeding hay and consistently see a manure score of 5, it’s time to make a change with some supplementation and minerals. Three to four days after making a diet change is the ideal time to reevaluate manure scores because the rumen has had enough time to adjust.

“Much like body condition scoring, manure scoring can quickly tell you how your herd is performing and help you make important nutrition decisions,” Perry summarizes. “Incorporating this tool into your regular management routine can give you valuable insights to ensure your nutrition program is as efficient and effective as possible.”

Your Next Read: Key Nutrition Strategies for a Successful Weaning

Key Nutrition Strategies for a Successful Weaning

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 16:36:47 GMT

Keys to a successful weaning are reducing stress, supporting the calves’ immune systems and maintaining good nutrition.

Megan Van Emon, Montana State University Extension beef cattle specialist, shares these four nutritional strategies that are key to success at weaning:

Help calves learn to eat from bunks and drink from troughs before weaning if possible.
Provide high-quality feed immediately after weaning.
Ensure fresh, clean water is available.
Use palatable feeds to encourage calves to eat.

Jason Warner, Kansas State University Extension cow-calf specialist, says if producers are weaning calves and placing them in pens and are planning to deliver them a mixed ration, they need to remember that feed intake will be low initially but will gradually increase as calves transition and the initial stress due to the separation event subsides.

“When calves are first weaned, providing them with plenty of access to palatable, fresh, long-stem grass hay is always a good approach and gradually introducing them to a weaning ration over a period of several days,” Warner explains. “Feedstuffs low in starch and high in digestible fiber such as distillers grains or gluten feed are good choices to include in weaning and receiving diets.”

John Hall, University of Idaho Extension beef specialist, suggests a weaning diet of: 60% to 65% forage, 14% to 16% crude protein and around 65% total digestible nutrients (TDN)

“I prefer byproducts such as distillers grains, corn gluten feed, soy hulls — those kind of highly digestible fiber products — which don’t cause us big problems with acidosis and problems with rumen function that feeding straight corn or milo or something like that would cause,” Hall explains.

He emphasizes using high-quality forages and by-products to support rumen function and avoid digestive issues in newly weaned calves.

Hall also stresses a good mineral program is crucial for supporting immune function during the stressful weaning period. He encourages producers to focus on trace minerals — copper, selenium, zinc, manganese — and to use chelated or hydroxy mineral forms.

Hall shares these suggestions for producers to consider:

Work with a nutrition expert or consultant when formulating rations.
Use highly digestible fiber products.
Avoid straight corn to prevent rumen issues.
Supplement calves on pasture if possible.
Introduce new feed sources gradually.

If early weaning, Hall says: “For these early weaned calves, diets that are fairly high in forages are very important in terms of rumen function and calf health, and then enough energy.”

Ron Lemenager, Purdue University beef specialist, says a key principle is maintaining consistency in the ration. He suggests using the same creep feed during preweaning as the initial weaning ration to reduce stress and digestive disruption. This approach helps calves transition smoothly from milk to solid feed.

“I like to include an ionophore in my creep and weaning rations to help stabilize rumen fermentation,” he says. “When using byproducts like distillers grains or corn gluten feed, make sure to check the calcium to phosphorus ratio of the feed to prevent urinary calculi.”

Lemenager explains that the time around weaning is a critical “marbling window” between weaning and 9 to 10 months of age when strategic starch feeding can enhance meat quality. For replacement heifers, he recommends maintaining a high-fiber diet, while steers and market heifers should transition to more corn-based rations to develop intramuscular fat.

He stresses a weaning nutrition program isn’t one size fits all. Producers should consider individual herd characteristics, calf age and intended market endpoint when designing weaning nutrition strategies.

“The overarching goal is to support calf health, minimize stress, maintain growth performance and potentially improve future meat quality through strategic nutritional management during the critical weaning period,” Lemenager summarizes.

Your Next Read: Step-by-Step Weaning: How to Choose the Best Method

Open Heifers Explained: What You Need to Consider to Increase Preg Rates

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 21:09:29 GMT

A producer has a group of 112 heifers. The heifers were synchronized, and after a 45-day breeding season only 80% were confirmed pregnant.

During a recent “ Bovine Science with BCI ” podcast, Kansas State University veterinarians Brad White and Bob Larson explore potential causes for the issue — from bull problems to nutritional and health-related factors. They also share practical strategies and management tips producers can implement to improve reproductive success and set the herd up for a better breeding season.

Larson says, while the pregnancy rates weren’t optimal, the results weren’t catastrophic. The first breeding cycle performed well.

Reviewing the pregnancy data they determined:

57% of heifers became pregnant in the first 21-day breeding cycle.
After synchronization the heifers were artificially inseminated and then turned out with bulls. Larson says the goal or expectation should be 60% to 65% every 21 days so 57% is not too low.
39% of remaining heifers got pregnant in the second 21-day cycle.
Larson explains this is the rate that is the biggest problem and concern.
The final breeding period (about four days) added a few more pregnancies.

White explains about those who conceived in the first cycle, “Those heifers kept out of this scenario are going to be great cows for the herd. They’re bred at the right time.”

According to the veterinarians the potential reasons for the less-than-ideal pregnancy rates after the first cycle include:

Heifer Factors
Heifers were initially developed in a dry lot with a high body condition score (7 out of 9) then moved from dry lot to native range after initial breeding. Larson says the potential body condition loss could have impacted fertility as a negative energy pattern can pause a female’s estrus cycle.
Bull Factors
The producer turned out the 112 heifers with five bulls — three yearlings and two mature bulls. With the conception after the first cycle, the bulls had approximately 48 heifers to service. Larson explains the biggest concern is the synchronization created a concentrated breeding period and the bulls might have struggled with multiple heifers in heat simultaneously. Another fertility consideration is social dynamics and breeding behavior.
“The only solution I have for that is more bull power,” Larson says. “And that can get expensive, really fast, when you think about dollars per pregnancy during that second 21 days, when you know 60% of them are already pregnant.”

After reviewing the case, Larson gave these recommendations to the producer:

Target and maintain heifer body condition score around 6 (not 7)
Avoid significant body condition changes during early pregnancy
Carefully time movement from dry lot to pasture
Consider smaller heifer groups
Potentially rotate bulls between groups
Explore heat detection and re-breeding options
Evaluate bull power and allocation strategies

The discussion highlights the complexity of heifer breeding, emphasizing that multiple factors can influence pregnancy rates. Larson summarizes careful observation, strategic management and understanding the biological and social dynamics of the herd are crucial to improve reproductive success.

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Ionophores Explained: How They Enhance Livestock Gain

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 14:47:41 GMT

When I was growing up, my dad often told me to “work smarter, not harder.” There was always a lot to get done on the farm and I had the tendency to power through the work rather than think about an easier way.

Consequently, in my current job I like to discuss products or strategies to help a producer be more efficient. In livestock nutrition, a product that can help a producer be more efficient and “work smarter” is an ionophore.

What is an ionophore? Ionophores are feed additives that were developed to improve efficiency and prevent coccidiosis. The two most common ionophores utilized are monensin (Rumensin® and Monovet®) and lasalocid (Bovatec®). In addition to the improvement of efficiency (more gain/less feed), ionophores have a derived benefit of preventing and controlling digestive disorders such as acidosis and bloat.

How do ionophores work?

Ionophores improve feed efficiency simply by increasing the amount of energy available to the animal through selection of more efficient microorganisms in the gut. Ionophores are labeled for both grazing and feedlot cattle.

Oklahoma State Animal Science has historically led the charge in research around the use of ionophores for grazing cattle and there are benefits in a variety of grazing situations. For instance, cattle gain is improved 0.15 to 0.2 lb. by including an ionophore in a free-choice mineral.

An additional feeding strategy supported by a great deal of research recommends offering ionophores in small package supplements to grazing cattle to complement forage nutrients and ensure proper consumption. Performance varies depending on the forage base however the supplement plus ionophore lends an additional 0.2 to 0.4 lb. of daily gain. Note that cattle must have proper overall nutrition, adequate forage and have a healthy status to achieve optimum gains.

It should be emphasized that pure forms of ionophores are very potent and require extreme precision when added to blended feeds and supplements. When feeding ionophores in a pure form or within a supplement, label instructions should be strictly followed.

Monensin is toxic specifically to equine species and some monogastric animals. Ionophores can be toxic to any animal when overconsumed.

Increased gain across the board, less bloat and improved health for growing cattle of all stages — now that is what I call “working smarter.”

Your Next Read: Five Pre-Pasture Turnout Tips

Cow Herd Scorecard: Evaluating Performance Post Calving

Wed, 14 May 2025 21:59:31 GMT

Tracking performance and evaluating herd success is a year-round process. Similar to tracking athletes, consider developing a scorecard to monitor your herd.

Understanding how your herd is performing throughout the year is important when considering management, nutrition and culling decisions.

For spring-calving herds, now is the time to evaluate and review calving success and failures.

“This is a good time of year to review your records, and if the numbers aren’t where you want them to be, you can make management adjustments under the guidance of your veterinarian, nutritionist or another adviser,” says Jason Warner, Kansas State University cow-calf Extension specialist. Warner was a guest during a recent K-State Beef Cattle Institute Podcast .

A herd’s postcalving scorecard should include:

pregnancy percentages
death loss
calving ease/calving complications – prolapse or retained placenta
udder scores
body condition score
mothering ability and disposition
calving interval

Two areas Warner tells producers to focus on are the number of live calves born compared to the number of cows exposed to bulls at the start of the breeding season; and the number of cows that became pregnant early in the breeding season.

A top priority for Bob Larson, K-State veterinarian, is to have calves born early in the calving season.

“The goal is to have 65% of the calves born in the first 21 days, and 85% to 90% of the calves born within the first 42 days of the season,” Larson say. “If that happens, I know that the cows were in good body condition at the start of the breeding season and the bulls were fertile.”

Larson references USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring Service (NAHMS) for national averages on abortion and calf death loss.

“The national average is between 1% to 2% for calf death loss and that will vary from year to year within the same operation,” Larson said. “If the producer is calving out a high percentage of heifers, that can influence the calf death loss percentage.”

Scorecard Prep
Ron Lemenager, Purdue professor and beef Extension specialist, suggests producers consider creating a spreadsheet to calculate important percentages, prior to filling out their postcalving scorecard.

He encourages producers record and monitor these numbers each calving season:

Number of cows exposed
Number of cows pregnant
Number of cows pregnant / Number of cows exposed = % Pregnant
Number of pregnant cows kept to calve
Number of cows that calved
Number of cows that calved / Number of pregnant cows kept to calve = % Calving
Number of Live Calves
Number of Live Calves /Number of cows that calved = % live calves born
Number of live calves after one month
Number of difficult or assisted birth (dystocia, prolapse)
Number of cows with bad udders
Number of cows BCS 5 or 6
Number of cows with poor disposition and poor mothering ability
Number of cows that calved in the first 21 days
Number of cows that calved in the second 21 days
Number of cows that calved in the third 21 days
Number of cows that calved after 63 days

Lemenager explains using the spreadsheet to calculate the percentages can help producers identify specific problem areas in their calving and breeding processes and allows them to troubleshoot their herd’s breeding performance.

“Tracking herd performance allows producers to zero in on their problems and determine what issues are really facing the herd,” he summarizes.

Understanding the challenges facing a cow herd can help producers determine what nutrition or management strategies can be used to improve their herd’s postcalving scorecard in future years.

Your Next Read: Spring Cattle Processing Tips to Enhance Herd Health and Diminish Stress

Body Condition Scoring Bulls: Now is the Time to Make Sure Bulls Are Ready for Turnout

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 16:55:46 GMT

As cattle producers prepare for pasture turnout and breeding season, it is important to evaluate bulls and make sure they are ready to go to work. Along with breeding soundness exams to ensure a bull is fertile and ready for his job, another tool for producers to use is body condition scores (BCS) to make sure the bull is in good condition — not too skinny or too fat.

Phillip Lancaster, Kansas State University beef cattle nutritionist, and Brad White, K-State veterinarian, offer advice on how to assess bull body condition .

According to Lancaster, producers can use the same scoring system for bulls as they do females.

“We use the same system for all classes of cattle, 1 to 9 scale ,” Lancaster explains. “That scale is related to body fat composition.”

Bulls should be evaluated like cows: observing the amount of fat the bull is carrying on his back, ribs and hooks and pins.

“As an animal moves from one point on the body condition score to another, they are either gaining or losing body fat and potentially muscle mass,” Lancaster says. “If they start with a lower body condition score and lose weight, that change will lead to a decline in more muscle mass than fat. Conversely, if they are at the other end of the scale, the animal will lose more fat than muscle mass.”

Bulls require more weight change to move between BCS points due to their larger size.

“A rule of thumb,” Lancaster says, “is about 7% of their normal weight at a body condition score of 5 is what they should gain or lose.”

He gave the example of a 2,000-lb. bull that had a weight change of 150 lb. leading to a score change. In contrast, Lancaster says, a cow will shift a body condition score at 100 lb. due to the differences in size and muscle mass.

Monitoring BCS has special implications for yearling bulls who are still growing, White explains.

“Yearling bulls typically have a different body condition than mature bulls at pasture turnout, and the goal is to have the bulls in a positive energy balance heading into breeding season so that they can maintain it through the season,” he says.

Monitoring body condition scores is important year round. White reminds producers the goal should be to keep bulls in a positive energy balance during breeding season, which allows for fat deposition.

White also gave an example that for a cow to improve a body condition score the standard thought is to increase body weight 100 lb. At 2 lb. per day gain, it takes a female 50 days. In comparison, a bull will need longer, so it is important to be proactive.

“Now is the time to make sure the bulls are in the right body condition so that there is time for them to gain weight a head of turnout,” White says.

Your next read: Wanted: Bulls Ready to Work

Proactive Strategies for Managing Increased Mycotoxin Risk

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 17:37:00 GMT

Mycotoxins are natural substances produced by molds and fungi and are more prevalent in agriculture now more than ever before, according to 2024 U.S. Harvest Analysis released by Alltech. More than 95% of crops today are contaminated with at least one mycotoxin, and often with two or more. Mycotoxins are are difficult to detect and can cause significant damage to animal health before producers even realize their presence.

The comprehensive report determined the combination of heavy early-season rains and late-season droughts has created distinct challenges for crop producers in the United States and indicated that overall risk is moderate to high.

“The trend for corn grain and corn silage is somewhat higher across all regions of the U.S. than it was for 2023,” says Dr. Max Hawkins, global technical support for the Technology Group at Alltech. “This increase in risk is due to the occurrence and levels of type B trichothecenes primarily, but zearalenone and fumonisins are also included in the increase, particularly in the Eastern U.S. The result is an increased pressure on animal health and performance that producers will need to monitor moving forward to maintain a proactive mycotoxin management program.”

What can producers do to manage and mitigate mycotoxin risk?

Learn which mycotoxins pose the highest risk to specific regions, crops and species.
Test and monitor: Regularly test crops and feed to understand what’s present and to ensure high quality.
Leverage weather data: Pay attention to weather patterns and farm-specific conditions to assess potential risks early.
Use comprehensive information: Gather unbiased data from all aspects of your operation and tailor it to fit your specific needs.
Combine methods: Utilize both traditional techniques and new technologies to refine processes and ensure feed quality.
Act proactively: If mycotoxins are present, be proactive with management to ensure high-quality feed production, thus protecting animals and safeguarding your operation’s resilience and success.

Key points included in the analysis include:

Corn silage

The Upper Midwest showed higher risk due to DON than in 2023, while other regions showed a similar risk to 2023. Emerging mycotoxins and Type B trichothecenes had the highest prevalence.

Corn

The risk from corn grain is primarily DON and fumonisins. The risk in the East is similar to 2023, while the risk in the Midwest is greater than 2023, particularly for monogastrics.

The final mycotoxin risk will ultimately depend on the animal species and groups being fed and the mycotoxin concentrations and combinations in the finished diet, according to the report.

Testing includes samples of new-crop grains and forages collected from farms or animal feed production sites across the country, ensuring an accurate picture of mycotoxin contamination. All samples are tested at the leading-edge Alltech 37+® lab, which can detect the presence of 54 mycotoxins.

Can We Graze the Same Number of Calves when Wheat Pasture is Limited?

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 12:57:22 GMT

The performance of growing calves on wheat pasture can by increased by providing a small amount of a concentrate supplement carrying an ionophore and minerals that are deficient in wheat pasture . In many areas of Oklahoma and the Southern Plains, wheat pasture this year has yielded much less than our normal expectations, but there are economic incentives to graze as many calves on pasture as possible this winter. Additionally, there are several options available to offset the reduced forage allowance of wheat pastures this winter and maintain expected gains of grazing calves.

Using a Self-Fed Supplement
Providing grains or byproduct feeds free-choice in a bulk feeder has historically been an option when feed is cheap. Even though there is risk in feeding free choice, providing whole corn or ground grain sorghum choice results in as fed intake of 1.5 to 2.0% of bodyweight with doubling of stocking rates. This resulted in increased performance but required 9 to 10 pounds of concentrate supplement per pound of added gain. Based on current prices of calves and futures prices on feeders, the calculated value of gain is conservatively around $1.20 per pound. For a self-fed concentrate supplement to break even, feed costs should be $241/ton or less ($6.75/bushel of corn) which may work if you have corn or other feed grains locally available.

Hand-Feeding at a Moderate Supplement Rate
Research from the OSU Wheat Pasture Research Unit at Marshall (Horn and others 1995, Journal of Animal Science Volume 73, https://doi.org/10.2527/1995.73145x) showed that providing a concentrate supplement (based on either corn or a soyhull/wheat middling blend) containing monensin at 0.65 to 0.75% of body weight (for example, 4 pounds per day for a 533-pound steer) increased potential stocking rate by 33% and weight gains by 0.3 pounds per day. The increased stocking rate and increase in performance of grazing calves is a powerful economic tool in managing wheat pasture, with supplemental efficiency of 5 pounds of supplement required per pound of added gain per acre.

This supplementation program can also be used to “stretch” wheat forage when pastures were 60 to 80% of normal, allowing for “normal” stocking rates. Recently researchers at OSU (McNeill and others, 2020, Journal of Animal Science, Volume 98) stocked steers on wheat pastures at forage allowances of either 1.5 or 3 pounds of forage DM/pound of steer bodyweight with or without 3.3 lbs. per day of a wheat middling/soyhull feed blend. Steers on the higher forage allowance (3.0 lbs forage DM/ lb steer bodyweight) with supplementation gained the most (3.8 lbs/day) while unsupplemented steers on the higher forage allowance gained 3.6 lbs/day. Supplementation increased gains more for steers at the lower forage allowance where gains of steers stocked at forage allowance of 1.5 lbs forage DM/lb steer bodyweight increased from 2.5 to 3.2 lbs/day with supplementation.

Using Good Quality Hay or Silage
Intake of low-quality roughages is not high enough to offset wheat forage intake and can reduce performance of growing calves, but in the 1980’s, research showed that offering high quality roughages such as corn silage or sorghum double stocking rates on wheat pastures. This research was repeated by offering bermudagrass round bale silage to steers stocked at 1, 1.5 or 2 steers per acre with forage allowances going from 2.9 to 1.2 lbs forage/lb of bodyweight (Beck and others, Applied Animal Science, 2023, Volume 40). Offering round bale silage at the lowest stocking rate actually increased gains compared with steers at the same stocking rate without silage (3.15 vs 2.79 lbs/day). As we increased stocking rate, average daily gain decreased, but total gain per acre increased by 52% when stocking rates were doubled. Based on this research, we should be able to maintain our normal stocking rates on wheat pasture during the fall and winter with adequate ADG by feeding moderate quality forages even if wheat forage production is 50% below our normal expectations.

There are some feeding options available to us when the economic conditions are right, but forage conditions are lacking. Feeding either limited concentrate supplementation or moderate quality roughage during the fall can increase production stability and thus improve economic stability of the wheat stocker enterprise.

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McDonald’s USA, Syngenta and Lopez Foods Collaborate to Help Grow U.S. Beef Sustainability

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 13:29:00 GMT

McDonald’s USA, Lopez Foods, a multi-protein producer and long-term supplier to McDonald’s, and Syngenta North America, a leader in agricultural technology, announced that they are collaborating to increase feed efficiency, a move that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions released per pound of meat produced, as part of efforts to improve the overall sustainability of beef production.

The partnership leverages Syngenta’s Enogen^® corn, an exclusive in-seed innovation, shown to increase feed efficiency in cattle and thereby help reduce emissions intensity compared to other corn.

“At Syngenta, we’re convinced improving the sustainability of the global food system can be accelerated through innovation and collaboration,” says Justin Wolfe, President of Syngenta Seeds. “We’re proud of the great attributes of our Enogen^® corn, and how our work can help enable McDonald’s and their beef supply chain to deliver impact.”

“McDonald’s is starting with a priority ingredient for our company – beef,” says Kendra Levine, Director of U.S. Sustainability for McDonald’s. “We believe the innovative collaboration with Syngenta is an opportunity to help us make progress toward our science-based climate targets.”

The science behind Enogen^® corn is an alpha amylase enzyme that quickly converts starch to usable sugars, thus delivering more engergy to cattle while being easily digestible. University research has shown that feeding Enogen^® as silage or grain can improve feed efficiency by about 5%, according to Syngenta.

Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) shows potential for environmental savings resulting from this increased efficiency, including lower emissions of greenhouse gases and lower use of land, energy, and water per unit of production.Specific findings show that, per 1,000 head of beef cattle, this collaboration could potentially achieve annual savings of:

196 tons (178 metric tons) CO2e in GHG reduction
69 acre reduction (28 hectare) in land use for growing feed
6 million fewer gallons (22 million liters) of water used
231 thousand kilowatt-hours energy savings

McDonald’s plans to scale this program to help deliver over 164,000 metric tons CO2e per year.

New $20 Million Feed Mill Expansion Unveiled in Idaho

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:42:43 GMT

Beef and dairy producers throughout Idaho may soon be receiving steamflaked corn and calf grains from a newly expanded feed facility in the state. Scoular, a global agribusiness company based out of Nebraska, recently completed a $20 million expansion of its state-of-the-art feed blending facility located in Jerome, Idaho.

According to the company, the expansion adds a 120-feet high concrete feed mill, boosting the facility’s production capacity by 35% and delivers a 40% increase in storage capacity.

“Scoular’s mission is to deliver safe, reliable and innovative solutions to our feed and food customers around the world,” Scoular CEO, Paul Maass, said in a company. “This new investment is a perfect example of meeting our customers’ demands and bringing forward the ideal solutions. We are thrilled to continue to make growth investments in this important region and industry.”

Updates to the facility will help provide two new capabilities, including:

A steamflaking process that processes corn and barley into flakes and makes the feed more digestible for cattle. The corn is steamed, heated, then pressed into a flake.
A pellet mill to make feed pellets. Pellets are easy to transfer, handle and proportion for optimal nutrition. Feed pellets are typically used for feeding calves and beef cattle.

“The expansion shows Scoular’s customer-focused approach,” said Jeff Ackerman of Bettencourt Dairies. “Scoular is helping us provide the right nutritional profile to the animal at the right time. Tailor-made feed blends are essential.”

As the dairy sector continues to grow in the state, this expansion will provide both beef and dairy producers with an additional resource for purchasing feed.

“To see a company like Scoular expand means good news for producers,” added Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. “It gives producers more options for how they want to handle feed on their farms.”

This expansion not only provides more choices for producers but also reinforces Scoular’s commitment to bolstering the local agricultural community.

“Agriculture drives the Magic Valley’s economy, and Scoular has made it a priority to support the industry through innovation, state-of-the-art facilities and programs that support local producers,” said Andy Hohwieler, a Scoular Regional Manager based in Twin Falls. “With our latest investment, we look forward to creating new feed products that create solutions for end-users.”

Your Next Read: Beef-on-Dairy: How to Make Successful Semen Selection Strategies

Five-State Beef Conference Dates and Locations Set for 2024

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:42:42 GMT

Beef Extension teams of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas will be hosting the upcoming Five-State Beef Conference Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. The annual conferences cover topics important to beef cattle producers with locations rotating among the states each year.

This year the meeting series will kick off at the Cimarron County Fair Building in Boise City, Okla. on Monday, Sept 30. For more information about registering for the Boise City meeting, contact Kierra Ortega (Cimarron County Ag Educatory) at 580-544-3399 or Britt Hicks (OSU Panhandle Area Livestock Specialist) at 580-338-7300.

The meeting will also be held at the Coldwater Veteran’s Building/City Building (239 East Main) in Coldwater, Kan. on Tuesday, Oct. 1. For more information about registering for this location, contact Levi Miller (Camanche County Kansas Ag Educator) at 620-582-2411 or Britt Hicks (OSU Panhandle Area Livestock Specialist) at 580-338-7300.

Program agenda includes:

Market Update from Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University,
Dairy x Beef: Understanding Feedlot Performance and Carcass Characteristics by Casey Maxwell, Cactus Feeders
Optimizing Forage Efficiency: Enhancing Reproductive Performance & Development in Cattle, Emma Briggs, Kansas State University
Building Your Beef Herd: How Trace Minerals Can Improve Profitability by Ddee Haynes, Axiota Animal Health
Research Updates from Justin Waggoner, Kansas State University, Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University, Glenn Duff, New Mexico State University, Corey Moffet, USDA/ARS Southern Plains Range Research Station

Registration starts at 1:30 p.m. and the program ending at 7 p.m. with a beef dinner at each location. There is a registration fee of $20 with a preregistration deadline of Sept. 23.

Balancing Quality and Cost When Feeding Your Cow Herd

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:42:40 GMT

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could graze 365 days out of the year? Think about the feed, fuel, time and overall money you would save! While it’s a great goal to aim for, it simply isn’t realistic for all climates or ranches. If you fall into the category of cattlemen and women who simply must supplement feed at some point during the year, understanding the quality of your feed and how to reduce feed waste is vital to your success each year. Dr. Karl Hoppe, Livestock Systems Specialist at the Carrington Research Extension Center, offers insight into how cattle producers can better understand the nutritional requirements of their cows and how to pair that with the quality of feed they have available during Season 7, Episode 35 of the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast.

Body condition scoring is a common method of evaluating if your cows’ nutritional needs are being met. To use this information effectively, ranchers must know how long it takes to move their cows up a score if they are thinner than desired.

“When it comes to winter feeding, you need to think six months ahead,” Hoppe says.

Depending on the cow, there is approximately a 80-pound difference from one body condition score to the next. How long it will take you to make that gain depends on the genetics of your herd and a variety of environmental factors one being feed quality. To set your herd up for optimal performance, you must know what they need for nutrients and what our feed sources have to offer.

“People often think if cows are thin, they can just throw a few extra bales out for them,” Hoppe says. “This happens during cold, wintry days too. But the cows need energy, not just extra feed. We tend to miss this and don’t realize how much energy our cows need.”

The solution is simple, test your hay each year.

As soon as your hay is put up, you can test it and get results back within a few days. It is encouraged to test for energy, protein, calcium, phosphorus and trace minerals. However, it can be beneficial to test for toxins such as nitrates which are more common during dry years.

When it comes to collecting samples, Karl says, “Make sure you get at least a quart bag full of corings for an adequate sample.”

Additionally, it is wise to test bales from each field because there can be large variances between different types of hay and the land it was grown on. For those who grind and mix different quality hay, test before you grind as the ground hay pile isn’t mixed enough to offer a representative sample. If you don’t have a probe to collect samples, reach out to your extension agent, feed store or feed company representative for help. If you need to test feed that is supposed to be ensiled, be sure to allow this process to take place before collecting samples. For distillers, ask the plant or location you are purchasing from if they have averages for quality so you can formulate an accurate ration. Feed and hay samples can be sent to commercial laboratories that run these tests often. The National Forage Testing Lab website is a good resource for cattle producers to find a lab near them.

Testing the feed is one thing. Raising high-quality, cost-effective feed is another. We tend to do a lot of things like generations before us, but our cows and economy are not the same. This makes it important to explore different options and be flexible with our environment and weather to raise cost-effective, high-quality feed. This might look like grazing or haying different feeds like rye, barley, winter wheat, sorghum-sudan mixes, oats, forage sorghum or corn silage. From an energy standpoint, corn silage is a great feed source to include in your total mixed ration (TMR), which can also be cost-effective. Your location may also provide access to different byproducts such as wheat middlings, soy hulls, beet pulp or corn gluten-feed just to name a few examples. Hoppe helps North Dakota producers incorporate these into their rations.

You can raise it. You can test it. How do you make sure you don’t waste it?

There are numerous strategies to reduce feed waste depending on what and how you are delivering this feed. For those feeding a TMR, feed bunks are the best option to reduce waste. For round bales, look at different feeders to help keep the hay in the feeder and not on the ground. Karl reminds producers, “Cattle don’t waste high quality hay. Cattle do waste poor quality hay.” So, take this into consideration when deciding how and what to feed your herd. There are opportunity costs to consider when deciding to feed a TMR or stick to bales. Hoppe said, “It costs money to grind hay, run two tractors and own a mixer wagon; so if you own a small amount of cows it might be cheaper to let cows waste a greater percentage of hay rather than feed a TMR. But, don’t forget to consider the cost of that hay that is now considered bedding. Your hay could be $100/ton which is expensive bedding compared to $40/ton straw or stover.” Before you get into the argument of which option is best for you, be sure to know your costs to get the most accurate picture.

As we work toward increasing our grazing days and decreasing our feeding days, remember there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Start by knowing your costs, what resources you have available, the needs of your cows and your goals. From there, don’t be afraid to ask around and try new methods to determine which feeding strategies best fit your operation. And of course, TEST YOUR HAY!

Listen: Casual Cattle Conversations Episode 35

Read more on hay and forage:
Understanding Forage Quality Analysis
Options for Producers When Facing Short Hay Supplies

The Simple, Yet Most Essential Nutrient for Cattle

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 15:12:56 GMT

Article by Troy Walz, Nebraska Extension Educator and Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Beef Educator.

Water quantity and quality is critical to cattle health and performance. Hot weather and drought conditions can impact both water quality and quantity for cattle.

How Much Water Do Cattle Need?

There is an easy answer, and there is a right answer. A general guideline is that lactating cows need two gallons of water per 100 pounds of bodyweight per day. Bulls and dry cows need one to one and a half gallons of water per 100 pounds per day, according to the 2016 Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle.

Water needs are influenced by environmental temperature, class of livestock, weight, and stage of production. The warmer it gets, the more water cows need. Cows with nursing calves need more water than dry cows. As cattle gain weight, they need more water.

As an example, spring calving cows will need close to 20 to 24 gallons of water per day for themselves and another 5 to 10 gallons for their calf when it gets hot.

Some water comes from the feed they eat, and grass can be high in water content. Nursing calves meet some of their daily water needs with their dam’s milk. However, it’s best to plan on making sure cattle have access to the full recommended amount of good-quality water. It’s particularly important that calves are able to reach the water levels in a tank, especially in hot weather. If cows come into water first and drink a tank down, calves may struggle to get a drink if there is a slow recharge on the water tank. This can lead to stress and health problems for calves. Depending on the watering system, giving calves “creep” access to a water tank they can reach separate from the cows can help to ensure calves stay hydrated.

The importance of water to beef cattle is often overlooked, and cattle performance can be affected by water intake. Nutritionists balance diets for carbohydrate (energy), protein, vitamins, and minerals but water is the most critical of these nutrients. Several factors make water needs difficult to assess.

Because feeds contain some water, not all the water needs must be provided as drinking water. Feeds such as silages, green chop, or growing pasture are usually high in moisture, while grains and hays are low. When cattle consume feeds high in water content, they drink less water.

Amount of Water for Cattle Chart

(UNL)

Water quality for cattle

Water quality is important for cattle health and performance. It’s important to check water for nitrates, sulfates, and blue-green algae if a problem is suspected.

Nitrates

Nitrates are of elevated concern in drought conditions. The total intake limit for cattle is the combined amounts from both feed and water. So if you have feed that’s high in nitrates, but within acceptable limits, and water that is also high, but acceptable, the combination could exceed recommended limits and cause problems.

A safe level of nitrate nitrogen (NO3N) in the water for cattle is less than 100 ppm.
The sulfate upper limit for calves is less than 500 ppm (167 ppm sulfur as sulfate).
For adult cattle, the upper limit is less than 1,000 ppm (333 ppm sulfur as sulfate).

Symptoms of nitrate poisoning include brownish discoloration of the blood, difficult and rapid breathing, muscle tremors, low tolerance to exercise, incoordination, diarrhea, frequent urination, collapse, and death.

Blue-Green Algae

Blue-green algae can be toxic to cattle, and it grows in stagnant water, lakes, and ponds. When there’s a lot of blue-green algae, it makes the water look like someone has dumped a bucket of light green or turquoise paint in the water.

Signs of blue-green algae poisoning are diarrhea, lack of coordination, labored breathing, seizures, convulsions, and possibly death. More information on blue-green algae can be found in the BeefWatch article Blue-Green Algae Impacts on Cattle . Warm temperatures and sunlight can cause algae to grow rapidly, so keep an eye on that in both ponds and tanks. Routinely cleaning tanks and utilizing a copper sulfate treatment or chlorine treatment can help keep water tanks free from moss and algae.

Cattle standing in the water to fight flies, or walking through it to drink increases the solids suspended in the water, and the added nutrients from manure and urine may encourage algae growth. Limiting cattle access to only a portion of a pond can reduce pond water contamination. Pumping water in the deep part of a pond to a water tank is a way to still utilize pond water for cattle while reducing the risk of cattle consuming blue-green algae. Fly management can also help cut down on the amount of time cattle spend in the water. Read more about pasture fly management here.

Water Testing

Monitoring water quality is a way to manage risk. Knowing if there’s a problem before symptoms show up in the cowherd is the best way to prevent losses to cattle performance, or death.

Taking a water sample and submitting it to a lab for analysis may take a few extra minutes, but if you’re out checking water anyway, it’s not much extra effort for the knowledge that the water is safe. While ponds and dams are often the most questionable in quality, the water in tanks and troughs may also need to be tested. Occasionally, events such as drought or flooding may impact the quality of water from a well or other source of water that is being used for livestock. Testing the water provides information needed to know if the water is safe for use. There are a number of labs available in Nebraska where livestock water can be tested. Prior to collecting a sample, contact the lab for a test kit and collection instructions to ensure a representative sample is taken and that the lab can complete the analysis needed.

The Nebraska Extension Nebguide Water Requirements for Beef Cattle contains information on guidelines for meeting cattle water requirements, potentially toxic levels of substances that can be in water as well as instructions for treatment of water tanks utilizing copper sulfate.