Winter Feeding

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?

Calving and Cow Nutrition in Extreme Cold

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:10:34 GMT

Calving during the winter months can present some unique challenges. Cold and/or wet weather, higher birth weights, fewer hours of daylight and in most herds this is the time of year when we, as producers, are the primary source of nutrition provided in the form of harvested forage and supplemental feeds. What can we do to make calving in the late winter months as problem-free as possible? GET PREPARED!

Calving Kit and Facilities
Prior to calving Season it is important to take inventory of our facilities. Our working pens, chutes and alley ways need to be in good working order. If we have a calving barn or indoor facility remember to check cameras, batteries and light bulbs. We want all facilities ready BEFORE we find ourselves assisting that first heifer in the calving process.

To be fully prepared, have the following list of supplies in a cooler, bucket or tool box:

Colostrum, teat cannula and feeding bottle
Flashlight and batteries
OB Sleeves
Non-detergent lubricant
Antiseptic
OB chains and calf puller
Paper towels
Rope halter
Large cloth towel

Also, understand the three stages of bovine parturition . It’s important to know what to expect when a cow or heifer goes into labor in order to know when and how to provide assistance.

In regard to colostrum, sooner is better. If you come upon a newborn calf and are not certain it has adequately nursed. Administer colostrum via tube feeder as soon as possible. Insuring an adequate amount of colostrum is ingested by newborns is cost effective.

Cold Weather Impacts Nutritional Requirements
Cold, wet weather drives up cow nutritional requirements and cows should be fed accordingly. The Mesonet Cattle Comfort Advisor is an excellent tool for monitoring weather conditions and the impact they have on cattle.

According to the Mesonet Cattle Comfort Advisor, cow energy requirements increase 1% for each degree the cattle comfort index is below 32 degrees F. This energy need will double to 2% if the animal is wet to the skin. In regard to new born calves, consider that in the birth process they are leaving the cozy environment of their mother’s womb at a temperature of 101-102 degrees F and hitting the ground at temperatures as much as 100 degrees colder. Add in rain, snow, muddy ground or high winds and the situation can be catastrophic for newborns. While nature equips calves with a limited amount of brown adipose tissue which is burned internally to create heat for survival. Extreme cold can overwhelm the ability to create enough internal heat and hypothermia can occur. Calves suffering from hypothermia are more susceptible to naval infections, pneumonia and scours.

Best management practices for cold weather calving include:

Provide adequate wind breaks, shelter and bedding so cows can separate and calve in a warmer, dryer, protected environment.
Plan ahead to provide the additional protein and energy needs of cows during the final trimester of pregnancy and the beginning of lactation.
Sort first calf heifer from cows and manage accordingly. Heifers are inexperienced and more likely to need a higher level of attention during calving and the initial stages of claiming and raising a calf.

Mark Johnson, OSU Extension beef cattle breeding specialist, discusses calving in extreme temperatures on SunUpTV from Jan. 13, 2024, at

Your next read: Weathering Winter Challenges: Tips for Feedlot Success

What to Feed When There's Nothing to Feed

Sat, 27 Jan 2024 15:42:22 GMT

Many Missouri beef producers found themselves trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat as they rang in 2024 with low hay supplies, says University of Missouri Extension beef nutrition specialist Eric Bailey. He says post-drought feeding woes leave producers challenged with “what to feed when there is no feed.”

The severity of the drought in 2022 and 2023 may have been underrated, he says. Many areas of the state faced precipitation deficits of 12-20 inches in mid-November before entering winter – typically the driest season of the year. Mid-Missouri was among the hardest-hit areas, with 80% less precipitation than normal, but drought ravaged pastures throughout the state.

Effects of those deficits continue to carry over for the 43,000 Missouri cattle farms and ranches. Bailey says producers should strive to hold winter feeding costs to $5 or less per cow per day.

Bailey urges producers to look at their total mixed ration (TMR) to ensure that cattle receive adequate nutrition for good health, milk production and reproduction in the days ahead. TDN needs differ for lactating (62%) and (55%) dry cows.

Feed cows based on nutrient requirements, rather than appetite. Ask if bellowing cows are hungry or just wanting. Limit intake slightly – from 2.5% to 2.0% of body weight per day. Small reductions such as this should lower your feed bill but not adversely affect the cow’s health.

Bailey offers these tips for stretching your feed during the next few months:

• Check out MU Extension’s new Feedstuff Finder at https://feedstufffinder.org . The platform helps producers and consumers of feedstuffs find one another, cut transportation costs and manage tight winter feed supplies when feed costs and availability can be volatile.

• Switch up the menu based on your budget. Consider the cost of feeding hay vs. corn. Corn prices are low at the present and prices are high for hay, even poor-quality hay that may not offer good nutrition. Put a pencil to it and figure out which provides the most nutrition for the dollar.

• Reduce hay waste.

• Consider investing in farm infrastructure. This might be a good time to consider investing in covered storage for hay to reduce waste. Fences and watering systems can allow grazing of cornstalks.

• Ask if feed savings will offset paying for a mixer. Assuming you have a tractor, you can save $50 per cow. “Even if you have 100 cows, that’s a huge savings,” says Bailey.

• Always, always, always, look at your stocking rate and be ready to hitch the trailer. You can feed corn silage without a mixer as a high-nutrient, high-waste alternative. Exposure to air increases spoilage and decreases feed value and palatability. Knowing how the silage was put up will help you determine if it is a good value. If it smells like dirty feet, walk away.

Figure dry ton costs for the best deal. Corn silage at $80 per ton and at 35% dry matter amounts to $228.57 per dry ton. Corn at $5.32 per bushel is $223.54 per dry ton, and soyhulls at 13 cents per pound is $288.88 per dry ton.

Consider feeding cornstalks if you have fencing and a water supply. Limit cows to grazing cornstalks for two months or less, and allow an acre per cow per month. Protein intake is limited after the first 30 days on the same field as cows eat their way through leaves, husk and, finally, stalks and cobs. Also, consider soil compaction caused by grazing cattle.

The nutrient value of grazed cornstalks diminishes with time and need to be supplemented. Bailey recommends supplementing with 5 pounds of a 14% commodity mix per cow per day. The goal is to get 0.75 pounds of crude protein per cow per day.

He recommends guidance from your regional MU Extension livestock specialist and these resources from the University of Nebraska:

“Grazing Corn Stalks or Corn Residue?” https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch/2020/grazing-corn-stalks-or-corn-residue
“Keys for Corn Stalk Grazing,” https://beef.unl.edu/keys-corn-stalk-grazing
“Corn Stalk Grazing Calculator,” https://beef.unl.edu/learning/cornstalkgrazingcalc.shtml

Ammoniation of less palatable hay or straw also is an option. See https://extension.missouri.edu/news/ammoniation-stretches-hay-supplies-during-drought .

Another option in some parts of the state is cotton gin trash, which is the residual seeds, bolls, leaves and stems of the cotton plant left after harvest.

Learn more about calculating winter feed costs for beef cows at https://extension.missouri.edu/news/calculating-winter-feed-costs-for-beef-cows . You may also contact your regional MU Extension livestock specialist.

Winter Hay Supplies Higher

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 16:10:39 GMT

The Crop Production 2023 Summary recently released by USDA included data on hay production and December 1 hay stocks. All hay production in the U.S. was 6.3 percent higher year over year from drought-reduced production in 2022 but was 7.8 percent below the 10-year average from 2012-2021. Total alfalfa hay production in 2023 was 2.2 percent higher year over year but remains 9.8 percent below the 2012-2021 average. Total other hay production was up 9.5 percent year over year in 2023 but was 6.3 percent below the ten-year average. Total December 1, 2023 hay stocks were 6.9 percent higher than one year earlier but were 10.8 percent below the ten-year average from 2012-2021 (Table 1).

(Farm Journal)

Table 1 shows the hay situation for the ten largest beef cow states. These states account for 57.8 percent of the total beef cow inventory in 2023 and represent nine of the top ten states for December 1 hay stocks. Hay stocks in the top ten beef cow states were up 18.5 percent year over year but were 7.3 percent below the 2012-2021 average for these states. Total December 1 hay stocks in these states represented 52.8 percent of total U.S. hay stocks. Table 1 shows that hay stocks were higher year over year in eight of the ten states, with decreases only in Kansas and Kentucky. Among the top ten states, Oklahoma stands out with December 1 hay stocks up 96.7 percent year over year and 32.4 percent higher than the ten-year average. Oklahoma had 2023 hay production up 88.0 percent year over year and up 36.8 percent over the 2012-2021 average. Oklahoma and North Dakota were the only top ten beef cow states with December 1 hay stocks that were larger than the ten-year average.

In general, the hay situation is better this winter than one year ago, but hay stocks remain below long-term averages in most states. The current severe winter weather will significantly increase hay usage and highlights the reality that the overall forage situation is questionable going forward.

Winter Cow Syndrome: What You Need to Know

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 15:45:37 GMT

“Winter cow syndrome” is a term used to describe individual cows or groups of cows that experience a significant decline in body weight and condition over the winter – sometimes becoming extremely thin, even to the point of death. The cause is usually due to a combination of factors including: physical factors of the cow(s), feed quantity and characteristics, and weather.

Cows greater than 10 years of age tend to be at higher risk for “winter cow syndrome” because some cows in this age group will have “broken mouths” or no teeth. While these cows may be able to maintain body weight when grazing growing forage, they are at risk of losing weight on dormant forage or hay.

In addition, heifers that are still growing have greater energy needs than mature cows and are also at risk for “winter cow syndrome.” Cows with other disease problems such as pneumonia, liver disease or severe parasitism (lice or intestinal worms) increase their risk for “winter cow syndrome.”

Feed quality is an important factor contributing to “winter cow syndrome.” Many extremely thin cows have a rumen full of poorly-digestible forage. Mature dormant forage or hay harvested when the plant was mature tends to have high lignin content, low protein, and low available calories.

Because high-lignin/low-protein forages have a very slow passage rate through the digestive tract, cows eating these types of forages are able to consume only about one-half to two-thirds the number of pounds of forage per day compared cows eating higher-quality forage. This combination of low intake and low available energy per pound of feed can easily result in cows losing weight very rapidly even when eating all they can consume.

In addition, mature forages are often borderline to deficient in phosphorus, occasionally deficient in calcium, and also low in vitamin A. Calcium content of many types of grass decreases somewhat as forage matures and becomes dormant but usually maintains levels that supply dietary needs throughout the year. However, by mid-winter phosphorus levels in forage can decrease greatly, particularly for some types of forage. The content of both calcium and phosphorus in forage is not the only important variable – intake also plays a critical role. When forage is dormant or of poor quality and intake is decreased, phosphorus and calcium intake can drop below minimum levels even when cows are grazing what appears to be adequate forage according to laboratory analysis.

Vitamin A is the vitamin most likely to be deficient in cattle diets and although carotene (which is converted to vitamin A) is plentiful in green, growing forage; large losses take place in the curing and storage of roughages. Particularly, hay cut in the seed stage and exposed to rain or to extended periods of sunshine prior to baling has lost most of the carotene content. While it is true that while grazing green forages, cattle can store vitamin A in the liver for 2 to 4 months, cows consuming dormant forage or poor-quality hay for several months can deplete these reserves.

Cows are able to withstand cold winter temperatures as long as they have a dry winter haircoat and adequate body fat. Cows in adequate body condition with a dry haircoat will start to require additional energy to maintain their body temperature when the wind-chill drops below freezing (32 °F) until the cows adapt to the lower temperature – in general, about 1% more energy for each 1 °F below freezing. For example, if the wind-chill averages 20 °F over several days, cows with a dry winter haircoat will require 12% more energy than cows exposed to temperatures above freezing.

The greatest weather stress occurs if hair becomes wet or mud-caked – in which case, the critical temperature rises to about 59 °F and cows require 1 to 2% more energy for each decree of wind-chill below 59 °F. In this situation, an average wind-chill of 20 °F results in cows needing about 40 to 80% more energy just to maintain their current weight. When intake cannot meet this requirement, body fat will be mobilized to supply the deficient energy.

Prolonged periods of exposure to low wind-chill temperatures (especially if the haircoat is not dry) coupled with poor quality forage where intake physically cannot be increased, results in rapid weight loss. If cows are thin to start with, the combination of poor quality forage and low environmental temperatures will lead to extremely thin cows that may be low in phosphorous and vitamin A (and potentially other nutrients) and these cows are often unable to rise (i.e. downer cow).

The likelihood that a downer cow due to “winter cow syndrome” can return to health and productivity is low to very low depending on the severity of the weight loss, the current level of environmental stress, and the availability of high quality forages and supplements.

The best strategy to prevent “winter cow syndrome” is twofold. First, “mouth” and body condition score the cows in the fall and cull any gummer and broken-mouth cows and separate thin cows and feed them so that they gain weight and are in adequate condition by the start of colder weather. Second, have a good forage management and winter supplementation plan that results in cows that maintain adequate body condition throughout the year.

On native range, dormant winter forage will likely need protein supplementation to ensure adequate intake and digestibility of mature plants; in addition, energy may need to be supplemented during periods of cold stress. The amount and type of winter supplementation of hay will depend on the quality of the hay being fed.

Cows consuming high-quality hay may require no additional supplementation. However, if the hay has adequate protein, an emphasis on energy supplementation may be required during periods of environmental stress. If low-protein hay is being fed, protein may need to be supplemented as well.

For herds that calve starting in late winter or early spring, late winter coincides with the last 50 days of gestation and the early post-calving period. Cows in late gestation require about 1.8 pounds of protein per day and about 11.3 mega-calories of energy (if not cold-stressed). Once cows start lactating, their protein and energy requirement increases dramatically. Early lactation cows will require about 2.5 pounds of protein per day and about 16.4 mega-calories of energy.

Cows can be supplemented with a variety of feeds with the best feed for a particular situation depending on cost, availability, and ease of handling. Good quality grass or legume hay, by-product feeds such as wheat mids, corn gluten feed, distillers grains or soy hulls, commodities such as corn or whole soybeans, and commercial cubes or tubs are all potential winter supplements. Regardless of the source, the total diet of forage and supplement should supply adequate energy, protein, salt, phosphorus, and calcium.

In addition to a good forage management and supplementation plan, it is wise to have contingency plans for thin cows as well as for extreme weather events. If you identify some cows that have lost body condition during the winter, they should be separated from the herd and fed a higher energy diet. In addition, extra feed should be available for periods of extended cold temperatures to avoid excessive weight loss.

Protein Supplementation: What to Know Before Purchasing

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 17:19:44 GMT

Daily energy intake can be a limiting factor for cow performance while grazing winter range or dormant forages.

As forages advance in stages of maturity, there is an inadequate supply of crude protein, which effectively limits energy intake and overall intake itself. Intake declines rapidly as forage crude protein falls below about 7%, a relationship attributed to a deficiency of nitrogen (protein) in the rumen, which inhibits activity of the rumen microbes. If the forage diet contains less than about 7% crude protein, feeding a protein supplement generally improves the energy and protein status of cattle by improving their forage intake and digestion.

Consequently, cows consuming low-quality forages require additional protein.

Protein supplements can be offered to cows daily, three days a week, or as infrequently as once per week and maintain adequate performance.

As a rule of thumb, feeding 0.3 to 0.6 pounds of crude protein per day during late gestation to mature cows maintains cow performance and fetal growth.

Supplemental protein is available in many forms including cakes, grain mixes, blocks, tubs, or forages, and ranges in overall crude protein content. To make it more complicated due to the rumen and rumen fermentation, not all proteins are created equal.

Crude protein can come from natural protein sources, non-protein nitrogen sources (ie., urea or biuret), and frequently a mixture of the two. An additional consideration may be the ratio of ruminally degradable protein to rumen undegradable protein.

Rumen degradable protein is the type of protein that is degraded or utilized by the rumen microbes. Rumen undegradable protein is protein that is protected from degradation at the rumen and will be absorbed or utilized by the cow.

More information about differences and the importance of each type can be found at in this University of Nebraska-Lincoln article .

Non-protein sources, like urea, are generally a less expensive form of protein and utilized in cooked molasses tubs and liquid molasses feeds. Urea works best with high-energy diets that contain crude protein levels below 12 percent.

When using poor quality forages, cattle performance can be reduced if urea is supplemented in place of higher quality, natural protein supplements with feedstuffs like dried distillers, soybean meal or cottonseed meal. This is likely the result of insufficient rumen undegradable protein in the diet to meet the actual protein needs of the cow.

In addition, urea has a rapid rate of degradation in the rumen, which can result in lack of nitrogen use for forage digestion and result in increased nitrogen (protein) loss in urine. Even slow-release forms of urea (biuret) are usually not effective in improving urea use in forage-based diets due to nitrogen recycling of the rumen and liver.

In developing a protein supplementation strategy, it is important to consider what is the goal of feeding the protein supplement and that not all protein sources are equal. For instance, two 30% CP supplements can result in completely different performance depending on both type and percentage of the type of protein in those two supplements.

As a reminder, the cow and the rumen microbes both have requirements for protein, which may not be the same type of protein. Research has shown that meeting the rumen microbe requirements for nitrogen first with the remaining portion of crude protein being rumen undegradable can result in increased growth or weight gain, increased reproduction, and increased nitrogen or protein utilization.

Get Ready for the Next Cold Snap

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 14:15:15 GMT

Cows tend to lose their acclimation to cold weather when we have a series of nice thermoneutral days. Condition of cows and their hair coat can play a large part in their tolerance to colder conditions.

Cows in good body condition, those with body condition scores of 5 to 6, with good thick winter hair coats have a lower critical temperature around 32° Fahrenheit. Thin cows with thinner hair coat are at more risk with lower critical temperatures of around 40° F, while cows with wet haircoat have lower critical temperature of 59° F.

For each degree below the lower critical temperature energy requirements increase by 1%. With wind chills down to expected to get below 0° F, maintenance energy requirements will increase by up to 30 to 40%.

When cows get below their lower critical temperature and get into cold stress, they can adapt by increasing feed consumption to increase their basal metabolic rate and increase heat of fermentation.

Research indicates cattle consume 105% to 110% of predicted intake when temperatures drop below 22 degrees F and up to 125% of predicted intake when temperatures drop below 5 degrees. When acute cold stress occurs from a storm front moving in quickly cows can have a 50% cut in intake through grazing behavior changes and water intake decreases.

So along with the increase in maintenance energy requirements the temperature reductions, decreased intake puts them in even more of an energy deficiency. For wind chills of minus-20 degrees F or lower, feed intake may be reduced because cattle are reluctant to leave sheltered areas.

The next arctic blast can create significant dangers for animal health and production. OSU Extension cold-weather recommendations include:

Make sure cattle have access to as much hay as they want to eat. Ruminal fermentation helps keep the animals warm.
If increasing concentrate supplementation rates to help offset energy deficiencies, it is best to provide feed concentrate supplements every day.
Feed cattle beside or in a grove of trees or some other windbreak that is large enough for all the animals gathered. The better the windbreak, the lower the animal’s cold stress.
If there is no natural windbreak available near a water source, a quick and simple one can be made by placing a line of round bales of straw or low-quality hay where cattle can bed down.
Ensure cattle have unrestricted access to unfrozen water. If water intake is limited, hay intake is reduced and ruminal fermentation is affected.
Feed cattle relatively close to their water source. The farther away the water source, the longer they will wait to get a drink.
Unrolling low-quality hay as bedding will provide some relief from the extreme temperatures.

Paul Beck discusses management of cattle in cold weather on SunUpTV from February 6, 2021 https://video.okstate.edu/media/Cattle%20%26%20Cold%20Weather%20(2_6_21)/1_vca5rntt

Swath Grazing

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 19:02:35 GMT

By Adele Harty and Olivia Amundson

Feed makes up the largest expense on a cow/calf operation. In addition to the initial expense, producers need to consider the storage and waste associated with winter feeding in the northern United States. As expenses increase, and producers evaluate more-efficient management techniques to lower production costs, one alternative may be to incorporate swath, or windrow grazing. Swath grazing can be utilized with various crops and can improve utilization of the crops for feed, while decreasing fuel, harvest and feeding costs and also improving soil health.

Swath grazing is the practice of cutting hay, small grains or forage crops and leaving them in windrows for livestock to graze during the winter months. Rather than having the expense of baling the hay, moving it off the field and feeding it in the winter, the feed is left in windrows, and cattle are allowed access to a limited number of windrows at a time as a means to reduce winter feed costs and increase soil fertility.

Benefits of Swath Grazing

Swath grazing has its benefits in the Midwest, where colder temperatures and snow accumulation regularly occur. If utilizing a small grain crop, such as, but not limited to, millet, sudan or sorghum, swath grazing may provide an additional opportunity to utilize the forage.

A study conducted at Iowa State University evaluated forage quality and utilization of swath grazing on the cow herd. Millet and sorghum were harvested in late July as a hay crop, allowed to regrow, and the regrowth was cut and raked in late December for a swath grazing trial. Cows in their third trimester of gestation were moved from corn stalk residue to the swaths, where they grazed in a similar method to intensive grazing. Cows were given enough swaths to graze for three days at a time, and then fencing was moved and cows were given access to the next section. Cow behavior became similar to that of an intensive grazing system, as cows became trained and knew what to do when they were supposed to move. The logistics of moving fencing during the winter can be a challenge, depending on temperatures and the situation, so take that into consideration, as ground temperature will affect fencing being moved during the rotation.

The nutrient value of the feed did decline toward the end of February when cows were switched over to a TMR; however, they saw no detrimental effects to the calves as a result. Cows were able to utilize the feed with up to 12 inches of snow accumulation and temperatures of -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Forage utilization was up to 70%, which makes swath grazing a cost-effective option in comparison to putting the forage in bales. With swath grazing, operating equipment and labor decrease, as harvesting and moving bales or manure hauling are minimal. The study also found that grazing crop residue was minimal and did not affect regrowth of a perennial forage crop, thus allowing grazing to occur on a hay field or permanent pasture.

From a soil health perspective, swath grazing increases soil health through manure and urine distribution. In a dry year, it helps create a potential seedbed and improved filtration by breaking soil crust, fully trampling all the non-eaten materials, and spreading out dung piles, making them less fly friendly. This also provides a food source for soil microbes, thus increasing fertility of fields in the long-term.

Considerations of Swath Grazing

This can be a more labor-intensive method of grazing and mimics a management-intensive grazing system. The labor required is to move the cattle and fencing in relation to appropriate stocking density, but it is important to compare daily feeding of harvested forages to determine if there truly are labor differences. A reliable winter water source will be vital to the success of this system and could increase labor and time requirements.

It’s also important to consider animal performance for those animals that are utilizing the swaths. As the forage quality declines, this system may not be suitable for lactating cows, as their nutrient requirements are the highest. However, applying this method to cows in mid-to-late gestation, stocker calves or replacement females, could be a cost-effective and efficient alternative.

Winter Management Strategies of Herd Bulls

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 14:16:22 GMT

Bulls are often a part of the cow herd that slips through the cracks during the winter months as breeding seasons come to a close. All things considered, the working season for a herd bull is relatively short, with an active breeding season of 60 to 90 days for most producers.

When winter weather moves in, and the bulls are pulled from the cow herd, it is imperative to manage herd bulls properly to prevent frostbite of the testes and properly manage body condition score before the next breeding season. Bull management strategies during the winter months can impact a bull’s performance in the upcoming breeding season.

Frostbite
Frostbite presents as a scab, discoloration, and/or sloughing of the bull’s scrotum. These tissue damages limit or prevent the ability for a bull to regulate testis temperature. This is caused by the inhibition of the raising and lowering of the testes that occurs naturally. Come breeding season, this can result in a decrease in fertility.

Dry areas to lay are important to consider when wintering bulls. These areas can be achieved by providing bedding or areas within a pasture that provide adequate cover from wind and snow. Wet and cold conditions increase the risk of frostbite. Table 1 illustrates the effect of frostbite severity of semen quality.

(Farm Journal)

Nutrition
Nutrition of bulls depends on a variety of factors, including age and weight loss that occurred over the breeding season. Mature bulls that are in good condition following breeding season can be managed on pasture or an all-forage diet without supplementation, as long as the forage contains 8 to 10 percent crude protein and is available daily at 2 percent of body weight.

Yearling bulls following their first breeding season are still growing and require more energy and nutrients regardless of condition when compared to mature bulls. A ration developed for young bulls should target an average daily gain of 1.5 to 2.0 pounds dependent on weight lost during the breeding season. A diet crude protein of 10 to 11 percent should be targeted for young bulls. Regardless of diet available and the age of the bull, a good vitamin and mineral program should be followed.

Body Condition Score
At the beginning of the breeding season, ideally bulls should have a body condition score (abbreviated as BCS) of 6. This BCS allows for bulls to lose some weight during the breeding season without negatively impacting sperm quality. It is common for bulls to lose 100 to 200 pounds over the breeding season.

In contrast, over-conditioned bulls are not able to efficiently do their job of breeding cows. At higher body condition scores, fat deposition within the scrotum increases, resulting in poorer thermoregulation of the testes. This reduction in temperature regulation decreases overall sperm quality. To prevent last-minute efforts to improve condition score, producers should evaluate their bull’s BCS 90 to 120 days prior to turnout to provide adequate time to improve or decrease body condition if necessary.

Housing and Exercise
Bulls should be housed in a pen large enough to allow for adequate exercise. Additionally, a large pen allows for the less-dominant bulls to move away from more-dominant bulls. Bulls will fight to determine social ranking; however, providing space for animals to get away from each other may reduce injuries. If bulls are being fed at the same time, 24 to 30 inches of feeder space should be provided per head to allow access for all animals and lessen incidences of fighting.

It is important to provide room for exercise to keep bulls in shape for the next breeding season. If proper exercise is not permitted, bulls can lose their endurance and struggle to keep up in the beginning of the breeding season, resulting in a potential reduction of cows bred during the beginning of the season. Exercise can be encouraged by placing feed and water on opposite ends of the pasture. Ideally, the winter housing area would be located away from cows to allow bulls to fully focus on eating and other behaviors rather than breeding cows.

Mineral and Vitamin Considerations When Drylotting Cows

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 18:30:15 GMT

Managing cows in a drylot can be a way to maintain the herd when forage production is reduced due to drought or as a part of a system when pasture is unavailable for other reasons. When cattle are managed in a drylot over an extended period of time, minerals and vitamins that need to be supplied can vary significantly from those needed when cows are grazing.

The most common vitamins and minerals to be impacted by deficiencies or antagonisms when feeding production cows in confinement are Vitamin A, Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), and Zinc (Zn).

Micronutrient Considerations When Using Stored Feeds

Vitamin A is typically low in stored forages and concentrates and these feeds usually will not meet the requirements of the cow. Brown forages are basically devoid of vitamin A. Of the stored forages, green silage contains the most vitamin A. However, high quality corn silage, that is still green, contains 2 to 3 times that of high quality green hay and is still 5 times less than fresh green grass.

Cows grazing green grass can meet their needs and will build up vitamin A storage in the liver. These stores can help meet their needs when consuming stored feeds short term (3 to 4 months). However, when feeding stored feeds over longer periods (more than 4 months), greater vitamin A supplementation is needed. Commonly, it is suggested to supplement 42,000 IU/day for a 1300 lb non-lactating cow, and when lactating, her requirement increases to 59,000 IU/d. Therefore, 4 oz of free choice mineral would need to contain 168,000 IU/lb for a dry cow and 234,000 IU/lb for a lactating cow. However, these recommendations likely assume that cows will have body stores to use in addition to what is found in the diet.

In long term drylot situations, a few herds have experienced significant calf health issues and losses. When the vitamin A status of the cows and calves were evaluated, they were deficient in vitamin A. The amount of vitamin A needed to maintain status of cows when managed on stored feeds long term is not currently well known. Observational data would suggest at least 100,000 IU/d or 400,000 IU/lb in a 4 oz mineral is needed to maintain adequate vitamin A status when managing cows solely in the drylot. This is especially true for cows consuming diets with little to no green forage.

Low Quality Forage Plus Distillers Diets

Low quality forages such as corn residue, straw, and mature hay are low in micronutrients. This means that when these feed resources are staples of a cow diet, particular attention to the mineral supplement program is needed.

In many confined production cow diets, the most inexpensive diets include limit feeding low quality forage and distillers grains. These diets may contain 20 to 50% of the diet dry matter as distillers. Distillers has a high phosphorus (P) content and will supply all that is needed by the cow. In fact, additional calcium is needed to balance the P. When 20% distillers is being fed, a minimum of 12% Ca in a 4 oz mineral is needed. When the diet consists of 50% distillers, the 4 oz mineral needs at least 26% Ca.

Distillers have a relatively high sulfur content, which can increase the need for Cu but also Mg. Some lactating cows limit fed distillers and low quality forage have exhibited signs of “grass tetany”, such as muscle twitching, irritability/aggressiveness. Blood samples in some of these cows indicated low blood Mg. In a forage based diet, elevated sulfur can negatively impact absorption of Mg from the rumen. The solution to this problem is just to feed more Mg. When feeding these type of diets to lactating cows, having 10% Mg in a 4 oz mineral mix should be sufficient.

When feeding distillers plus low quality forage (corn residue/straw) based diets, it seems a minimum of 2000 ppm of Cu, 4000 ppm of Zn and 2000 ppm Mn is needed in a 4 oz mineral to maintain adequate status of cows.

High Quality Alfalfa Hay for Lactating Cows

High quality alfalfa hay can be high in crude protein but is also high in potassium which can interfere with magnesium absorption leading to “grass tetany.” Due to the greater need for magnesium, early lactating cows are most at risk and can die of low blood magnesium, if they are not provided with extra supplemental magnesium. A good target is 10% magnesium (Mg) in a 4 oz mineral mix. Supplemental magnesium can also be added to the diet or hand fed energy supplement at a rate of 5 lb of magnesium oxide per 100 cows.

Special Consideration with Silage

Using silage can result in a need for additional supplemental Mn, if the silage is high in iron. In the past few years, several cases of Mn deficiency have been observed in cow herds that were fed silage as a major component of the diet. Calves born to Mn deficient cows can be weak and small and develop enlarged joints and/or laxity in joints, which makes it hard for them to stand. While these situations are not common, it is good to be aware and take preventive measures if needed. The culprit is dirt contamination of the silage resulting in high iron. During the ensiling process, the iron in dirt is converted into an available form that can be absorbed by the cow and will compete with Mn for absorption into the animal. The best thing to do is to test your silage for iron. If the iron is 200 ppm or above, then feeding higher amounts of Mn is needed. For a 4 oz mineral, 3000 to 5000 ppm of Mn may be needed depending on the amount of iron.

Custom Mineral Mixes Can be Helpful

Given that the needs of cows drylotted long term can be unique, it is hard to find a commercial mineral that checks all the boxes. Using a “co-product balancer” when feeding these high distillers diets can provide the high Ca, Cu, Mn and Zn that the cows need. However, they often fall short on Mg and vitamin A. It can be worth checking with local mills to see if they can custom mix a mineral. If their minimum batch size fits with your operation’s needs, this can often be a great way to meet the cows’ needs and lower costs.

Many of the prepackaged minerals have added features and the associated added costs. Some of these features, such as weatherization may not be needed, when adding mineral to the diet each day. Shopping around with the mills in the area can also pay, as there can be considerable differences in what they charge for mixing and handling.

Having a good mineral and vitamin program can have a huge impact on calf health. A good mineral program does not have to be expensive, nor is cost correlated with effectiveness. It is worth taking some time and evaluating your program to determine if changes would be beneficial. These guidelines are not one size fits all. Testing feed and water sources can always help determine supplementation needs. Consulting with a local nutritionist or someone from your local extension office can help you develop a program that will work best for you.

The authors would like to thank NCR-SARE for the support provided through the grant LNC19-418.

Strategic Feedlot Bedding

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 14:15:16 GMT

Feeding cattle in the winter is not for the faint of heart. Frigid temperatures combined with wind, snow and ice test every aspect of animal husbandry in the quest to provide the best care for livestock and maintain performance and profits.

Providing bedding is one of the time-tested strategies for dealing with winter weather. But how does bedding affect the bottom-line? Providing bedding does increase costs, not only from material costs, but also the additional labor requirements.

Examining Bedding Impacts

Research recently conducted at South Dakota State University (SDSU) by Dr. Zach Smith and his graduate student Dathan Smerchek examined the effects of bedding on efficiency and estimated maintenance requirements during different weather conditions. They conducted two different experiments during two time periods in 2019:

Experiment 1, January – July 2019: Finishing study
Experiment 2, October – December 2019: Receiving study

The early months of 2019 were remarkable for the extreme winter weather conditions experienced. The average temperature and wind chill during the first 36 day of the experiment were 5.2° and 0.3° F, respectively with average values of 39.8° and 37.3° F for the entire feeding period. The second experiment was conducted under more moderate weather conditions with average temperatures and wind chill values of 26.5° and 22.8° F, respectively.

The researchers compared no bedding vs. putting out sufficient wheat straw so that each steer had a dry area to lay down. All pens were concrete surfaced. In Experiment 1 the bedded steers were provided 4 lbs. per head per day of wheat straw, on average while in Experiment 2 the bedded steers received 2 lbs. per head per day of wheat straw.

Table 1 shows the results of the studies. During the first 36 days of the Experiment 1, bedding had a dramatic effect on cattle performance. Bedded steers gained 1.08 pounds per day faster on the same amount of feed resulting in a 49% improvement in feed efficiency. Benefits from bedding were partially maintained even after winter stress ended as shown by improved ADG and feed efficiency for the entire period. Steers that were not bedded required 35 more days on feed to reach a similar fat endpoint as the bedded steers.

Bedding also improved performance in the second experiment conducted under less severe conditions, although not to the same degree. There was a 5.6% improvement in feed efficiency when calves were provided bedding during the receiving phase in that study.

(Farm Journal)

Economic Benefits

The economic benefits to bedding are clear under severe winter conditions. If we assumed 24 pounds of dry matter intake of a diet costing $300/T of dry matter plus 45 cents per day yardage, the additional 35 days on feed required for the non-bedded steers cost $141.75 If straw or corn stalks cost $120/T and bedding increased labor and machine costs by 10 cents per head per day, the net result would be approximately $93 per head cost reductions over a 143 day feeding period. Under less extreme conditions such as those in Experiment 2, bedding is closer to a breakeven proposition.

It is important to remember that health effects were not measured in these small-pen studies, so there is not accounting for any animal health benefits related to bedding. Also, cattle feeders who also manage crop acres would recapture some of the bedding expense as crop nutrients when spread on fields. Cattle most likely to benefit from bedding are light-weight, newly arrived calves, and cattle that are the closest to slaughter weight.

Cattle feeders in the northern plains should look at bedding as effective risk mitigation strategy. Using tools, such as the SD Mesonet Livestock Stress Tool along with precipitation forecasts can provide additional guidance when livestock bedding will be most effective.

Key Takeaways

Bedding cattle during extreme cold conditions dramatically reduces maintenance energy costs and improves gain and feed efficiency with potential carryover effects to the end of the feeding period.
Bedding during more moderate weather conditions also improved cattle performance, but to a lesser degree.
Providing bedding is a viable management strategy to mitigate the impacts of winter on cattle performance, especially under severe conditions.
Priority groups should be light-weight new arrivals and cattle nearly ready for slaughter.

Forage Testing is Good Management

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 16:07:43 GMT

All living things require nutrients for survival. The most basic of these are protein, energy, vitamins, minerals and water. Testing forage and feed for nutrient quality helps ranchers ensure they are meeting nutrient requirements for optimum beef cattle performance.

“Compared to a human, a beef cow needs to be supplied with a massive amount of nutrients daily to meet requirements for movement, fetal growth, temperature maintenance, digestion, milk production and other functions,” says James Rogers, North Dakota State University Extension forage crops production specialist.

Young cows require additional nutrients for body growth until they reach maturity. Thin cows require additional nutrients to restore body condition. For beef cowherds, forages (grazed pasture and range, hay, silage) are the backbone for meeting this nutrient demand.

Protein content is the first nutrient ranchers must consider in forage. In the rumen of the cow, bacteria require protein in order to efficiently and completely digest forage. If protein levels are not meeting animal requirements, forage intake is reduced and forage digestion can be incomplete, which limits intake of other nutrients such as energy.

Once protein requirements are met, the focus should be on meeting the cow’s needs for energy, which is required by the cow in the largest volume of all nutrients and often gets overlooked, says Rogers. A common term for expressing the energy requirement of the cow is total digestible nutrient (TDN). TDN requirements can be expressed as pounds per day required or as a percentage of the daily dry matter intake.

“TDN works well for ration balancing and for describing energy content of a feed or forage,” says Rogers. “However, it does not give you a real feel for the volume of energy required by a beef cow. A more descriptive term is a calorie, which describes the amount of energy required by an animal or the amount of energy supplied by a feed source.”

In beef nutrition, net energy for maintenance (NEm) and/or net energy for gain (NEg) describes these values. NEm describes energy requirements for daily cow maintenance. If any energy is left over after maintenance needs are met, it goes to NEg.

The unit of measurement for net energy in beef cow requirements is a megacalorie (Mcal). Human energy needs are also expressed in calories but in kilocalories (kcal). A human male needs 2,700 kcal each day or 2.7 million calories per day (1 kcal = 1,000 cal). By comparison, a 1,200-pound cow in the middle third of pregnancy requires 9.1 Mcal/day for NEm. A megacalorie is 1 million calories, meaning 9.1 million calories must be supplied every day to meet this cow’s maintenance energy requirements.

“When this same cow moves from the middle third to the last third of pregnancy, the NEm jumps from 9.1 Mcal to 12.0 Mcal daily,” says Rodgers. “That is 12 million calories per day just for maintenance or roughly 1,091 cups of salad, assuming that a cup of salad contains 11,000 calories.”

Another leap in energy requirements occurs when the cow moves into calving and lactation. Then NEm goes from 12.0 to 18.6 Mcal if the cow is producing 25 pounds of milk per day. As nutrient requirements increase, forage quality and/or supplementation should increase. A forage that barely met nutrient requirements at the middle third of pregnancy will no longer meet requirements at calving.

These numbers do not consider temperature, wind, mud, snow or other environmental factors that can further swell requirements. Testing forage and feed for nutrient quality provides ranchers with the knowledge of what nutrients they are supplying to their cattle on a daily basis.

Echoing the saying of an old football coach about the forward pass, Rogers says that there are three possible outcomes for not testing forages, and two are bad.

“The first possible outcome is that you are underfeeding or undersupplementing, which will cost performance and profit,” says Rogers. “Second, you may be overfeeding, which costs you extra money. The final possible outcome is that you might, by chance, have it right. Take out the chance and put in the ‘know’ with feed and forage testing.”

Weather the Freeze: 3 Tips to Ensure Cattle Have Winter Water Access

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:52:19 GMT

With the onset of winter temperatures around the country, cattle producers are busy ensuring their herds are well cared for. Keeping cattle fed with quality nutrition from supplementation to provide protein, energy, minerals and vitamins is top of mind for many. But there is another essential nutrient you can’t afford to overlook: water.

(Farm Journal)

“Water is the most essential nutrient for cattle production,” says Jon DeClerck, Ph.D., cattle nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition. “It’s used for regulating body temperature, growth, reproduction, lactation, digestion and many other bodily functions. Water also drives intake for mineral, forage and supplements. And while we typically worry more about water intake in summer, it’s equally as important in cold weather.”

For fall calving herds, water requirements go up drastically during lactation. Cows hit peak lactation right when water is at risk of freezing up. With spring calving herds, water access is key to avoid stress and long-term performance impacts to both the cow and unborn calf.

Here are three tips to keep cattle drinking water in winter:

1. Carefully consider water placement

During extreme cold, wind or moisture, cattle typically stand in a shelter for extended periods to conserve body heat. The easier it is to access water in shelter areas and near feed sources, the less likely cattle will go off water or burn body heat walking long distances to get water.

“When using natural water sources, place feeding sites close to the water to encourage access and decrease the chance of water icing up, but far enough away to protect water quality,” says DeClerck.

Water sites should be well-drained to avoid mud and ice build-up, which can become a slipping hazard.

2. Be proactive about ice management

The best way to manage ice is to prevent water sources from icing up in the first place.

“Automatic cattle waterers have several options to keep ice at bay, including insulated troughs and pipelines, electric and propane heaters, solar power, and heat tape or geothermic heat,” says DeClerck. “An added benefit of these types of heated waterers is improved water temperature, leading to more optimal water intake by the animal.”

Maintaining a continuous flow of water is another option for automatic cattle waterers to prevent ice build-up. But be aware of overflow issues. Set up a drain to remove excess water and only run continuous flow in preparation for and during inclement weather.

“Managing ice with natural water sources is more of an art than a science,” says DeClerck. “Water can get muddy if you chop ice too close to the bank, discouraging cattle from drinking. But, if you chop too far out, you increase the risk of slipping, which could lead to broken legs or lost pregnancies. Look for a happy medium to keep cattle safe while maintaining water quality.”

3. Prepare for the unexpected

Those in the Midwest and North are often pros when it comes to extreme winter weather. But in the warmer areas of the country, such as the Southeast, you may not be as prepared for that once-every-10-years winter storm. But no matter where you live, the key is to have a plan.

“When a winter storm rolls in, don’t be left without supplies like water heaters and other essential items,” says DeClerck. “These sell out quickly when storms are looming. Make a checklist of must-have items and stock up long before temperatures start dropping.”

Have a pre-storm plan in place and know how to implement it. Your plan could include tasks like performing regular maintenance, turning on water heaters and starting continuous flow on automatic cattle waterers.

When building a new site, think ahead and consider laying pipes deeper and using insulated pipes to prevent freezing. It will save you a lot of hassle down the road.

Visit purinamills.com or contact your local Purina^® dealer for tips on optimizing cattle water intake during cold weather.

The Best Water Tanks for Winter

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 14:28:16 GMT

Question of the Week: What’s your word of the year?

Are you tired of the cliche New Year’s Resolutions yet? Here’s an option to mix up how you set the tone for the new year.

Instead of setting a goal for yourself, pick a word of the quarter or year to set the tone and define what you and your actions look like in 2023.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you start the decision-making process:
1. When you look back on 2023, how do you want to feel?
2. How do you want to across to others?
3. What are you going to have to overcome to achieve the next steps in your life?

My word for Quarter 1 of 2023 is commit, but some past words have been cut, focus, allow, dream, breathe and gratitude.

Water Tanks that Work During the Winter

I don’t know about you, but it is cold out there for those of us located in the Northern Plains and Midwest. Keeping cattle fed, bedded and out of the wind is one thing; but making sure they have flowing water is another. So, James Clark with Gallagher joins the show to share how he ensures his cattle and sheep always have water during the coldest days of the year. Clark covers what water systems he uses and what he recommends when it comes to planning out where to put these water sources.

Types of Water Tanks

The type of water system you use is completely up to you. Factors to consider are what type(s) of livestock will be using the tank, what time of year they will be in each pasture and pen, and what degree of winter preparation you need to do in your area. You will also need to consider where the closest power source is located. Clark resides in Canada and uses the MiraFount system for his livestock. Clark appreciates the MiraFount system because it keeps water heated and he doesn’t have to use any other tank heater. It is also energy efficient.

Preparing for Winter

As you prepare to put in watering systems for your livestock, James encourages you to think about what your operation will look like 10 years from now. It may be cheaper to install water lines and tanks now than in the future. Having this thought in your mind will also allow you to place tanks in the best locations possible. Common problems faced by producers during the winter months include freezing water lines, floats freezing in place as well as drinking holes freezing over. Clark also encourages producers to install these new waterlines in the late spring, summer or early fall. We are all busy as cattle producers, but nothing is worse than another year of chopping ice and opening water tanks multiple times a day.

7 Tips to Get Livestock Through the Winter

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 14:41:52 GMT

Pasture and hay supplies are short in many areas. University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Gene Schmitz has a number of options for livestock producers to consider for feeding their livestock this winter.

Test Hay

“This is the simplest, most cost-effective practice you can do,” says Schmitz. “Sort hay supplies into quality groups and match the hay to the nutritional needs of each group of livestock. Then feed the appropriate supplement, if necessary, to each separate group based on their nutritional needs and quality of hay being fed.”

Reduce Waste

Poor feeding practices can result in hay wastage of more than 25%. Cone-type hay feeders or tapered-bottom feeders greatly reduce hay waste, especially if they have a bottom skirt. If unrolling, limit the amount of hay being unrolled at a given time. Unrolling more than one day’s feeding will substantially increase hay waste.

Store Bales to Reduce Waste

It’s a bit late for this now, Schmitz says, but another substantial source of hay waste is how the hay is stored. If covered hay storage is not a possibility, at least take measures to break soil-hay contact. Building rock pads or storing bales on pallets, tires or some other surface reduces waste on the bottom of the bale.

Fencing

Producers fortunate enough to have pasture or crop residues to graze can divide the fields into smaller areas with temporary fencing materials, Schmitz says.
“These are easy to move and can greatly extend the number of grazing days from a given area,” he says. “Fencing to provide one to two weeks grazing is acceptable.”

Limit Feeding Options

With adequate-quality forage, limiting cow access to hay feeders can reduce waste while achieving acceptable performance. Twelve-hour access seems to be a good compromise between performance and waste reduction, Schmitz says. Do not attempt this without a hay test, however.

Cows can be limit-fed a high-grain ration. This meets energy needs with less feed. Compare the cost of grain vs. hay on a per-unit-of-energy (TDN) basis when considering this option. Some producers graze standing milo as an effective, lower-cost way to feed cows through the winter.

Know What Bales Weigh

“Let’s assume 1,200-pound bales can be purchased for $75 per bale, or $125 per ton,” Schmitz says. “If transportation and feeding losses are 25%, this means that only 900 pounds from each bale of hay actually gets into the livestock. This increases hay cost to $0.08 per pound or $167 per ton.”

If losses are cut to 10%, then 1,080 pounds of hay is consumed. “This reduces hay cost to just under $0.07 per pound or $140 per ton,” he says.

Push the Pencil Very Fard, if Buying High-priced Hay

Finally, Schmitz advises, “It may be more beneficial for the operation in the long run to cull animals rather than to try to purchase enough feed for the winter. This is not a one-size-fits-all option, however, so figure your operational costs and evaluate tax and other financial implications before making final decisions.”

Protein Supplementation: What Should I Know Before Purchasing?

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 19:07:03 GMT

How Much Hay Will A Cow Consume? Estimate Your Winter Feed Needs

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:07:34 GMT

Estimating forage usage by cows is an important part of the task of calculating winter feed needs. Hay or standing forage intake must be estimated in order to make the calculations. Forage quality will be a determining factor in the amount of forage consumed. Higher quality forages contain larger concentrations of important nutrients so animals consuming these forages should be more likely to meet their nutrient needs from the forages. Also, cows can consume a larger quantity of higher quality forages.

Higher quality forages are fermented more rapidly in the rumen leaving a void that the animal can re-fill with additional forage. Consequently, forage intake increases. For example, low quality forages (below about 6% crude protein) will be consumed at about 1.5% of body weight (on a dry matter basis) per day. Higher quality grass hays (above 8% crude protein) may be consumed at about 2.0% of body weight.

Excellent forages, such as good alfalfa, silages, or green pasture may be consumed at the rate of 2.5% dry matter of body weight per day. The combination of increased nutrient content AND increased forage intake makes high quality forage very valuable to the animal and the producer. With these intake estimates, now producers can calculate the estimated amounts of hay that need to be available.

Using an example of 1200 pound pregnant spring-calving cows, lets assume that the grass hay quality is good and tested 8% crude protein. Cows will voluntarily consume 2.0% of body weight or 24 pounds per day. The 24 pounds is based on 100% dry matter. Grass hays will often be 7 to 10% moisture.

If we assume that the hay is 92% dry matter or 8% moisture, then the cows will consume about 26 pounds per day on an “as-fed basis.” Unfortunately we also have to consider hay wastage when feeding big round bales. Hay wastage is difficult to estimate, but generally has been found to be from 6% to 20% (or more). For this example, lets assume 15% hay wastage. This means that approximately 30 pounds of grass hay must be hauled to the pasture for each cow each day that hay is expected to be the primary ingredient in the diet.

After calving and during early lactation, the cow may weigh 100 pounds less, but will be able to consume about 2.6% of her body weight (100% dry matter) in hay. This would translate into 36 pounds of “as-fed” hay per cow per day necessary to be hauled to the pasture. This again assumes 15% hay wastage. Accurate knowledge of average cow size in your herd as well as the average weight of your big round bales becomes necessary to predict hay needs and hay feeding strategies.

Big round hay bales will vary in weight. Diameter and length of the bale, density of the bale, type of hay and moisture content all will greatly influence weight of the bale. Weighing a pickup or trailer with and without a bale may be the best method to estimate bale weights.

Utilizing the standing forage in native and Bermudagrass pastures to supply much of the forage needs during fall and early winter months will reduce hay feeding. An appropriate supplementation program will help the cows digest the lower quality roughage in standing forage.

When standing forage is in short supply or covered by snow and ice, hay will become the primary source of feed. The number of days that hay feeding is necessary is hard to predict going into the winter months. Looking back at previous years’ records may be the best source of information to help make that determination.

Be Careful Grazing Alfalfa

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 20:39:10 GMT

With dry conditions across much of the western United States, grazing regrowth on irrigated alfalfa fields is likely in fall grazing plans for many producers. Alfalfa is a fairly drought tolerant crop and will produce forage in dry conditions. However, alfalfa has several challenges to grazing from animal and plant health perspective.

With its high soluble protein content, alfalfa can easily cause bloat in cattle so cattle should be monitored closely, especially the first few days of grazing. One of the keys to reducing bloat when grazing alfalfa is to not create situations that would cause large swings in forage intake. Any situation that would cause cattle to become overly hungry before or while grazing alfalfa can be problematic.

One method to mitigate the incidence of bloat is to adapt cattle to the alfalfa slowly. First move cattle to the alfalfa field after the morning grazing bout on grass pasture, this way the rumen is full and cattle will not consume large amounts of alfalfa right away. Another method is to only allow cattle access to the alfalfa field for a few hours each day for the first few days so that cattle are consuming other grass forage. However, monitor cattle as some may learn after a few days that they will get access to the alfalfa and wait to eat until then. A third method to mitigate bloat is the use of a feed additive called poloxalene. The compound acts as a surfactant in the rumen to inhibit frothy bloat and can be delivered in a feed supplement or mineral mix. A combination of these methods will likely provide the best bloat prevention.

Grazing alfalfa after a light freeze, especially followed by warm days, can increase bloat problems because freezing ruptures plant cells releasing more soluble proteins. Cattle should be monitored closely when temperatures approach freezing and possibly removed from alfalfa until night time temperatures return to normal.

Alfalfa can also contain high levels of phytoestrogens that can negatively impact reproductive performance of females. Fall-calving cows or fall breeding heifers could be negatively impacted by grazing alfalfa in the fall. However, research studies indicate that phytoestrogen levels generally only reach problematic levels with fungal infection of the alfalfa plant. Water stress did not result in increased phytoestrogens in alfalfa. Therefore, if plant disease measures have been implemented, the concern for phytoestrogens interfering with female reproductive performance is low.

Besides potential issues with the cattle, grazing alfalfa can cause issues with the plant. There are two types of alfalfa: those for hay and those for grazing. This does not mean that you cannot use either type for the other situation, but it does mean that additional care should be taken.

Varieties for hay production are bred to produce high quality tonnage based on infrequent complete harvesting of above ground plant material, which then allows the plant to regrow and put down more energy reserves into the roots. But hay production varieties have poor grazing tolerance due to the frequent removal of above ground plant material by the cattle. Hay varieties can also have more bloat potential.

In contrast, grazing varieties were bred to withstand more frequent removal of above ground plant material by cattle resulting in a more persistent stand. Grazing varieties are also less bloat prone, but not bloat free. The grazing management system needs to be adjusted to the type of alfalfa.

Alfalfa regrows from the crowns which are at the soil surface and heavy hoof traffic can damage the crowns. Grazing management plans need to take this into account and consider such things as soil moisture conditions and repeated trampling of plants. Removing cattle if the soil becomes soft from moisture and rotating cattle to new areas of the field to reduce trampling are ways to minimize damage to crowns.

In contrast to overnight frost, a killing freeze followed by cold days can significantly reduce bloat problems, but also reduces the nutritive value of the forage. Grazing killed alfalfa should occur in the few days/weeks after the killing freeze to capture as much of the nutritional value as possible. Additionally, hoof traffic on frozen ground causes less damage to alfalfa crowns.

Cold Weather Nutrition for Beef Cows

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:31:00 GMT

Just before Christmas, I told my husband that I wished the weather was more characteristic of the season. “Be careful what you wish for”, he said. As you all know, winter came to us in full force on January 1st with bitterly cold temps and a little moisture for some. This recent weather brings to mind the extra nutrition required by cattle in cold weather. One can’t forget the February 2021 cold snap and the difficulties that cattle had maintaining body condition during that time.

There are many things that impact the ability of cattle to tolerate cold and inclement weather. Haircoat is the first aspect that makes a great deal of difference in cattle’s ability to withstand cold temperatures. The amount of moisture and how wet the haircoat is also impacts cold tolerance. Rainfall, melting snow or ice increases cold stress. In addition, cattle in lower body conditions (less than BCS 5), have less tolerance for cold. All cattle will need extra feed to maintain body condition and manage stress from the cold, but those needs may vary from one group to the next.

So how much extra nutrition are we talking about? The Mesonet Cattle Comfort Advisor is an excellent tool for getting an idea of cold conditions and the impact they have on cattle performance. According to the Mesonet Cattle Comfort Advisor, a cows energy requirement increases 1% for each degree the cattle comfort index is below 32. This energy need would double to 2% if the animal is wet to the skin. Let’s look at a realistic example. At 1:30 pm on January 6, the cattle comfort index was 11 degrees in Kingfisher, OK. As many will recall, this was a dry cold with no moisture. According to the increased energy requirement of 1% (no moisture), cattle would need an additional 21% energy to maintain body condition (32°-11° = 21° x 1%= 21%).

So how much would producers need to feed to meet this increased requirement? A producer feeding 20% cubes to gestating cows would need to provide an additional 3.5 – 4 pounds of cubes daily to maintain body condition. Lactating cow’s energy requirement is much higher and therefore they will need an additional 4.5-5 pounds 20% cubes daily. Increasing feeding allotments like this could cause some digestive upset if fed all at once so it may be beneficial to increase feeding at a lower level before cold weather strikes and for a few days after the cold snap to recover some energy loss. Also, cows that are fed just twice or three times per week may benefit from feeding more often to distribute higher feeding levels. A higher quality hay can also bridge the energy gap in these situations, but it is helpful to know the hay quality and how much is being provided.

Cows, Calves, and Cold Weather Concerns: Prepare for Winter Conditions

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 01:35:01 GMT

A high percentage of the U.S. beef herd resides in areas of the country where moderately to extremely cold winter temperatures are common. By planning for winter weather, ranchers can avoid being caught off-guard by extreme events and can manage the typical winter conditions so that cattle do not have to continually utilize body fat as an energy source to keep warm – leading to excessive loss of body condition.

Situations that are most likely to cause cold stress are: cattle with thin fat cover and short hair coats (due to movement from a warmer environment to a colder environment; or extremely cold temperatures early in the fall/winter season), cattle with wet hides, or high wind speed accompanying cold temperatures. Wind chill is a better predictor of cold stress than temperature alone because cold wind draws heat away more quickly than still air at the same temperature. Wet or mud-caked hair losses its ability to insulate the animal and a wet winter hair coat only provides as much protection from the cold as a typical summer hair coat. If cold wind is combined with a wet hair coat (as can occur during a winter storm), the effects can be very profound.

Adult cattle with a dry hair coat, adequate body condition, and abundant, adequate-quality forage can withstand most winter situations, especially if they have the ability to find protection from wind and have been exposed to moderately cold condition for several weeks which allows them to acclimate by growing a thick winter hair coat and increasing feed intake. As temperatures drop, cattle increase heat production which means that the number of calories they need for maintenance increases. This increase is met by consuming more feed and moving it through the digestive tract faster, but the cost of this faster movement is that feed is not digested as fully. The effect of needing increased calories for maintenance at the same time that feed digestibility is decreasing means that if cows do not have access to plenty of digestible feed, they will have to “burn” body fat as a calorie source. Another factor that can limit feed intake in winter conditions is if water sources are frozen or unavailable. If feed intake cannot keep up with energy demands, and body fat is mobilized to meet energy demands, then the cows will have less fat insulation and will be more susceptible to cold temperatures – causing a viscous cycle that can lead to cold stress and even more weight loss.

Cold weather brings a special concern with bulls because of the potential to have frostbite damage to the scrotum and testicles. It is very important that bulls have protection from the wind and adequate bedding if they are housed on concrete or dirt.

Cold temperatures have the greatest potential to cause serious problems in young calves, particularly calves in the first day of life. Because calves are born wet, have thin skin and very little body fat, they lose body heat very rapidly and if they are not able to become dry, can quickly become severely cold stressed. Contact with snow or wet ground will increase the amount of time that a calf stays wet and in danger. Body temperature of newborn calves can drop to dangerously low levels in 3 hours or less.

Calves are born with a body temperature of about 100˚F. When exposed to a cold environment, calves are able to produce heat in two ways, shivering and the heat production of brown fat (fat that surrounds the kidneys of a new-born) and they can conserve heat by reducing blood flow to the body surface and extremities (feet, ears, etc.). In early stages of cold exposure, calves will shiver vigorously and have a fast heart rate and breathing rate. If that does not keep the body temperature up, the calf’s body sends less blood to feet, ears, and nose in an effort to minimize heat loss. Severe cold stress occurs when the body temperature drops below 94˚F. At this temperature, the brain and other organs are affected and the calf becomes depressed, unable to rise, unwilling to suckle, and will temporarily lose the ability to shiver. The good news is that if the calf can be warmed-up and its body temperature can begin to rise, the shivering response will return and the core body temperature will slowly increase.

During periods of cold or wet weather, newborn calves (less than 1 to 2 days of age) should be checked every few hours with a thermometer and any calf with a below-normal temperature, even if it appears OK, should be warmed. Calves suffering from cold stress must be warmed so that body temperature can rise above 100˚F. If body temperature has not dropped too far, putting the calf in the cab of a pickup out of the wind and rain or snow will warm the calf. In more severe cases the calves can be placed in warm water, specially designed warming boxes, or near a heat source such as an electric blanket, heat lamp, or hot water bottles. To avoid skin burns, the heat source should not exceed 108˚F. In addition to an external heat source, cold-stressed calves should be fed warm colostrum, milk, or electrolyte fluid with an energy source using an esophageal feeder.

Prevention of cold stress involves management to ensure that calves can be born in a short period of time and both the calf and dam can stand shortly after calving so that they can bond and the calf can begin suckling. Anything that prolongs calving or reduces the chance that a calf will suckle soon after birth should be addressed by management changes. Calving difficulties are minimized by proper heifer development, proper bull selection for calving ease, and proper nutrition so that heifers and cows calve in a body condition score of 5 to 6 on a 9-point scale. Cows with large teats or that are not attentive mothers should be culled.

Use of pasture as the primary forage source during calving encourages cows to keep spread apart and minimizes development of muddy areas. If the herd forage plan includes feeding hay, consider feeding hay in early to mid-gestation and saving stockpiled pasture for the calving season. If supplemental hay and grain are fed during calving, these should be provided at locations that are separate and distant from water sources and windbreaks. I discourage the use of bale rings in calving and nursery pastures and suggest that if using large round bales, they be unrolled and the feeding area changed with each feeding. Unrolled bales will have greater hay waste, but reduced chance for mud caused by concentrating the herd into small feeding areas, and unrolled hay provides bedding for newborn calves so that they are not in direct contact with the ground.

In addition to monitoring the weather forecast for severe winter weather events and to be alerted to times when additional feed is needed, minimizing the effects of cold temperatures on newborn calves involves planning ahead and considering calf comfort and protection when making heifer development, bull selection, nutrition, and pasture management decisions. Making sure that cows will have adequate access to forage and water even in situations with significant snow cover is necessary to provide sufficient calories to maintain body fat and heat production. And, protecting the cowherd (and bulls) from winter wind and providing bedding if on concrete or mud/dirt will minimize the effects of severe weather.

Winter Supplementation of Beef Calves – When Supplementation Doesn’t Pay

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 12:23:22 GMT

Spring born calves are often weaned in the fall, supplemented through the winter at a low rate of gain, and then graze summer grass, taking advantage of compensatory gain until feedlot entry. Many producers assume providing minimal protein supplementation to target approximately 1.0 pound/day gain during the winter is the most economical system. However, research data would suggest this assumption is not the most economical management system.

A study evaluating feeding 450 pound steers 0, 1.1, 2.3, or 3.4 pounds of dried distillers grains (DDGS)/d (dry matter basis) while the calves grazed dormant native range reported a linear gain response of 0.60, 1.06, 1.41, and 1.72 pounds/day, respectively. However, when the calves were subsequently allowed to graze high quality growing forage, the calves that were not supplemented on dormant range experienced compensatory gain and had a similar ending body weight to the calves supplemented with 1.1 pound of DDGS (625 pounds for both treatments). Those non-supplemented calves compensated 100% compared to the low supplementation level. However, they only compensated 38% and 46% compared with the two higher levels of supplementation and those calves maintained a weight advantage of 653 and 656 pounds, respectively. Therefore, the producer who spent money to achieve only 1 pound/day gain on dormant range lost money after grazing better quality forage because those calves weighed the same as the group that did not incur supplement expense. Supplement expense was optimal when calves were supplemented 2.3 pounds of DDGS targeting 1.5 pounds/d gain, regardless if DDGS was priced high or low if calves were kept through a high quality forage grazing phase. If calves were sold after winter grazing, supplementing with 3.4 pounds of DDGS resulted in the best economic analysis.

In a meta-analysis of six studies, 500-pound calves were supplemented to target a winter rate of gain of 0.5 or 1.5 pounds/d. After summer grazing, the calves supplemented to target the low rate of winter gain only compensated 37% (weighing 768 pounds) resulting in the calves targeted for a higher winter rate of gain being heavier at feedlot entry (weighing 840 pounds). Subsequently, the calves targeted for high gain in the winter were heavier at harvest (1307 pounds vs. 1230 pounds), successfully maintaining that weight advantage through all three phases of production. The economic analysis determined that the most profitable steers were the ones gaining 1.5 pounds/d on dormant winter range regardless of whether DDGS was priced low or high.

These study results suggest that targeting winter gain of 1.5 pounds/day is most likely to result in added body weight that is maintained throughout subsequent phases including summer grazing and feedlot finishing and can be an economical practice. More importantly, these data suggest that spending money to supplement cattle at a low rate of gain and having that weight advantage lost in subsequent phases is costly to producers.

Don’t Wait on Winter Cow Nutrition Preparation

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:31:26 GMT

The onset of winter brings an end to the forage growing season and grasses go dormant, becoming dry and brown, which typically prompts the start of feeding stored forages or supplements.

Regardless of whether forage quantity or quality is the first limiting factor, you should implement a supplementation strategy before your cows’ body condition score (BCS) starts to slide.

Dropping body condition is a lagging indicator of forage conditions — in other words, lost BCS means you’re already behind the eight-ball. When cows start to fall below BCS 6, it can negatively impact reproductive outcomes, so it is important to stay on top of nutrition and maintain body condition.

1 Evaluate forage

The first step in developing a supplementation strategy is evaluating available forages. A thorough forage evaluation will help you accurately budget your winter-feeding program for both forage availability and overall cost.

If forage quantities are lacking, reduce herd numbers or plan to use a supplement alongside forages.

After you have a forage inventory, test your stored forages for quality. With forage test results in hand, your nutritionist can help match different forage qualities to the appropriate class of animal and production stage. Your nutritionist can determine how much forage is necessary to meet animal requirements — taking the guesswork out of over- or under-feeding hay or silage, which can be costly.

(Farm Journal)

Work with your nutritionist to determine the quality of your hay and the right supplement for your farm or ranch.

A forage test can also help identify if different classes of stored or grazed forages require additional protein or energy supplementation:

Hay: Knowing if protein or energy is the first limiting nutrient is important. We often look at the protein value to determine hay quality. However, with cool-season forages, 8% crude protein or more isn’t uncommon, so energy is usually the limiting nutrient for late-gestation cows.

Silage: Protein supplementation is often required, especially with grain-based silages such as corn.

Grazing or feeding crop aftermath: Protein supplementation is also necessary, particularly with corn stalks.

Sampling standing forage is difficult. Most pasture, especially native range environments, have several forage species with a varying preference by cows across the grazing season. Variability makes it complicated to get an accurate picture of forage quality. Be prepared to feed supplemental protein and energy when grazing standing forage in the winter, especially if the forage is lower than 8% in crude protein.

2 Pick a supplement

Supplemental protein and energy come in a variety of delivery methods, each having pros and cons.

Liquids, blocks and tubs:

Pros:

Best suited to supplement adequate quantities of marginal or poor-quality forages.
Blocks and tubs are convenient because you don’t need to physically feed animals daily; you can deliver the nutrition as needed.
Can be used in expansive range environments where it might be difficult to track down the herd for feeding.
Strategic placement can help improve grazing distribution, extend grazing time and provide uniform access to the herd.
Liquid supplementation can be cost-effective on large acreages.

Cons:

These are not as effective for stretching or replacing forage shortages; these products work to improve forage digestibility causing forage intake to increase, so adequate supplies of forage are still important.

Grains, meals and cubes

Pros:

Can easily and accurately adjust the amount of supplement fed.
Moderate fiber and energy supplements can extend grazing days before the start of hay feeding.
Can work as a balancer for grains.

Cons:

Might require equipment to deliver; calculate the total cost of the supplement program, including equipment and labor, delivered to the cow.
Additional time commitment each day that requires labor to feed cattle.

Which supplemental feed you choose will depend on your situation. A large-acreage ranch with plentiful labor is more likely to call for a different supplement strategy than a small-acreage farm with minimal labor. Work with your nutritionist to determine the right supplement for your farm or ranch.

(Farm Journal)

Having mineral available year-round is always a good idea, particularly in the winter when forage quality is low and cattle nutrition needs are high.

3 Don’t forget mineral

Forages rarely provide all the macro- and microminerals needed, so it is important to include mineral as a part of your herd’s nutrition program.

It’s best to use mineral year-round, but winter use is imperative. Fall calving cows are lactating and feeding a growing calf. Spring calving cows are entering their last trimester, when mineral requirements are increasing for the fetus, and cows are preparing to produce high-quality colostrum.

Select a quality mineral that provides adequate levels of macro- and microminerals to support cows’ high winter requirements. Using a weatherized mineral is also beneficial during winter, when rain, snow and sleet are likely.

Putting together a winter supplementation plan requires careful planning. Work with your nutritionist to develop a strategy that fits your forages and herd.

N.T. Cosby, Ph.D., is a cattle nutritionist at Purina Animal Nutrition.