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Symptoms
of nitrate poisoning include muscular weakness, in-coordination,
accelerated heart rate, difficult or rapid breathing, cyanosis, coma, and
death. Drop in milk, abortion, poor performance, and poor feed conversion
is seen in less severely affected animals.
A
forage sample can easily detect nitrate levels and will probably be
reported to you as NO3. When interpreting laboratory results, make sure
that the interpretation is based upon the correct reporting method. Your
local Co-op can assist you in taking and sending forage samples to a
certified laboratory and I will be glad to assist you in proper
interpretation of the results. The chart above will also assist you in
interpretation of results.
The
next question during times of reduced grazing is how can I extend forage
for my cattle? The first step is to recognize that you are extending
forage, not replacing it. You must plan ahead and supplement your cattle
to extend forage. You cannot wait until all the forage is gone to start
this type of program. Cattle have a requirement for at least 10 pounds of
long stem forage per day for normal digestion. A cow that is
unsupplemented can consume over 30 pounds of forage per day. The 20-pound
difference between what they require and what they can consume is where we
need to make adjustments to help stretch forage as long as possible.
To
do this a producer needs to consider his situation and select the very
best product available in this situation. Several complete feeds,
ingredients, and supplements are available that will assist you in
reducing the forage that cattle eat each day. Some of these complete feeds
include 13% with Bovatec, TP Cattle Ration, Alabama Cattle Ration, Bull
& Steer, and Performance Beef. Each of these feeds offers a complete
diet with higher levels of fiber to help meet the daily needs of the cows.
TP
Cattle Ration, Alabama Cattle Ration, Bull & Steer, and Performance
Beef are high fiber textured feeds that offer cottonseed hulls as an
effective fiber source to help slow down passage rate as well as helping
to meet the daily fiber requirements of the animal. 13% with Bovatec is a
pelleted feed that works very well in situations where you have some
forage available, but it is of lower quality. 13% will help fill in the
gaps that poor quality forage cannot meet.
Soyhulls,
peanut hulls, whole cottonseed, and cottonseed hulls are ingredients that
could be available to help stretch your forage. Soyhulls and cottonseed
can be provided as a source of energy, protein, and fiber to your cattle,
while you would need to mix other ingredients with cottonseed hulls and
peanut hulls for proper intake and utilization.
I
would encourage you to consider supplement tubs such as Sweetlix Roughage
Converter Blocks and Crystalyx Supplement Blocks. While neither provides
additional fiber to your cattle, they do promote more effective use of the
pasture the cattle are grazing. This will allow your cattle to do a more
complete job in utilizing grass and hay which will lead to lower intake of
forages needed to meet the cow’s requirements.
I
would also recommend a complete mineral be provided to cattle in any of
the above described situations. A complete mineral will again help your
cattle be more efficient and help them to meet there daily needs on less
forage.
While
we hate to see a drought situation, we recognize that from time to time we
will be faced with this problem. It is best that we are prepared to handle
the situation when it arises.
If
you have any questions concerning ways to extend forage or if you have any
questions on the specific products mentioned, please call your local
Co-op, or contact me at 256-947-7886 or by e-mail at jimmyh@alafarm.com.
Jimmy Hughes is AFC’s
animal nutritionist. |
