|
As we enter into
late summer, I hope hay is plentiful at your farm and you’re preparing
for that last cutting before fall. I always enjoy traveling this time of
year as harvest begins and producers realize the fruits of their labor.
As prices for
fuel, feed and minerals have climbed this summer, I expect to see the
increase of a practice implemented by beef producers each feeding
season, the practice of feeding hay and a trace mineral salt as the sole
means of cattle supplementation during the winter.
While this is a
popular practice, it may not be the best feeding program to assure top
cattle performance and reproduction. Cattle are designed to utilize
forage as the base of their nutritional program. The ability to take
this forage and turn it into a useable product is what makes the
ruminant’s digestive system so unique.
Alabama producers
have the ability, with normal rainfall, to produce more than an adequate
amount of forage for their operation. This is what makes cattle
production so popular throughout the Southeast. This abundance of
forage, though, gives producers a false since of security as they try to
meet the nutritional needs of their animals.
When determining
your feed needs, producers need to know what they have and what they
need to meet the nutritional requirements of their animals. While all
cattle feeding programs begin with hay or other forages, it’s a must
to know the quality of that forage. This is even more important when
prices are high to assure you do not over-supplement your herd. This can
easily be done by pulling a hay sample from each cutting and sending to
a forage-testing lab for an analysis.
You will need to
randomly select samples from throughout your hay crop and request a
basic hay sample. Your county Extension agent or your local Quality
Co-op can assist you in selecting a forage lab. This will provide you
with the protein, energy and fiber values of your hay. With this
information in hand, you are now ready to determine your supplemental
feeding needs for the winter.
The what-you-need
part of the equation is best answered when you determine the nutritional
requirements of your herd. This is done by determining the herd’s
stage of production during the feeding period and the nutritional
requirements of each animal during production. Will you have cow/calf
pairs (small calves, large calves), bred cows, bred heifers or a
combination of cows? Having a combination is the most difficult part to
plan because each stage has different nutritional needs. Remember, if
you do have a number of cows in different stages, you must feed for the
cows with the greatest nutritional needs (cow with large calf) so these
cows can reach desired production and reproductive performance. The
nutritional requirements of cows can be found on the Internet, from your
county Extension agent or I will be more than happy to provide you with
the information.
After you
determine your hay quality and production status of your cattle, you can
now determine if hay alone will meet your winter-feeding needs. The
average quality hay in Alabama will be 8.0% protein, 46% total
digestible nutrients (TDN) as a measure of energy, .29% calcium and .20%
phosphorus.
A 1,100-pound cow
will consume an average of 2.5% to 3.0% of her body weight in hay on a
winter day. That will mean a cow can consume around 27.5 pounds of hay a
day. That 27.5 pounds will provide her 2.2 pounds of protein (pounds of
hay X % of protein), 12.6 pounds of TDN (pounds of hay X % of TDN), .08
pounds of calcium (pounds of hay X % of calcium) and .055 pounds of
phosphorus (pounds of hay X % of phosphorus).
The average
1,100-pound cow with a fall-born calf has a daily requirement of 2.5
pounds of protein, 15 pounds of TDN, .90 pounds of calcium and .60
pounds of phosphorus. A growing bred heifer will have similar nutrient
requirements because of the need for growth, but will intake less hay
due to size of the animal and her capacity to hold large amounts of
forage. A bred cow in good condition will require 2 pounds of protein,
11 pounds of TDN, .60 pounds of calcium and .40 pounds of phosphorus to
meet her daily nutritional requirements. A producer must also take into
account that these requirements will increase during extreme weather
conditions of below freezing temperatures, rain, snow/ice or wind.
As you can see,
average-quality hay will not meet the nutrient requirements of your
cattle. If your hay is above average, you can reduce the need for
additional supplementation, but the need for a complete mineral and
vitamin program still exists. Trace mineral salt will only meet the cow’s
requirement for salt and will leave her lacking in minerals like
magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, selenium, iron and
vitamins A, D and E. This can lead to reproductive failures and immunity
deficiencies. It is always recommended you provide a complete mineral
and vitamin mix on a free-choice basis for your cattle.
Now that you have
determined the quality of your hay and the requirements of your cattle,
you must select a supplement based on cattle requirements, convenience,
quality, cost and performance. Next month, as we get a better idea of
winter feed prices, we will look at selecting the best supplement for
your operation.
If
I can be of any assistance in helping you put together your feeding
program, please feel free to contact me at 256-947-7886 or jimmyh@alafarm.com.
Jimmy
Hughes is AFC’s animal nutritionist. |
