NUTRITION

A few ideas for winter feeding of beef cows
By Dr. Jim White

Evaluating feeding programs and making changes is an appropriate method to improve profitability of a cow herd. Underfeeding animals is not a sound strategy—it is too difficult to make up for an extended period of underfeeding. This is similar to a college freshman who thinks, “I’ll play this first semester, then buckle down and work hard.” At Christmas break, they are the proud owners of one D and four Fs. Then they desperately calculate that to graduate on the Dean’s list they need to get straight As for the next seven semesters. It’s a possible feat, but not probable. Such a student can certainly count on getting letters—rather unpleasant letters—from the Dean’s office. Obviously, the prognosis for success is usually better when we stay ahead of the curve. So consider these approaches to carry your cows through winter.

Test stored forages
Forages should be tested for at least protein and fiber. The fiber content largely determines the energy in the forages. Most cereal grain silages are high in energy and adequate protein; corn silage will need the most protein supplementation. Grass hays cut before heading will usually be adequate after-seed hay or stockpiled forage usually require both energy and protein supplementation and so will corn or sorghum stover. If you do not test your forages, you do not know what needs to be supplemented. Your nearby MFA livestock salesperson can help you sample feed for testing and recommend the most useful tests.

Treat for parasites
Parasites create a substantial nutrient demand in animals. Years ago, it was a fairly common position in the northern Great Plains to argue against worming stock cows, because worming cows did not improve calf crop. There are data that substantiate that. Worming cows did not increase calf crop; worming cows reduced my feed costs because I didn’t spend 150 days feeding internal parasites cow cake.

Evaluate feed inventory
A wee quick quiz: How many pounds of cattle live weight do you have for every ton of feed on farm? In most years, a wintering beef cow will easily go through twice her bodyweight in a winter feeding program.

Evaluate cow body condition
It is less costly to maintain cows at a body score five or six, than it is to try to get cows scoring under four to be at a BCS of six during the winter feeding period. It certainly can be done, but it takes more pounds of Cattle Charge to get them from four to six, than it does to keep them at five.

Establish different feeding groups based on objectives
The only point of grouping cows is to allow for different management practices to be implemented. In most feeding situations, a cow’s ability to get feed is related to her ability to push and shove.

Smaller, weaker cows or heifers do not fare well against their more aggressive friends. In cases where you need to restrict feed, you’ll often see the bigger cows getting along fine and the weaker cows falling behind.

Separate the smaller heifers and weaker cows to reduce the likelihood that they will fall behind. Make sure that you can adequately supplement the first-calf heifers for 2 months before they calve.

If spring calving, adjust rations to provide more energy and protein as calving approaches
During the last trimester of gestation, the calf will gain two thirds of its bodyweight; this increases the cow’s nutrient demand. At calving, the cow coming into milk substantially increases her nutrient requirements. During early spring/late-winter calving, the weather is sometimes uncooperative. Cold, wet and muddy conditions also increase the animal’s requirements. At the start of the last trimester, cows should be body condition scored. If cows are below a body score five, start supplementing with cubes of Cattle Charge. If cows are a six score, start increasing their supplement at 30 days prior to calving.

Feed balanced rations
Nutrient deficiencies can have a prolonged and substantial effect on the cow herd. Energy and protein shortages are frequently manifested in cows nursing their first calf by failing to re-breed in a timely fashion.

Reduce nutrient requirements through reducing environmental stress by providing cover, windbreaks or bedding
With a heavy, dry winter coat, a cow in good flesh will not expend extra energy to stay warm until the temperatures get down to about 18 or 19 degrees F.

The lowest effective temperature that an animal will not need to expend additional energy to stay warm is called “the critical lower temperature.” If the coat is wet, that number goes from 19 degrees to 60 degrees. For every degree lower than the critical lower temperature, the animal’s feed requirement increases by 1 percent. If the hide is wet, then the increased requirement is even greater.

At temperatures under 10 degrees F, feed digestibility declines. Providing shelter will reduce the environmental stress and subsequent increase in energy requirement for cattle.