Livestock Management RANCHING
Right condition is an effi cient condition Sanders says maintaining the cow in good body
condition will ultimately save on feed costs, because it is not cost-effi cient to let the cow lose weight and then try to raise her score again. The cow should be expected to gain 30 to 60 pounds
after weaning, especially if that timeframe is from September through the fall. “The big thing,” he says, “is not letting those cows
slip in body condition score and actually lose weight, and then try to bring them back during the middle of winter.” In addition to ensuring that there is an ample supply
of forage available to the cow, the rancher should also test the quality of the forage to be sure it is adequate to meet her needs. If it is not, the next question is how to best meet the
gap in nutritional defi ciency, which could be protein, energy or both. Sanders says producers have traditionally used range
cubes to fi ll the gap and while this has worked to a degree, it is important to stay on top of the situation.
Maintaining the cow in good
body condition will ultimately save on feed costs.
He says often by the time the producer realizes the cow is slipping, there has already been a loss of body condition score. The rancher starts feeding, “but by that time we’re behind the 8-ball. So from my perspective, I like to start feeding those cows just a little bit earlier than we normally would, in order to stay on top of it.” To prevent the gap between observation and actual
condition, Sanders says he tries to gauge cow condi- tion once a quarter, but believes it is critical point in his part of the world (he hails from near Lubbock) to start evaluating cows in October and November. That is when grass would normally start to enter dormancy and decline in quality, due to its seasonal nature. Weaning time, he says, “is a good time to get your
fi rst eyeballing of them because you have an opportunity to see most of the herd. It is a really good time to get a general idea of the overall condition of those cows, just from driving through the pasture. Have they come up on their condition or have they reached a plateau? But
66 The Cattleman December 2014
if you wait, thinking ‘I can get another month,’ you are really just waiting to see cow conditions drop. Those cows might have lost 30 to 40 pounds by the time you actually know it and see it.”
Supplemental support There is no specific formula for supplementing
lesser-quality late season forage. Cubes, blocks and liquids are all popular. For herds calving in February and March, it is hard to get a cow caught back up to proper weight in the winter if she has already lagged behind nutritionally. Sanders says the third trimester is the critical time
frame to maintain the cow’s nutrition in a way that will help her breed back. If she is already behind, the producer will experience diffi culties when he tries to get her to recycle. Purina has a Sustained Cattle Nutrition Feeding
Program that is intended to meet the animal’s needs as she progresses through pregnancy, calving and wean- ing. The supplementation measurements are based on seasonal forage quality. Sanders explains, “We have found that there are
times, even within August and September, when grass can be defi cient in protein. A little bit of supplement in that time frame can really prop up the cows, keeping them in a good body condition score even though there are calves on those cows, and adding to the weaning weight of calves. It is also seen in the conception rates of those cows during the breeding season.” He also stresses the importance of having a com-
plete mineral program year round, with both macro minerals and micro minerals present. Sanders says the absence of crucial minerals can
have a dramatic effect not only on cow health and performance, but on her calf as well. If you’re meeting all of the cow’s nutritional re-
quirements and she’s still failing to maintain body condition — especially when most of the other cows in the herd are in good condition — it is time to con- sult a veterinarian. The cow may have unseen health problems warranting attention. If these aspects of nutritional management were
important before, they’ve grown in signifi cance in the era of $300 per hundredweight (cwt) calves. “Producers are looking to maximize their weaning
weights, and trying to spend a little bit more money to increase their conception rates, because there is more money in their pockets these days,” he says. “They are willing to step out and do some things that they
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