normally would not have done in order to increase the performance, because they feel they can afford to do it. And it is a good time to do it, because feed is a lot cheaper than it was 2 years ago and calf prices are also good; it has worked out very well.” Of course, it is possible to overdo it, although Sanders
says that to this point, he has not seen producers using the excuse of cheaper feed and record cattle prices to overfeed animals. When that does happen, he says, it tends to be with range cubes. If producers put out too many cubes, which have a high fat content, the cow gets so much energy that she stops grazing. Instead of being benefi cial, it becomes deleterious to your efforts to maintain a nutritional balance and improve body condition score. In addition to reducing whole herd dietary intake, an imbalanced diet has an adverse ef- fect on the animal’s rumen. And yes, it is possible to make the cow too fat,
Sanders says. “If you look at all the research, if cows are in a body condition score higher than 6 — you get into 7s and cows are really fat — they are not nearly as productive and it can have some adverse effects on the performance, as well.” Referring again to the Texas A&M guide, the telltale
signs of a cow with a body condition score of 7 are fat on the brisket and some on the tailhead, with the hooks and pins barely visible.
The goal is to get the cows to a
body condition score (BCS) of at least 5 heading into the winter.
Sanders concludes, “There is a balance between tak-
ing good care of the animal, overdoing it and making her too fat, or under doing it and she becomes just too thin to perform.” It is hoped that under these market and feed con-
ditions, the latter will not be a factor. He says, “We have had a great year this year; as you drive through the country, cows look exceptionally well with a great body condition score going into this winter. We should be in pretty good shape with cows this winter and through the spring, provided we can take care of them.”
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www.centurylivestockfeeders.com tscra.org December 2014 The Cattleman 67
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