Livestock Management RANCHING
Tips to Transition Your Herd into Warmer Weather By Gary DiGiuseppe
T
HE CALF’S NUTRITIONAL TRANSITION FROM BIRTH THROUGH weaning is a gradual one, and can be made smoother and less stressful by paying attention
to the needs of both the calf and cow. “After birth, and then through most of the pre-
weaning time, at least a portion of the calf’s nutrition is coming from the cow,” notes Dr. Ben Holland, tech- nical services nutritionist with Merck Animal Health. “Initially, the cow has to be in a good situation in which to provide milk and then continue to provide it over time, as well as get pregnant and support the growth of that new fetus. “We would like to see cows in a body condition
score (BCS) range of 5 to 6 at calving. Though their nutrient requirements increase substantially during early lactation, we need our cows to maintain good body condition through the breeding cycle. Maintain- ing that body condition of 5 to 6 helps the cow’s sub- sequent reproductive performance and supports calf nutrition and growth.” The most important point is not to wait too long
before attempting to get the cow into condition. The cow’s body condition score should be monitored and
40 The Cattleman June 2015
if it’s less than optimal heading into calving, supple- mental energy and protein should be provided in the winter or early spring. That way, her condition won’t be poor and continuing to slide through calving and early lactation. But Holland notes, “The positive thing in most
spring-calving operations is that when environmental conditions are normal and moisture is good, we can rely on pasture and forage to provide enough energy and protein to support both lactation and reproduction in the cow, especially during early growth stages in warm-season forages.” For a fall calving herd, a couple of management com-
ponents change. If the animals are placed on a pasture with native or warm-season forages, protein content will get pretty low after mid-summer and supplementa- tion may be needed earlier, compared with cattle that are on cool-season forages that grow quite a bit during the fall as well as earlier in the spring.
Creep feeding systems Calves will begin eating solid feed as early as 3 weeks of age, and that will increase over time as they
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