Livestock Management RANCHING
Calf Supplement Considerations By Gary DiGiuseppe
T
HERE ARE A NUMBER OF potential benefi ts to supplementation dur-
ing the grazing season, and they can all add up to a bet- ter bottom line. “Whenever we’re supply-
ing supplemental nutrients to cattle grazing pastures, it can be a profi table practice,” says Dr. David Hutcheson, animal nutritionist and con- sultant with Animal Agricul- tural Consulting in Scrog- gins. “Following weaning,
calves are biologically ready for a rapid growth and de- velopment period. These calves have developed a func- tional rumen, thus allowing the effi cient use of forage.” As for older calves in a stocker situation, their growth
can be limited by their level of forage intake on sum- mer pastures. Supplementation can increase the forage intake. It can also correct nutrient defi ciencies. Most forage, including improved forage, is not always nutri- tionally balanced for the type and class of cattle that are grazing the pastures. The consumption of a feed or mineral supplement
balances the forage grazed by cattle in order to optimize production. Hutcheson says cattle on pasture need a specifi c,
minimum level of each type of nutrient to achieve maximum production effi ciency. Nutrients that are com- monly defi cient in grazed forages are protein, energy, phosphorus, salt and, in some cases, trace minerals, particularly copper.
Five performance improvements There are 5 ways supplementation can improve the
performance of both cow-calf pairs and stocker calves on pasture. • By supplying nutrients in which the growing grass is defi cient.
• By an increase in the consumption of forages. A shortage of protein can lead to reduced appetite and weight loss, so supplementing protein can restore the
54 The Cattleman August 2015
desired levels. That, in turn, increases the amount of energy intake and improves weight gain.
• By improvement of growth rates; and that goes for stockers as well as weaned calves.
• By better utilization of the forage; getting more out of it, if it has defi ciencies. Cattle are attracted to the supplements, which can be strategically placed to pull them into grazing areas where they might not ordinarily go.
• By allowing you to increase stocking rates and get more out of limited pasture.
Test to determine what your forage does and does not have According to Hutcheson, a supplement program needs
to take into account both the type of forage available and the type of cattle that will be grazing the forage. “Forage nutrient values may be chemically determined or may be established from published values,” he says. “However, published values may not represent the actual nutrients available from the forage.” Regardless, to establish a proper supplementation
program, an estimation of these nutrient values must be available. It is best to have it analyzed each year because the nutrient values do change,” he says. The nutrient analysis report will identify the forage’s
content of protein and minerals, which are nutrients necessary for optimal growth of stockers or calves. In some cases, the only supplementation necessary may
thecattlemanmagazine.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116