Livestock Management 5 Tips for Winter Supplementation of Beef Cow Herd
Winter’s icy blast means your cows need extra energy supplementation. By Kevin Glaubius, BioZyme® Inc. director of nutrition and technical sales
I
t’s only a matter of time before the fi rst cold snap comes blowing in. So as you break out the heavy
boots and winter coats, have you thought about what that means to your cows? Cold temperatures signifi cantly raise energy require-
ments. Undeveloped winter hair coats, wet hides and wind all combine to magnify this increase in energy requirements. The combination of calving cows and colder environmental conditions can easily result in producers not providing enough feed energy and cows losing weight. So what can producers do to manage the cold stress
and feed adequately during the winter months? Here are fi ve tips: 1) Feed higher quality hay (with more energy) and expect cows to increase intake. Without a forage analysis, you cannot be exactly sure of your hay’s energy level, which can lead to inadequate nutri- tion. BioZyme offers complimentary hay testing and nutrition analysis to producers through its nationwide dealer network and Area Sales Man- agers. For more information, visit http://vitaferm. com/testyourhay/.
2) Feed cattle a supplement, such as BioZyme’s Ama- ferm®, that improves digestibility of their feed and helps ensure that they are extracting all of the en- ergy possible. Research with Amaferm has shown benefi ts similar to feeding at least 1lb. of grain. 3) Consider moving cows to locations with protec-
70 The Cattleman January 2017
tion from the wind and wet weather. The energy requirement of beef cattle increases about 3 percent for each degree that the wind chill is below 59° F. This increases even further in wet conditions and prior to fully developing a winter hair coat.
4) Match animal nutrition requirements to the quality of your forage. Heifers and thin cows require a more energy-dense diet, compared to older or fl eshy cows. Sorting animals into groups based on body condi- tion allows you to feed the available forage more effectively. Start by targeting your higher quality, more immature forages toward heifers and thin cows. These earlier harvested forages will be the most energy dense as energy declines considerably with maturity. The older and higher body condition cows can then be fed slightly more mature forage. This allows you to maximize the use of your forage supply while better targeting the nutritional needs of your entire herd.
5) A good guideline is to feed 3-6 lbs. of energy supple- ments like soy hulls, corn gluten feed, or corn to avoid weight loss during these stressful periods. The bottom line is, early cold stress can result in a
snowball effect if left unchecked. Keeping cows in good condition in fall and early winter ultimately helps in- sulate cows and minimize the amount of feed required later in the winter season. Now is the time to take an honest evaluation of body condition and match your feeding program to the needs of your cows. ❚
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