COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • MARCH 2019


Ranchers need to match forage


with herd needs The right feed mix can boost performance, save money


by TOM WALKER VERNON — Getting the


most from feed is important for a rancher, as feed is the most expensive input. With current high feed prices, a more precise feed program means a better bottom line. Mike Witt, of Witt Precision


Ag in Lavington, led North Okanagan Livestock Association members through the basic winter nutrient requirements of beef cattle during NOLA’s education day in January. He also discussed ways ranchers can fine-tune feed combinations for potential cost savings. “What forage we can grow is getting more expensive to produce and if we have to buy it, that is getting really expensive,” Witt notes. “We really need to look at how to optimize what we are able to do on our own operation and look at ways to deal with high costs.” Cattle only need five


things, Witt points out: energy, protein, vitamins, minerals and water. But the challenge is to balance forage production with herd needs. “First step to all of this is to


test your feed,” says Witt. “The key is to get a representative sample, not just to grab from one spot.”


The sample should include cuttings from each field, and as many as 15 or 20 cores if it is a lot of hay. “There could be quite a lot of variability through your field and that could reflect in the tests and influence the quality of information we have to work with,” says Witt. It’s good to check water at the same time, says Witt.


“You need a clean and


reliable water source and you should check for minerals in the water as well,” he says. The first big question to


answer is how much energy the animals are receiving. “On your feed test, it will be TDN – total digestible nutrients. That is the key figure that we balance the rations with,” he says.


Depending on the time of the winter, TDN needs for a cow will range from 55% to 65%. Without adequate energy,


cows may lose body weight, resulting in poor conception and less milk for their calves. Putting that weight back on will be expensive, Witt adds. “If a cow has lost a full body condition score, it will take 30% more energy to bring that body condition back up.” Then there is the impact of


weather. “With a dry coat and no


wind, the animals are good down to -25° Celsius without really stressing their energy requirements,” says Witt. “But -17, if they are wet, it’s going to be pretty ugly. They will need 20% more energy just to maintain.” Witt had good news for his audience, however. “We have access to very high quality forage here in BC,” he says. “That will help with energy requirements.” Barley, corn, wheat, oats,


rye and peas can also be fed as supplements, he added. Crude protein is the second


factor to consider, Witt explains, but for wintering cattle, protein is usually not an issue.


See FEED on next page o TRU Grit


25


Grade 12 high school student Lauren Bedford, third from left, loves ranching so much she couldn’t wait to graduate from high school to begin her post-secondary education in the Applied Sustainable Ranching program at Thompson Rivers University in Williams Lake. She is the first student enrolled in the ranching program while obtaining high school graduation credits. On February 8, and in the company of BC Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham, Bedford was presented with a $5,200 bursary to cover her first year at TRU by Brian Garland, president of Cariboo Chevrolet Buick GMC, far left. Garland is one of the original founders of TRU Grit, a fundraising group for the Williams Lake campus. Garland, Bedford and Popham are joined by TRU Kamloops science dean Tom Dickinson, second from left, as well as Cathy Poole and Doug Peters from Cariboo GMC. Bedford lives with her family on a 40-acre farm south of Williams Lake. WILLIAMS LAKE TRIBUNE PHOTO


Forage and Cover Crop Seed


Authorized Dealer for:


GPS Guidance and Precision Ag Equipment


Ag Consulting Services: Beef Nutrition and Ration Balancing and Nutrient Management Planning


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