“Nutrient requirements are highly variable depending on the animal and their stage of production,” said Justin Sexten, extension assistant professor and state extension specialist of beef nutrition for the University of Missouri’s Division of Animal Sciences. “It is important to recognize your cow’s nutrient needs and prioritize feed rations.”
The following are a suggested prioritized list from Sexten to help manage feeding needs:
1 First-calf heifers in late gestation have the highest nutrient needs because they are nurturing a developing calf and continuing to grow themselves.
2 Late gestation cows, the last 30 to 45 days of pregnancy, are only eating 1.9 to 2 percent of their body weight. They need good, quality hay in order to let their body process the nutrients necessary to condition and for their calf. Producers should expect cows to have a 5 to 6 body score at calving and shouldn’t expect to add additional conditioning after calving.
3 Lactating cows follow as the nutrients that were going to help meet the calf’s development needs, now go to the milk. These cows should be eating 2.5 to 2.7 percent of their body weight.
4 Replacement heifers, dry and open cows need to develop conditioning for next year’s production herd.
“There are numerous types and amounts of forages and supplements available to meet the nutrient needs of your cattle during the winter,” Sexten said. “The important thing is to start with the forage base you have, have them tested and figure out what the animals need to remain productive through the calving and winter season.”
“The majority of our hay tests indicate that there is sufficient protein and energy for gestation; however, we usually find that more than 70 percent of hay does not have enough energy for early lactation maintenance energy needs,” said Shane Gadberry, University of Arkansas animal science associate professor.
“The demand for grass hay appears to be greater than the supply, so we are finding that producers are looking to poultry litter and crop residues as forage substitutes,” he added.
Gadberry recommended that these feeds can be a source of roughage and nutrients. However, cattle producers need to consider the following: 1) crop residues may contain chemical residues not approved for livestock, know what was applied to the crops and read the label warnings; 2) feeds are highly variable in nutrient content and should be analyzed for nutrient composition; 3) a nutrient analysis does not guarantee cattle will eat the residue, so simply placing a bale in a feeder may not work; and 4) corn stalks may have a dangerously high level of nitrate.
Sexten reminded producers in short supply of forages and supplements can help manage their resources by sorting the animals in the prioritized groups mentioned so feeds are not underutilized by animals that don’t “need” them.
“It is important to remember open cows are eating feed and not contributing to productivity,” Sexten added. “Producers need to make sure they have the resources to feed these cows or consider changing their feed, if they are struggling to provide forages for pregnant or lactating cows.”
“The key is knowing what your cattle need, knowing what you have to feed, figuring out what is missing and prioritizing what feed inputs create the most outputs and economic gains from your cattle,” Sexten concluded.
