We have finally gotten colder with winter weather here.
Cattle this time of the year need extra calories to combat the cold. Protein doesn’t really make heat, but calories do. Protein will be broken down by the rumen bugs and turned into whatever the animal needs, such as glucose and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). These VFAs can be turned into glucose very easily and yield energy.
One quick question: What produces more heat, corn, or hay?
Hay will produce more heat due to the heat increment factor or what it takes to digest the hay. Corn does create more glucose, but hay gives off more heat while it is being digested.
Now to everyone feeding a lot of protein, I say why? Let’s feed more carbs and at least 14 percent protein and let the rumen do its thing making protein and heat for the cow. The rumen makes its own protein, VFAs and glucose. So, we are running our cost up by feeding a lot of protein when we could be feeding cheaper feed.
Protein tubs are easy, but with a little more effort we can save more I the long run. You would need to figure what it will cost per cow per day to feed range meal, tubs, grain or another type of feed.
You can also split your herd into lower body condition scoring animals that need the extra feed and the good body condition ones that do not need it. This can be done by running a hot wire. Then feed your poorer quality hay to the fat ones and the best quality to the poor ones with supplement.
It’s all about the cost of production.
Dr. Tim E. O’Neill, DVM, owns Country Veterinary Service in Farmington, Ark. To contact Tim go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
