Producers tend to have a love/hate relationship when it comes to supplements. On the one hand, they love how it improves the performance of their cattle but on the other, they hate that it adds to their expenses. It is for this reason that producers tend to not feed supplements unless they absolutely have to.
In order to get the most cost-effective use out of feeding cattle producers should look at supplements more as an investment rather than just another expense. If used properly supplements can add increased value to both performance and their return at the sale.
As we are all aware just forages alone will not provide all the necessary nutrients that your cattle need. Supplement feeding is necessary to complement what your forages provide. Though your grass may be green now the quality of it will decline as they mature later on in the year.
So how do you get the most effective use of supplements?
Choose best supplements
Choosing the correct supplement to feed is the first step in doing this. The way to look at this is that it is about supplementation not substitution of the forages that are already available. You should go with one that “fills in the gap” of what your forages may be lacking.
In order to know what you need to supplement you can do a forage analysis of your pastures to find out what they provide and what they don’t. This will tell you what kind of supplements you should be looking for. If you don’t want to do this just visiting with your local county extension agent is another way you can go. They can tell you what the forages in your area typically provide and what they may be lacking.
When looking for the best supplement select the one that includes protein, energy, calcium, phosphorus, and some trace minerals. These are very important for the overall health and well-being of your cattle and should be lacking in their diet.
Your decision should be based on what nutrients your forages may need supplementing and what stage of production your cattle are in.
Protein Supplement
To put it simply, a protein supplement is any feed that will increase the protein content of the current base diet. Protein supplements are needed to improve the forage digestibility of the microbes in the rumen. A protein supplement could be needed if the cows are eating low-quality forages like in a dormant pasture.
Some examples of a protein supplement are things like alfalfa hay, soybean meal, or range cubes. Molasses tubs are also a source of protein. A portion of a tub’s protein could come from non-protein-nitrogen. It is important to read the feed tags to determine the source of the protein.
Another thing to consider when looking at these types of supplements is the ratio of ruminally degradable to rumen undegradable protein. Proteins degraded or utilized by the rumen microbes are rumen-degradable proteins. Cows can absorb or use the undegradable instead of breaking it down in the rumen. The types with a higher percentage of RDP will be forages, soybean meal, and non-protein nitrogens like urea and ammonia.
Energy Supplement
These supplements generally consist of low protein content. A problem with feeding for energy is the starches can interfere with forage digestion the in the rumen. This can occur when you are providing a low-quality forage diet. There are supplements available that decrease the potential of something like this occurring. These are known as high-fiber energy sources. They will provide the energy that you are needing without affecting the rumen environment. Some examples of this type are soyhulls, wheat middlings, and sugar beet pulp.
Begin feeding supplements early
One approach that many do when feeding supplements is to only start when the cattle “look” as they need it. This approach is not very good for many reasons. Using this approach will only cost you more because your cattle are having to catch up and will tend to overconsume it.
If you provide the feed early enough this will prevent any dip in performance. Instead of trying to get them back up to where they need to be, you will instead be maintained where they are. Starting early will also allow your cattle a chance to get used to it thus reducing the chance of getting acidosis or other types of problems.
When you are beginning to feed supplements to livestock that haven’t been exposed to it for a while it is best to start slow and work your way up. This again will reduce the likelihood of them developing something like bloat or acidosis which will cost you in vet bills.
Let’s say you are wanting to start feeding grain as a supplement. A study by the University of Wisconsin suggests that you start with a 50/50 mixture of grain and forage. Then over the span of 2 weeks, you can increase the percentage of grain in the diet.
Place supplements near a water source
A supplement will do you no good if the cattle won’t eat it. Cattle are creatures of habit and will not go out of their way for feed. So where you place the feed bunk is very important.
When starting to provide feed place the bunk near areas where cattle tend to gather. These are usually places near a water source, shaded loafing areas, and things like that. Putting it near where they usually hang out will give them a chance to adjust to it.
Once they have been consuming it for a little while you can then move further out to different areas in the pasture. In this way, they can graze in underutilized areas. I discuss more in-depth how you can do that in a previous post ” Better grazing with supplements”.
Clean feeder trough regularly
Making sure that the feed remains fresh is just a good idea health-wise. You should always inspect the feed to make sure that it remains dry and remove any wet feed. Removing wet feed will prevent mold and rot from forming.
This is even true if you are providing supplements in an enclosed bunk. Such as a range feeder with an adjustable feeder gate. Any moisture or rain recently can make the feed directly behind the gate clump together and get moldy which will stop it from flowing down properly.
