Most people are focused on weaning their calves at this time of year. They are also looking to get their cows rebred for next year’s calf crop. With all of these changes, there is also a change that is going on with your cattle’s nutritional requirements.
Because of these increases in your herd’s nutrition needs, it is essential for you to have a supplement program in place during this time of year. As you may have noticed, your forages are changing as well. With these changes, they may not provide all the nutrition you need. Here are some reasons for you to feed supplements this fall.
Forage quality decreases
The stage of maturity is, along with rainfall, the most essential factor that influences forage quality. As forages mature, the leaf-to-stem ratio decreases, and the plant becomes more fibrous. During this time, the plant also sends most of its nutrients down to the roots to prepare for winter.
Forage leaves contain considerably more protein and less fiber than the stems. So as forage matures and the stem becomes more prevalent, fibrous quality decreases and the plant becomes less digestible. Because of this decrease, you will need to provide a supplement of some type to “fill in the gaps” of anything your forages may be lacking.
Fetal programming
You may have heard of this buzzword a few times, but you may not know what it is. Fetal programming is the current understanding that when all of a cow’s nutrient requirements are met before, during, and after gestation, her calves will perform better. The basic concept is that a maternal stimulus or insult at a critical time period in fetal development has long-term effects on the offspring.
A deficiency or shortage in your bred cow’s nutrition can seriously risk the future calf’s potential. There is no acceptable time to make a cow “rough it” and back off nutrition. You need to provide adequate minerals, protein, and energy during every trimester to set up the fetus and eventual calf or success.
The general rule of thumb was that you save the best feed for the third trimester, which is still valid to an extent. But it is also essential to pay attention to the first two-thirds as well. You also do not want to short cows on protein during early-to-mid gestation.
Calves benefit from supplements.
Studies have shown, like that done by the Iowa Beef Center, that calves perform better when they are on a good mineral program. That is not to say that the other nutrients are not as vital either. It is of benefit to you to get any weaned calves to eat independently as quickly as possible. Here are some tips to get newly weaned calves to eat soon.
Use cattle tubs when weaning calves.
Cattle lick tubs can be used as a free-choice supplement in calf-receiving pens. Suppose you are already using supplement tubs with your herd. In that case, calves will be familiar with these things and are more likely to start eating quickly.
Lick tubs have two primary benefits for your calves. First off, the licking action produces saliva to help ease throat irritation from bawling. Second, the licking stimulates weaning calves’ appetites, prompting them to look for feed and water.
Offer a palatable calf starter feed.
If calves like the feed, they will start eating and continue coming back to the bunk. A worst-case scenario is when a calf comes to the bunk for the first time and finds unpalatable feed. Getting the calf back to the bunk after an initial bad experience is challenging.
Use a feed that supports the immune system of weaning calves.
It is critical to support the immune system of weaning calves during this time of high stress. Select a feed that addresses stressors and respiratory challenges head-on.
Use the correct feed form.
The physical form of the feed can influence consumption as well. Bigger pellets tend to work best for calf starter feeds because they are softer. Bigger pellets also allow calves to get more with every mouthful, which is essential for less aggressive calves standing at the bunk. Avoid mealy feeds; they tend to separate and become less appealing to weaning calves.
Cheapest time to provide supplements
The easiest time to put weight back on spring-calving cows is during the post-weaning phase. During this time, the cow doesn’t have all the requirements of nursing or growing a calf to deal with.
During this time, it requires fewer supplements to reach its nutritional requirements. Providing supplements can also release more energy from lower-quality forage. Releasing more energy can lead to increased weight can and efficiency.
Supplements promote better grazing.
As some water sources dry up during the fall, cows are less likely to travel to certain areas. The less travel will mean that certain parts of the pasture will not be grazed, creating underutilized areas.
Supplements can be used to draw cows to these areas making an even distribution. The plan for this is that you want to start providing the supplement in an area that they already use. As they get used to the supplements, then you can start moving them further and further from this area to get them to spread out their grazing area.
If you are looking to learn more about this technique, I go over it in a previous post, “Better grazing with supplements”.
Reproductive performance
Fall-calving cows need additional supplements in order to maintain their proper body condition score. Keeping an adequate body condition score will allow them to get their estrus back after calving quickly. Getting their estrus back quickly enables them to get bred back on time. Proper supplementation will also help them with producing enough milk for the calf.