Nutrition
Nutrition Articles
Summer Feeding Program
It might seem odd to refer to grazing as a feeding program but it is a part of the bigger business plan. It also has a part to play in the reproductive and financial success of the herd. For those who have a long term plan for land use, a plan for rotational grazing enters the discussion. According to a study done by the University of Minnesota rotating cattle between grazing sites can increase forage produced and harvested by cattle between 30% and 50%. From a land use standpoint this approach should not be overlooked. Not only can forage production be increased but undesirable pasture species and weeds can be controlled better. Take note that this comes with initially higher costs and more management time annually to move animals.
Genetic advances in animal performance come with higher sensitivity to mineral supplementation so be purposeful in providing minerals. The quality and nature of the pasture forages can be determined and supplemented if necessary. A mature cow in Western Canada will be eating about 90-100 lbs of pasture per day. Currently pastures are on the drier side with some already grazed down below the 5” of growth level. Below this 5” measure grasses get shocked into slower growth during recovery and so don’t produce as they might when cattle are rotated before this level is reached. If the forage quantity is now about 2000 lb per acre and it is desirable to leave some then there would be about 1500 lb per acre of available forage for grazing per acre. This means that a herd of 100 cows will graze 3000lb of forage per day or about 2 acres worth. Over a 135 day grazing period this amounts to 270 acres of good quality forage growth. In a drought this could be increased 50% or more. As an example for 500 cows, the land required grows to 1350 acres. Rotational grazing could reduce the acres needed substantially. A budget figure to use is a target of $1.15 to $1.20 per cow per day for cost over the summer. Extended grazing can be conducted by considering four options each with their own cost element. As an example, using average land and financing costs and plugging these values into the MAFRI Beef Cow/calf Cost of Production budge template, we can estimate corn grazing at $1.14/cow/day, stockpiled forage at $1.19/cow/day, swath grazing at $1.32/cow/day, and crop residue at $0.92/cow/day. Each of these approaches can work but they are only part of a nutrition package. Supplementation is often necessary to preserve body condition score and maintain animal performance. Supplementation can be accomplished by using a Highline Bale Processor equipped with a chopper. Here is a dealer locator link https://www.highlinemfg.com/en-us/dealer-locator.
Summer feeding determines what the winter feeding program will look like to a large extent since it determines BCS. Our plan is to advance precision feeding to both meet the nutritional needs of each animal but also manage costs. A recent study from the Dr. Katie Wood of the University of Guelph confirmed the value of chopping straw for inclusion into winter feeding programs. Simply chopping the straw to reduce particle length from 7 inches to 2 inches improved intake, body condition score and improved digestibility markers for the whole ration (personal communication). The chopper allows the use of medium and low quality forages for summer or fall supplementation to keep costs under control. A Highline® Bale Processor equipped with a Feed Chopper™ was used for this study. It is available for purchase through your local Highline® dealer to stretch feed supplies and feeding days as well as improve forage utilization by the cow. If you already have a Highline® Bale Processor then the Feed Chopper™ is available as a field installed option. The Feed Chopper™ allows the use of medium and low quality forages for supplementation to keep costs under control.