Feeding Cattle
A cow can eat 25 to 30 pounds of hay a day and waste a couple of
more pounds. This adds up to 27 to 32 pounds per day per cow.
Allow about half this amount for weanling calves and about
three-quarters for yearlings.Large round bales often do not
weigh as much as you might think. It is not unusual for so
called 1000 pound bales to weigh 800 pounds or less. In
addition, bales stored outside on the ground may easily lose 20
to 30 percent more weight. Covered bales can also lose 10 to 15
percent if a portion of the bales are in contact with the
ground. Look for additional forage alternatives. Beef cattle
have the ability to consume numerous types of feed and perform
well. Hay can be expensive and in some years more expensive than
others. Feed hay only when needed or when costs warrants doing
so. A popular forage substitute is commercially prepared pasture
cubes. These cubes, or large pellets, can be fed on the ground
but preferably in troughs and are designed to substitute for
some portion of the hay. Use crop residues such as corn stalks.
When available, crop residues can trim many days off the hay
feeding period when pasture is limited. The use of supplemental
feeds can reduce the need for and consumption of hay. High
starch supplement feeds such as corn reduce consumption of
forage and hay. Corn may be “substituted” for hay. High starch
feeds, such as corn, do decrease use of forages in a
“free-choice” forage situation. But when forage is limited, corn
can be used to “stretch” the hay supply, especially when corn is
relatively inexpensive. Cattle should be adapted to corn slowly
over a 7 - 10 day period. As a rule of thumb, one pound of corn
can replace two pounds of hay. Do not feed less than five pounds
of hay per day with corn. With low-quality forages, protein
often improves forage consumption and use. This is because the
protein requirements of the rumen microbes must be met if forage
is going to be effectively used. If hay doesn’t meet the protein
requirements of the animal, add supplemental protein. For
example, adding as little as a pound a day of a 30 to 40 percent
protein feed could increase total hay consumption and assist in
keeping cows in optimal body condition. Soybean meal, cottonseed
meal, corn gluten feed, whole cottonseed and commercial mixtures
are some suggested protein sources. Provide adequate mineral
supplements. Minerals do not have to be super expensive to work,
but rarely are the “cheapest” alternatives the best. Genetically
superior cattle have higher mineral requirements. This becomes
apparent if nutritional needs are being stretched in a difficult
weather situation. Processing feeds may or may not improve
efficiency. Many feedstuffs (milo, whole soybeans) need to be at
least coarsely ground or hammered to make nutrients available,
while others do not. Most research has shown that only marginal
benefits are gained from grinding corn. In fact, fine grinding
of corn increases dust and makes it more likely to cause
digestive upset. The best argument for using a coarsely ground
or cracked corn is that it improves mixing with other
ingredients. Pick a supplement that fits the situation. Many
producers do not have time to carefully mix ingredients and
balance rations. Some do not have time for daily feeding. Some
products, such as whole cottonseed, are excellent sources of
both energy and protein, but generally require considerable
labor in feeding. Consider labor and equipment in selecting a
feed to stretch forages. However, most of the low labor
alternatives cost more. This is often termed the “cost of
convenience.” A feed that is expensive to one producer may be a
bargain to another. Manage feeding to stretch hay supplies. Feed
in hay rings. Without rings, consider unrolling hay, but only if
the amount that can be consumed in one feeding can be unrolled.
If too much is unrolled cows will use the excess for bedding.
Cut and remove the strings on large bales fed in bay rings as
well as that unrolled. Learn when to feed more hay. This is
easier said than done. Sometimes the last 1/4 to 1/3 of a large
round hay bale is weather damaged, spoiled and has low nutritive
value. Forcing cattle to eat this may decrease both production
and body condition. Conversely, replenishing hay before the
cattle have eaten the “good parts” of previously fed hay is
inefficient and wasteful with limited hay supplies. Developing
the knack to feed correctly may require that the manager
carefully observe the remnant hay in the feeder to assess
quality. Avoid excessive mud. Walking through mud very quickly
burns energy. Many days of this can definitely decrease
performance and body condition. It is also hard on the person
who does the feeding. Increase hay allotment in cold weather.
Nothing makes body heat better than consumption of plenty of
good hay. Corn does not increase body heat as well as hay. A
little protein will allow cows to better digest hay and increase
body heat. Watch the cows! Carefully observe the body condition
of your cattle. Strive to keep only minimal ribs showing; back
bone and hooks visible but covered. When too many ribs and
backbones are showing increase hay or supplement. Cows with poor
body condition have been shown to be slower to re-breed and less
likely to breed at all. This is particularly true with first
calf heifers. Calves born to poorly conditioned cows are likely
to have lighter birth weights and be more susceptible to scours
and pneumonia. These calves often will not suckle and survival
is poor. Severely undernourished cows may not have adequate
colostrum to prevent disease. Nutritional Needs: Water - Clean,
fresh water must always be available to your cattle. A mature
animal will generally consume between 10 and 20 gallons a day,
so be sure to use a container large enough to hold that
quantity. Water needs increase with hot weather. Although
initially expensive, you may want to invest in an automatic
watering system (available through farm supply stores) as it
will greatly reduce water waste. Salt - Salt should always be
available to your cattle. Salt blocks and specially designed
holders for them can be purchased at most feed stores. Feed -
Cattle are ruminants (animals with stomachs that have 4
chambers) and consequently, rely mainly on hay or pasture for
their dietary needs. Grain is very high in energy, and therefore
we do not recommend its use for healthy cattle. Feed necessary
for maintenance is approximately 2% of the animal’s body weight
in dry matter/hay per day.
Pasture should be of a good quality & plentiful as it provides
the bulk of their dietary needs. Before pasturing, be sure to
remove all plants that are poisonous to cattle. Contact your
County Ag Extension Agent for a complete listing of poisonous
plants in your area. If adequate pasture is not available, you
will need to supplement with hay. Adult cattle need 2 lbs of hay
per 100 lbs of body weight daily. Alfalfa hay is a very high
protein hay and should only be used for sick or debilitated
animals. To avoid hay waste, we suggest the use of a hay feeder.
If feeding your cattle outdoors, place hay under cover to
prevent wet feed - a costly and unhealthy problem. To locate a
source of hay in your area, check with your County Ag Extension
Agent for a listing of hay/straw auctions or look in the farming
section of your local paper. It is less expensive per bale if
you can buy in large quantities, therefore it is well worth the
investment to build some type of hay storage building or loft.
Article By Tracker Outdoors www.tracker-outdoors.com
