If you hang around a feed store or sale barn in late winter and early spring, you’ll hear the same advice repeated like clockwork: “They probably need more protein.” It’s almost automatic in cattle nutrition conversations. Cows looking a little thin? Add protein. Calves not gaining as you expected? Add protein. Grass just starting to green up? Add protein.But the reality for many cow-calf operations is that protein usually isn’t the main issue. Most of the time, it’s actually energy that’s lacking.
And when energy intake is short, nothing else works the way it should. Body condition slips. Reproductive performance stalls. Milk production levels off. Even immune function can take a hit. You can add more crude protein, but if cows don’t have enough digestible energy to fuel rumen microbes and maintain metabolic demands, that extra protein won’t solve the root issue.
This doesn’t mean protein isn’t important for beef cattle. Protein plays a key role in rumen function, growth, and herd performance. However, in late winter and early spring, when forage quality drops, hay is harder to digest, and early grass is wet but low in dry matter, energy is often the real limiting factor.
Before spending more on protein tubs or high-protein supplements, pause and ask the key question: Are my cows short on energy rather than protein? This is crucial for improving performance.
Let’s look at why energy is so important for cattle in late winter and early spring, why it’s often the nutrient that runs short, and how you can tell if your herd’s problem is really a lack of energy rather than protein.
Breeding season is what powers every successful cow-calf operation. It’s the time when you determine next year’s calf crop and your future paycheck. If you want a tight calving season, strong weaning weights, and consistent results, aim to have at least 90% of your cows bred early and efficiently. Achieving this level of success takes preparation.
When March arrives, it’s natural to feel hopeful about spring grazing. A few warm afternoons appear, the pasture starts to show a faint green tint, and cows begin pacing the fence line as if they sense turnout is near. After months of winter feeding and looking at dormant grass, those first green shoots seem like freedom and a sign of lower feed costs ahead.
In March, most cattle producers are thinking about spring grass, dealing with muddy gates, and cutting back on winter feeding. Mineral programs often get overlooked. But this is when late-winter mineral deficiencies tend to show up in beef cattle.
When March arrives, most cattle producers are eager to stop feeding hay.
Spring forage planning should begin before pastures turn green. Waiting until then is one of the costliest mistakes producers can make.
When feeding cattle, most people focus on protein, energy, and minerals. But roughage plays a key role in a healthy diet. Without enough roughage, a cow’s digestive system won’t work as it should. Roughages provide the fiber that keeps the rumen active, helping cattle break down feed, absorb nutrients, and stay productive. In short, roughage forms the base of the whole diet.
Creep feeding allows calves to access feed that mature cows cannot. This practice can promote superior calf growth and raise weaning weights, meaning the calf’s weight when separated from its mother. Elevated weaning weights typically result in higher sale prices at year’s end. Providing calves with a digestible supplement supports growth even if forage quality or milk yield declines. Still, creep feeding is not a universal fix. Like any cow-calf management decision, it is most effective when applied strategically for clear objectives.
At first glance, February calving doesn’t seem too bad. The harshest winter days are usually over; daylight is increasing, and some warmer afternoons are appearing. It’s easy to believe the hardest part of winter calving is behind you.
February can catch even the most prepared cattle producers off guard, especially in cow-calf operations juggling winter feeding and the start of calving season.
