Spring weather has finally arrived to many parts of the country. The snow (if you got any) has started to melt away and things are starting to grow again.
With the warmer weather and the winter moisture forage grasses have started their “spring Greenup”. It is during this time that forages come out of their dormant stage and begin growing rapidly again.
Though this may seem like the greatest time of the year, what with all of the green across the pasture, it is not without it’s own challenges. It is during this time of year a particular problem know as grass tetany can cause issues with your cowherd.
For those who are not in the know you may be asking “what is grass tetany?”, “what kind of problems can it cause in my operation?” and “How do I treat or even prevent it from happening?”. Well in regards to those questions here are some things that you should consider.
Protein tubs have been gaining in popularity here lately with both small and large producers. Smaller producers like the fact it is self-feeding so they do not have to constantly be there. Larger producers like the fact that it requires less labor than say feeding range cubes/
Sulfur salt blocks have generated a love/hate relationship among cattlemen. There are ones who love them and swear by them, then there are others who feel they are a waste of money.
A grazing system, when done correctly, can assist rangeland managers in achieving management objectives. They can both boost production as well as reduce their overhead costs.
Salt, along with other minerals, are necessary to sustain life in cows. Much like humans they are the essential building blocks for a living being to perform at best.
Pasture thistles are a group of plants that are considered a serious threat to rangelands. Like most weeds they propagate very quickly and choke out any grasses that are growing there.
Treatment protocols are often seen as something used only by feedyards and large stocker operations. People that deal with large numbers of animals at a time.
Creep feeding can be a very useful tool for producers with young calves. This will improve both your bottom line and your overall profitability.
As anyone in the cattle production sector can tell you raising cattle can be a very complex system. There are many different factors that come into play and if there is one thing that goes wrong it can cause problems.
Nutrition management of your cow herd is very important during late pregnancy and early lactation. What happens during this time can not only affect your current calf crop but your future one as well. Having the cow’s nutrition needs met can reduce dystocia for the cow and improve the overall performance of the calf.
