A feed tag is a very informative but often overlooked item on a commercially produced feed. Other than looking at the Crude protein or the energy content, not many people really look at them. With some of the confusing numbers and such listed on them, it is understandable how that can happen.
Attached to every bag of feed is this little colored tag. Nowadays, many regional or national feed companies now provide the same information on their websites. Tags contain vital information such as the product weight, guaranteed analysis, list of ingredients, and feeding instructions. The feeding instructions tell you how best to use the product.
Initially, what is on the feed tag can be overwhelming, but the information is typically pretty to the point. Now, if you have ever looked at one and felt that you needed a Ph.D. to understand, fear not, for I am here to help. I will give you a breakdown of each section and its meaning.
Colostrum is one of, if not the most critical thing for newborn calves. It lays the very foundation for their health and well-being throughout the remainder of their life. Through the dam, the calf takes in all the antibodies needed to fight off disease. But what if they are not able to get it from their mother?
Producers tend to have a love/hate relationship regarding supplements. On the one hand, they love how it improves the performance of their cattle, but on the other hand, they hate that it adds to their expenses. It is for this reason that producers tend only to feed supplements if they absolutely have to.
Like any other business, cattle producers are always looking for ways to reduce costs. As any producer will tell you, there is no more significant expense than feed costs. A management tool used quite often to regulate feed intake is using salt. Though it can have some impact, controlling feed intake with salt is not precise and will require some tinkering in order to get it right.
Formulating a ration for cattle is critical to any successful beef operation. There are times when forages alone will not supply what the cows need for the stage they are in. When it comes that time, you will need to provide a supplement that will fill in the gaps to keep them producing.
Roughages are an essential but often overlooked part of a cow’s diet. Most of the time, people only focus on things like crude protein, energy, and mineral content. While those are vital for the overall production of cattle, roughages play just as important a role. Consuming a certain amount of roughage is essential to keep the rumen functioning and allow the digestion of things like protein, energy, and minerals.
Dietary minerals are necessary for optimal growth and reproduction. The amount needed depends on forage mineral content, the animal’s age, and the production stage. Just knowing what the cow requires is only 1 component in evaluating its mineral status. Even the soil type, fertilizer used, and rainfall can affect what mineral is available at a particular time.
Protein supplements are often needed during the fall and winter months. This need is because, during this time, most of your tame pasture forages go into dormancy. When this happens, things like their protein content will go down.
Nutrition is one of those things that is essential year-round. Everything hinges on the cow’s nutritional needs being met, from just putting on weight for the market to reentering the reproduction cycle. However, meeting these demands can be complicated.
Hard to believe that we are almost to September, which means that summer is almost over. The temperatures are going to be getting cooler (somewhat), and the days are getting shorter. Fall is undoubtedly a time of year when a lot of transitioning will be going on. Now is also the time to be thinking about what supplements to provide for your cattle.
