Providing a feed supplement to cattle that are grazing in certain areas is pretty common and for good reason. Cattle are often not able to get enough from just rangelands to meet their nutritional requirements. Producers have many choices when it comes to feeding supplements. But it is best to be careful when deciding what supplements to use.
Feed costs are the largest on-farm expense that producers have during the year. According to Oklahoma State, nearly 40% of total operating costs are associated with nutrition. If you are experiencing any type of drought conditions then this expense can be even higher. However, this does not mean that we should try to cut out every expenditure that we can.
The problem with only looking at reducing costs is that it will affect your overall performance. What you want to do is look at them more like investments and try to get the most return possible. It is more important to be efficient than just to be the cheapest. Here are some ways that you can go about getting the most “bang for your buck” when it comes to using the feed.
A feed tag is a very informative but often overlooked item on a commercially produced feed. Other than looking at the Crude protein or maybe 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.
Producers tend to have a love/hate relationship when it comes to supplements. On the one hand, they love how it improves the performance of their cattle but on the other, they hate that it adds to their expenses. It is for this reason that producers tend to not feed supplements unless they absolutely have to.
Cattle producers, like any other business, are always looking for ways to reduce costs. As any producer will tell you there is no greater expense than that feed costs. A management tool used quite often to regulate feed intake is using salt. Though it can have some impact regulating feed intake with salt is not precise and will require some tinkering in order to get it right.
Formulating a ration for cattle is key 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.
Nutrition is a big factor affecting your herd’s health during the cold winter months. In order to meet this need producers should plan ahead when it comes to their fall and winter forages. There are many factors to consider when figuring out how much hay will be needed.
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. This is certainly 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.
Using a hay bale to supplement your cattle is a tried and true method that many producers use. It is reasonably priced compared to other feedstuffs. Though just like other feedstuffs the quality can vary depending on many different factors.
Providing feed supplements to cattle grazing in certain areas is pretty common and for good reason. Cattle are often not able to get enough nutrients from just rangelands to meet their nutritional requirements. Producers have many choices when it comes to feeding supplements.
A feed tag is a very informative but often overlooked item on a commercially produced feed. Other than looking at the Crude protein or maybe 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.
