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.
Supplements are typically the most significant on-farm expense producers will have all year. Most estimates have it at around 70% of the yearly costs. Some may think the lowest price is the way to go, but that is not usually the best answer. With that high of an expense, it is in your best interest to have your feed be as efficient as possible. Going with the lowest cost could cost you more in the long run.
In order to make it as efficient as possible, you will need to balance both costs and performance. Getting the feed ration right is a delicate balance of providing the best quality and the lowest price possible. When you get the ration right, you are setting your cattle up for success. Here are some things to consider when building your next cattle ration.
Why do I need to develop a cattle ration?
The answer to this is something that you have heard many, many times before. Still, unfortunately, I do have to go over it again. There are times when your forages will not provide all of the nutrients that your animals will need for the stage of production they are in. Conditions such as droughts or even going into winter can severely affect the quality of the forages. It will be during those times that you will need to provide something extra.
A balanced ration should provide everything the animal needs in the minimal amount provided. This need is where the quality comes into play. If it is low enough in quality, the animal will not be able to eat enough in order to meet its dietary needs. This fact is especially in play when it comes to forages and hay.
When it comes to planning any supplements, it is essential to remember that your forages should be the foundation of any ration program. Forages are more than just a cheaper way of providing nutrients. They are also critical to your cattle’s overall performance. I go over the importance of forages in a previous article, “Everything you need to know about roughages,” if you are interested.
As I mentioned earlier, the plan here is to be the most efficient, not just the lowest cost. Because a supplement may be cheaper upfront, you might have to put out more to have the same amount of nutrients needed. This price difference is why, when comparing feeds, you should look at the cost per pound of nutrients, such as protein or energy, in order to get a more accurate comparison.
Energy vs Protein
When it comes time to plan out your cattle ration, you need to decide what you will be supplementing for Energy or Protein. Typically, during this time of year, protein is one of the nutrients that are most lacking. Having to supplement for energy is usually needed as a replacement for forages during things like droughts.
These supplements generally consist of low protein content. A problem with feeding for energy is that the starches can interfere with forage digestion in the rumen. This interference can occur when you are providing a low-quality forage diet. There are supplements available that decrease the potential of something like this happening. These are known as high-fiber energy sources. They will provide the energy you need without affecting the rumen environment. Some examples of this type are soyhulls, wheat middlings, and sugar beet pulp.
Simply put, a protein supplement is any feed that will increase the protein content of the current base diet. Protein supplements are needed to improve the forage digestibility of the microbes in the rumen. A protein supplement could be needed if the cows are eating low-quality forages like in a dormant pasture. Some examples of a protein supplement are things like alfalfa hay, soybean meal, or range cubes. Molasses tubs are also a source of protein. A portion of a tub’s protein could come from non-protein-nitrogen. It is essential to read the feed tags to determine the source of the protein.
Steps to balancing a ration
Now that we have covered the what and the why, we can move on to the how part. In order to correctly balance a ration, you will need to know three things:
- The nutrient requirements of the animal.
- The nutrient content of the feedstuff.
- The calculations to determine the right amount to use.
Nutrient requirements
The nutrient requirements can change depending on the production stage the cattle are in. For example, a steer will have different needs compared to a heifer. A yearling bull will be different from a pregnant cow. You get the idea.
There are many resources out there that you can use to find out what it is that your animal needs. Your local county extension office is one such place that you can visit to get this information.
Now that you know what your particular animal needs are, we can move on to the next stage.
Nutrient content of feedstuff
Much like finding out the requirements, there are many resources out there that you can find out what the particular commodity that you want to use will provide. The resources that you find will be good for giving you a “ballpark” figure to work with, but if you want to know the exact amount, then you will have to get it tested.
The price of doing this test can depend on what it is that you are testing and what information you want to know about. Typically, it can cost you between $10 and $35 to have this done.
The things that you want to look for are energy, fiber, protein, and minerals.
The energy the feed provides is a pretty overall thing to look for. If the animal is growing (whether itself or a new calf), then the amount of energy is significant. The fiber content of the commodity is beneficial for the animal’s rumen.
Calculating your cattle ration
Now that we have gone over the way you need to and what to consider, we should go over the how. There are many different ways that you can do this. The one to go with will depend on a couple of various factors. If you want to mix multiple commodities, I recommend the CowCulator from Oklahoma State to help. If you only plan on mixing 2, then the Pearson Square method can be a way to go.
The Pearson Square method
Courtesy of Colorado State
Step 1 in doing this is to draw a square. Next, you will input the information you want. Put the nutrient you are balancing for in the middle of the square and what percentage the two feeds have in the upper and lower left corners of the square. The third step is to subtract both feed sources % across the square to the opposite end of the square. The numbers you will get after doing this will be the parts you need for the two feeds.
You can then combine the two numbers together to get the total parts of the feed ration. To get the parts expressed as a percentage, divide the individual parts by the total parts and multiply by 100. Finally, to calculate the pounds of each feed, multiply the percentage of each feed by how many pounds of total feed you will need.
