Feeding Facts

ENERGY REQUIREMENTS

HOW MUCH ENERGY DO THEY NEED DURING THE WINTER MONTHS?

BY JIMMY PARKER

Late winter feeding for cattle is often one of the more costly things we do each year. It is also one of the more important things we do that change profitability for the next few months. Given those two things, it is critical that we get it right for both our near-term profitability, our long-term profitability and the overall health of our cow herd. So, what do we need to do to get through the next 60 days?

What we need to do depends on a number of factors. Stage of production, body score of the animals, upcoming weather and the region of the state are all important things to consider. If your cattle are in the southern end of the state, hopefully you will have some lush early grazing that will offset most of the issues that can be seen in the northern part of the state in late winter and early spring. If you are in the northern end of the state or if you don’t have lush winter forages to provide high levels of nutrition, then we need to dig a bit deeper.

All other factors aside, energy will

be the most critical thing we need to worry about. Energy requirements go up a great deal if your cows are lactating. Energy requirements go up a great deal when the weather is cold, wet and windy. Energy requirements go way up as they lose body condition, about 10% for each body condition score they lose. All of this is compounded if the hay or forages that you are providing your herd is less than ideal. Even decent hay will not meet a lactating cow’s needs during cold weather and if you don’t provide supplemental energy, she will lose fat and as her body condition worsens, the need for energy will go up even more.

How much energy do they need and where do we get it? Again, that is a question that has many factors. No producer is looking to throw away money so providing what they need in the most economical way is important. If hay or other forages, maybe stockpiled grass, is average or better quality, tubs such as the Stimu-lyx® line can be provided to increase the energy attained from the hay or forages. If the forages are just barely average or below, like many will be this winter since the timely cutting of hay was tough last summer due to lots of rainy days, tubs like the Purina High Fat tubs would be a good choice as they add lots of calories. Hand feeding traditional feeds is always a good option and does give the producer a bit more control over how much is being supplemented. You control how much feed you put out each day instead of the cow deciding how much of a tub she wants to consume.

If you do decide to hand feed, the product you choose to use is critical. Cheaper feeds tend to be lower in energy than some of the more expensive feeds. While the cheaper low energy feeds are better than nothing in most cases, they typically will cost more to reach your goals because you have to feed

more pounds to meet your animal’s needs. Higher energy feeds such as the CPC Developer or the Co-op Brood Cow feeds will add a great deal of energy, typically at a reasonable cost. Other things can help you achieve those goals; whole cottonseed are rich in energy but difficult to find and feed in some cases. Cracked or ground corn is also an energy-dense option but often not the best option unless you know how to manage it well. Byproducts such as soyhull pellets or corn gluten pellets will fit in some scenarios but most of these tend to cost more per head per day to reach your Energy requirements go up a great deal if your cows are lactating. Energy requirements go up a great deal goal than many of the complete feeds or true grains. when the weather is cold, wet and windy. Energy How much of each requirements go way up as they lose body condition, of those options should about 10% for each body condition score they lose. a producer expect to need? Again, that will depend a great deal on your forage situation. Stimu-lyx® consumption will typically be between half and one pound per head per day. The Purina tubs will vary depending on the cattle’s needs and range from around a pound per day with good forages to three or four pounds if forages are well below average. Traditional feeds will likely need to be fed at a rate of somewhere between five and 15 pounds per head per day, depending on all the factors that have been mentioned. There is an old saying that “February breaks them, and March takes them” and that can be true if you don’t manage them, especially your older, thinner cattle, in a way that provides an adequate amount of energy. So, the cold wet weather in February makes them burn fat and as they get thinner, the cold, wet, windy days in early March will often cause weak, thin cattle to go down and not have enough energy to get back up. Timely feeding in the right amounts can prevent this in most cases and will yield a healthier and more profitable herd.

WHILE THE CHEAPER LOW ENERGY FEEDS ARE BETTER THAN NOTHING IN MOST CASES, THEY TYPICALLY WILL COST MORE TO REACH YOUR GOALS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO FEED MORE POUNDS TO MEET YOUR ANIMAL’S NEEDS.