Expecting the Unexpected

Developing a dynamic nutrition plan for an uncertain future.

FEATURE BY LAURA HANDKE

Cargill nutritionists Wesley Moore and Anna Taylor shared their “recipe-mindset” to building a dynamic nutrition plan with attendees of the 2022 Cattlemen’s College educational event held in conjunction with the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Tradeshow February 1-3 in Houston, Texas.

“There’s no silver bullet when designing a nutrition plan,” Taylor told attendees. “It’s not necessarily a how-to that we share, but, rather, things to think about going forward.”

Taylor says that a constant every farmer and rancher can rely on is that there will be change. She advised producers to be flexible and build in contingency plans, “The best offense is a good defense,” she shared. “And that’s true in cattle feeding, too. Utilizing nutrition principles allows

us to create a dynamic plan and being proactive beats having to react any day of the week.”

Initially, two of the most important components of any nutrition plan are strategy and vision for what a nutrition plan needs to look like to accomplish the goals of your operation. This is true no matter what sector of livestock production you are in.

Taylor says that in the short-term, producers should be thinking about the tactical side of their feeding plan. Often times that looks like a change or expedited ability to source and change feed ingredients or grazing plan.

“What works for your neighbor may not work for you, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t concepts that are unwavering. Cattle requirements, for example, are unwavering. If you have a 1200-pound cow, her requirements aren’t going to change in the third trimester year over year,” Taylor said.

INVENTORY

If strategy and vision are the corner stones of formulating a dynamic nutrition plan, nothing is more important to actual execution than inventory.

Feed inventory and cattle inventory are the two most important considerations when putting together a nutrition plan. Moore told attendees that in his role as a Cargill nutritionist, he gets to work with a lot of grazing, stocker, and backgrounding yards which allow him to see a different stretch of country and a diverse set of cattle operations.

The one constant amongst all those operations: the strive for efficiency.

“One thing is the same for every customer, they all want to be as efficient as possible because at the end of the day that efficiency drives profit,” Moore told attendees of the importance of knowing what you have and when you have it available.

Moore says that for him the logical place to start is with inventory: cattle inventory and feed inventory, as well as where an operation is in their grazing program and what their forage quality and quantity look like.

Another metric of weight that is paramount to nutritional success both for the animal and for an operation’s bottom line, is knowing how many pounds of cow are being fed.

Once cattle inventory, bodyweight and body condition score are determined, knowing what an operation has on hand to feed is the next step.

“Everyone’s feeding program is different and a number that we really fail at getting accurate as an industry is knowing how many pounds of forage we have to start the winter,” said Moore. “It’s pretty drastic what the difference in weight is based on density and moisture content.”

Another adjustment factor to consider is the loss per bale. If bales are stored on the ground, you have to pencil off that hayto-soil contact portion of the bale that is spoiled.

Finally, producers must understand and have a handle on what the nutrient quality of forage is and what needs to be changed or supplemented to meet the production goals on the operation.

Forge testing will provide two advantages: the knowledge of how much additional forage/nutrients you will need to purchase and the opportunity to purchase additional forage and supplements earlier in the year when prices are typically lower.

MATCHING A COW TO HER ENVIRONMENT

You have to have a cow that is the right size for the environment she’s in and the environment that her production cycle is occurring.

Selecting genetics that fit the resources and environment available is a direct pathway to efficiency. Think about those genetics you have to “feed” to maintain such as milk production and frame size.

Depending on where you are in your production cycle, what resources do you have available?

MAKING A PLAN

Plan for an average year but have a contingency plan in place for the unforeseen variables. These variables may account for drought, early winter, and a later than normal spring. Put a pencil to paper and determine how much hay you need in a normal year. Don’t forget to factor in the weight of your bales and any storage losses.

For beef cows, figure 2% of mature cow size body weight for hay consumption, meaning that a cow that that weighs 1200 pounds will need 24 pounds of dry matter intake per day to maintain. Depending on where you live and how much fall forage you have stockpiled, the duration of hay feeding on your operation may differ from others and may cause you to look at other feed options. Both Taylor and Moore urged producers to assess their situation and loop in a nutritionist.

Both also agreed that the key to efficiency in tough feeding situations, like much of the country is setting up for again this year, is getting creative and thinking outside the box.

“There is a lot of feed out there that you may not have thought about as feed. Talk to a nutritionist and do your own research on feed alternatives that may be available in your area,” Taylor said.