Pasture-Based Nutritional Considerations for Beef Cattle

Lawton StewartGrazing School

September, 2010

Developing a FeedingStrategy

1. Understand your production system– Fall Calving– Spring Calving– Continuous

2. Understand your forage system– Pasture– Conserved forage

3. Develop an economical supplement

Reproductive Efficiency

•The most important factor affecting profitability

• Highly dependent on proper nutrition

Nutrient Priorities

1. Maintenance

2. Growth(Heifers)

3. Lactation

4. Reproduction

Brood Cow Nutrient Requirements

Separate Cows Based on Stage of Production

Over feeding = FAT COWS

Over feeding = FAT COWS

Underfeeding = LOSE CONDITION

Body Condition Scoring???

• 1-9 – Assess the energy reserve status of a cow.

BCS-1 BCS-9

Body Condition Scoring???

≤3 4 5 ≥60

102030405060708090

100

BCS

Preg

nanc

y Ra

te, %

4

5Kunkle et al., 1998

When to BCS?

Available Forages

• Hay produced– Storage

– Testing

– Inventory

L. Stewart, UGA Extension

TEST FORAGES!!!!

Hay Cutting Production Phase

1. CP 14% Dry CowTDN 60%

2. CP 10% Late GestationTDN 55%

3. CP 6% Early LactationTDN 47%

Supplementation Strategies

1. Winter Annuals

2. Commercial Feeds

3. Liquid Feeds/Tubs

4. Byproducts

Winter annuals

Warm-season perennial grasses

Winter annuals (small grain/annual ryegrass

Lick Tanks, Tubs, and Blocks

Advantage:1. Convenient2. Reduced Labor3. Additional minerals

and vitamins

Disadvantage???4. Intake?5. Adequate nutrients?6. Affordable?

Do they work miracles?“They’ll eat the old hay from last year if I use liquid feed”

Using a Lick Tub for CP

PoorHay7% CP, 46%TDN

Fair Hay10% CP, 50%TDN

Using a Lick Tub for Energy

Poor Hay7% CP, 46%TDN

Fair Hay10% CP, 50%TDN

RUMEN

Microbial Crude Protein ProductionNitrogen“Mortar”

Energy “Bricks”

CrudeProtein

Energy

SMALL INTESTINE

Byproduct Feeding

• What's available• Price

– Evaluate on DM basis– Look at $/nutrient

• Handling / Storage• Minerals

Potential Byproducts

1. Grain• Corn gluten feed• Distiller’s grains• Soy Hulls• Wheat middlings

2. Cotton• Whole seed• Gin trash• Hulls

3. Sugar and starch production• Cane, beet & corn molasses• Salvage candy

4. Vegetable• Cull vegetables

SMALL INTESTINE

RUMENSources of Energy

Fiber Starch

Effect of Increasing Corn on Hay Intake and Digestibility

Corn, lbs/day

None 2.2 4.4 6.6

Hay DMI lbs 19.3 18.0 14.1 11.2

DOMI, lbs 7.5 8.4 7.1 7.3

Hay OM Digest, % 36.5 35.1 23.6 18.9

Oklahoma State, 1987 JAS 65:557

Effect of Increasing Soybean Hulls on Hay Intake

SH, lbs/day

None 2.2 4.4 6.6

Hay, OMI, lbs 21.4 22.3 21.6 19.9

DOMI, lbs 10.6 11.8 12.3 12.7

OM Digestibility, % 45.8 46.2 46.6 48.6

Oklahoma State, 1990 JAS 68:4319

Byproduct Feeding

• What's available• Price

– Evaluate on DM basis– Look at $/nutrient

• Handling / Storage• Minerals

Byproduct PricingIngredient $/ton % DM % CP % TDN $/lb CP $/lb TDN

SBM 48 $ 350.00 90 48 87 $ 0.405 $ 0.223

$/ton / % DM / % nutrient / 2000 lb = $/lb of nutrient

www.ugabeef.caes.uga.edu/tools

Byproduct Handling/Storage

Byproduct Minerals

• Supplement Ca to forproper Ca:P ratio– Avoid urinary calculi

• Monitor sulfur levels– Avoid polioencephalmalacia– Cu deficiency

• N and P excretion– Environmental impact

How much do I feed?Stage of Production/ Requirement

Poor Forage,7% CP, 48% TDN

Average Forage,10% CP, 50% TDN

Excellent Forage,13% CP, 56% TDN

--------------------------lb supplement--------------------------Dry Pregnant

7% CP, 48% TDN

Peak Lactation

12% CP, 60% TDN

Late Lactation

9% CP, 55% TDN

-50:50 mix of corn gluten feed and soyhulls

?

How do I balance my ration?Balancer Programs:• Taurus (UC Davis) $400

– animalscience.ucdavis.edu/extension/Software/taurus/

• BRANDS (Iowa State Univ.) $200-475– www.iowabeefcenter.org/content/software_software_brands.html

Evaluator Programs:• Cattle Grower Ration Balancer (Univ. of Arkansas)

– www.aragriculture.org/livestock/beef/nutrition/spreadsheets/

• OSUNRC2002 (Oklahoma State Univ.)– www.ansi.okstate.edu/software/

How do I balance my ration?

“Those are too difficult!”“I want something for free that will balance

basic rations”

COMING SOON:UGA Basic Balancer

CONSULT WITH YOUR COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT BEFORE FEEDING!!!!!

How much do I feed?Stage of Production/ Requirement

Poor Forage,7% CP, 48% TDN

Average Forage,10% CP, 50% TDN

Excellent Forage,13% CP, 56% TDN

--------------------------lb supplement--------------------------Dry Pregnant 0 0 0

7% CP, 48% TDN

Peak Lactation 15.5 11.5 5.812% CP, 60% TDN

Late Lactation 7.6 5.8 09% CP, 55% TDN

-50:50 mix of corn gluten feed and soyhulls

Take Home Message

• Understand changing nutrient needs throughout production cycle.

• Know your forages.

• Use economic strategies when supplementation is needed.

Record Keeping

Is it worth it?

Why?• Help producer make

more informed decisions

• Improved marketing capability

• Export Markets?

Identification• Many feedlots utilize Electronic ID tags in their

record keeping system• Helps producer get data back on their animals• Contributes to traceability (age and source

verification)• Export markets “South Korea says it will

impose a beef tracing system on imported beef, effective December 21, 2010.”- BEEF magazine

Loss in profits from 0% NAIS participation

Export Market Loss(%)

Export market loss($/hd sold)

10% (7.31)

25% (18.25)

50% (36.47)

What records to keep?

1. Animal ID - animals must be uniquely identified

2. Cow age?3. Sire information4. Detailed calving records5. Treatment records6. Record all cattle sales

How to record?

www.ugabeef.caes.uga.edu/tools

Computer Based Records

Thank You!

Questions?