Nutrition Articles

Accurate mixing with clean grain can be accomplished with one of the many models of Highline® TMR mixers ready for use this fall.
 

Fundamental to all agriculture is an acre of land. Multiple acres can be added together to make a farm but the principle of ‘the acre’ still applies. For this unit the farm family needs to profit to be successful and so considers what can be done with this acre to generate income above expenses.

According to Alberta Agriprofits https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/781f2072-bdb5-40be-a7df-a0a44a760017/resource/c214e679-f81d-4bca-adb7-ff2e072fcc48/download/agi-itrb-economic-productive-financial-performance-alberta-cow-beef-2018-2022.pdf over the years 2018 to 2022 the average conception rate in Alberta cow herds was 86%. The target is 98% so there is room to improve.

It is a great sight when the cows with calves at foot are on grass and looking good. The thoughts of the manager turn to what can be done for the growing calf. This calf is initially a monogastric with a digestive system dedicated to animal protein for about 30 days after birth.

Over the last ten years many papers and lectures have been given on the topic of Nutritional Programing. The general results are that this is in fact occurring in beef cattle. In simple terms the way in which an animal is fed can affect the lifetime performance of both the cow and its offspring. Poor nutrition can reduce the physical performance through reduced growth and reproductive outcomes.

The forages are coming into the yard and more is moving down the highways. Dry pastures are not supplying the needed intake to support BCS (Body Condition Score) in some cases and additional harvested forages are being given to some cow herds already.

This year the drought continues to reduce yield of both grain and forages. Click on the link to read more.

In discussions with cow/calf producers the topic of finishing calves comes up often. Most farmers want a simple way to estimate the cost of doing this rather than selling the calves at some time after weaning in the fall. Click on the link to read more.

Cattle will soon be going on to pastures with the arrival of the warm weather and relatively good moisture situation. The thoughts of the producers now turn to ensuring the lactating cow has ample pasture to produce milk and repair body tissue so the upcoming breeding season goes well. Click on the link to read more.

Primarily we feed rations to supply energy to the cow at every stage of her life cycle. Energy comes in the form of sugars, starches, fat, cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin. Click on the link to read more.

After a producer has been feeding cattle for a few years experience shows that cattle are quite tolerant of mineral levels outside of what would be called normal. Click on the link to read more.

For the majority of cattle herds we are entering the calving stage for beef producers. Some early calving herds had to battle difficult weather all over North America. These dramatic weather events stress cows, calves and farmers. Click on the link to read more.

The main purpose for feeding forages to cows is for dietary energy. As the animal transitions from gestation to lactation generally there is not enough energy generated from daily intake of forages alone to meet their body’s needs so grain can be added to make up the difference. Click on the link to read more.

The use of silage for cattle rations is increasing and is justified by the increased dry matter yields and higher quality of the resultant ensiled product. Click on the link to read more.

Those farms where the season was dry are already supplementing their cows to preserve BCS. Forage quality on droughty pastures is good but the amount of forage is less than ideal. Click on link to read more.

Why do we need to supplement cows grazing late season forages? The answer depends on what forages cows are grazing and what stage they are at in pregnancy. Click on the link to read more.

Management of any type requires decisions in a timely fashion. Preparation for likely scenarios involves experience and an understanding of the elements of the decision. The goal is to have the decisions how to respond made ahead of the occurrence so implementation is quick. Click on the link to read more.

In general terms there are key points to being a top 25% beef producer. What is the roadmap to the top? Click on the link to read more.

As we look at the great information research is generating we can see two important areas are to be noted. The genetic ability of the beef cow to utilize forages and grains is changing. Also new strains of forages and grains with different fibre and starch levels are available which represent nutritional advantages based on how rumen microbes react to dietary ingredients. Click on the link to read more.

The culling of the herd remains one of the tasks that is difficult for the herd manager. Cows who have faithfully produced year after year but have reached an age where it is time to consider ending her time in the herd have to be evaluated for removal. Click on the link to read more.