|
Other Tips For Winter
ELDON COLE
MT. VERNON, MO.
Here’s a checklist of sorts for cow-calf and stocker operators as we head into the winter.
• Include an ionophore in your supplement concentrates. The more common ones used in this area are Rumensin and Bovatec.
• If your forage is below 8 percent crude protein, you probably need additional protein for most classes of cattle. Do the math and determine what each pound of protein costs.
• Salt is still a fairly efficient way to limit supplement intake.
• Sort cattle into groups as best you can. Don’t run fall calvers with those calving after the first of the year.
• Don’t run open heifers and first-calvers with adult cows as they have distinctly different needs.
• Body condition score (BCS) at least a few of your cows. A 5 and 6 score which means adult cows are a little fleshy with maybe only a slight showing of the last pair of ribs on the 5’s.
• A BCS change of 1, such as going from a 4 (several pairs of ribs visible) to a 5 is about an 80 to 100 pound change. It will take several pounds of feed per day to make that change.
• Don’t feed or encourage parasites, both internal and external. Don’t wait until cows start rubbing hair off before you treat for lice.
• Test some of your forage and compare the results with the nutritional needs of the cattle you’re feeding. Regional field specialists in livestock can provide you with the nutrient requirements for a wide variety of classes of cattle.
• Don’t waste hay by feeding in muddy areas, using bale rings without a solid skirt around the bottom.
• Don’t pay too much for convenience feeds. ∆
ELDON COLE: Extension Livestock Specialist, University of Missouri
|
|