With hay briefly provide, producers are attempting to keep away from cattle herd liquidation this winter by feeding their cattle various feedstuffs.
Paul Beck, Oklahoma State College Extension specialist in beef diet, stated there are a number of methods focus feed can be utilized to satisfy a cow’s nutrient necessities. Though these different feed assets can be found, all feed prices are excessive and would require extra labor and administration for a winter feeding program.
Producers can incorporate the next methods with focus feed:
- Restrict feeding hay by unrolling or distributing hay in measured quantities to satisfy every day wants, then offering focus feed to complement for poor vitamins.
- Present a complete combined ration of hay and focus combined at an quantity that solely helps the required vitamins.
- Present free-choice hay and feed a lower-energy complement in an quantity that can scale back hay consumption.
Beck stated in all eventualities, it’s best to feed cows their complement and hay on the identical time every day. Lowering hay quantities and limiting the time cattle have entry to hay will end in very low hay waste, in addition to every day feeding processed hay in a complete combined ration. Feeding free-choice hay with excessive complement ranges will end in excessive ranges of hay waste and sorting.
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“Focus feeding ranges required to cut back hay consumption will should be over 0.7 to 1% of physique weight of dry matter or extra, so a 1,200-pound cow will should be fed as much as 13 to 14 kilos of feed a day,” Beck stated. “This may be pretty low in vitality to satisfy the cow’s necessities.”
The OSU Extension Rancher’s Thursday Lunchtime Collection this month on feeding cows by means of the winter addresses supplementation with focus feed and different challenges associated to hay shortages. Study extra about limiting hay entry with dietary supplements on this current session from Harold Stephens, county Extension director and agriculture educator in Atoka County.
Producers can even request help from OSU Extension educators in evaluating their present feeding practices by means of a feeder calibration clinic, featured on OSU Extension’s agriculture tv present, SUNUP. For extra info, contact Dana Zook, OSU Extension west district space livestock specialist, at 580-237-7677 or [email protected].
