Strategies for Cost-Effective Supplementation of Beef Cattle 1

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1 SS-ANS-14 Strtegies for Cost-Effective Supplementtion of Beef Cttle 1 Mtt Hersom nd W. E. Kunkle 2 Forge should provide the mjority of the nutrition for the beef herd. Sesonl forge growth nd chnges in forge qulity chllenge most cttle mngers to provide dequte nutrition t resonble costs. The following rticle gives severl lterntives to consider in your cow-clf production system. Stretching the Forge Supply Mny res of Florid occsionlly will experience both sesonl nd wether-induced drought. The forge hrvested s hy nd stnding forge vilble in pstures re decresed, nd chnges in mngement my be needed to mitigte the effects of drought on production. Owners should consider multiple strtegies to stretch the forge supply, including forge, supplement, nd cttle mngement options. Forge Mngement Selectively fertilize. Forge growth cn be incresed if there is dequte soil moisture, temperture, nd dylight length. Timing of fertilizer ppliction nd the mount of fertilizer pplied re key fctors tht dictte the success of fertiliztion. Wrm seson perennils such s strgrss nd limpogrss hve more growth potentil in the fll nd will likely provide more forge production thn bhigrss. Rottionlly grze. Forge production is often incresed when forge is rottionlly grzed compred to continuously grzed. If forge supply is limited, rottionl grzing llows both better rtioning of the forge to the cttle nd time for forge regrowth. Mke hy. Forge conserved s hy cn be mnged to reduce wste nd defer forge resources for lter use. Hrvesting hy from fields not fenced or purchsing hy from nother producer my be possible. Consider purchsing hy erly nd storing in mnner tht limits wethering losses. Use hy feeders. Round ble hy feeders cn reduce hy wstge especilly with low-qulity forge or forge fed in wet wether. The svings in wste will often py for the ble feeder in one seson. Hy wste cn be s gret s 42% when fed on the ground nd limited to only 3.5% when fed in tpered-cone feeders. Unrolling hy bles my be n lterntive to reduce hy wstge, but wste cn be s gret s 24%. Plnt nnul forges. Rye, whet, ots, nd/or ryegrss cn produce good yields of high-qulity forge if rinfll nd temperture re fvorble. Likewise, the use of summer nnuls to bridge gps in perennil forge production should be considered. Summer nnuls cn hve good yields of high-qulity forge, nd severl re drought tolernt. Selecting fields with better soils nd moisture is suggested for good results. Rottionl or limited grzing is suggested to increse the stocking density nd improve forge use. 1. This document is SS-ANS-14, one of series of the Deprtment of Animl Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension. Originl publiction dte September Revised October Reviewed October Visit the EDIS website t 2. Mtt Hersom, ssocite professor, Deprtment of Animl Sciences; W. E. Kunkle, professor, Deprtment of Animl Sciences (decesed); UF/IFAS Extension, Ginesville, FL The Institute of Food nd Agriculturl Sciences (IFAS) is n Equl Opportunity Institution uthorized to provide reserch, eductionl informtion nd other services only to individuls nd institutions tht function with non-discrimintion with respect to rce, creed, color, religion, ge, disbility, sex, sexul orienttion, mritl sttus, ntionl origin, politicl opinions or ffilitions. For more informtion on obtining other UF/IFAS Extension publictions, contct your county s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Deprtment of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florid, IFAS, Florid A & M University Coopertive Extension Progrm, nd Bords of County Commissioners Cooperting. Nick T. Plce, den for UF/IFAS Extension.

2 Cttle Mngement Wen clves erly. Wening nd selling clves erly will reduce the forge needed to feed the mture cow herd. Erly wening will lso reduce the nutritionl requirements of the cow, which llows dequte performnce with lower qulity forge nd less totl nutritionl resource inputs. Sell cows. Cull cows tht re open. Only cows tht re productive contributors to the cow herd should be retined. Also consider culling thin cows with no teeth nd cows with bd eyes, bd udders, bd feet, or poor clf. Feed supplements. Hrvested forge nd concentrte supplements cn be used to stretch the psture. This my be needed for dequte cttle performnce when grzing lower qulity residul forge. Supplements should be strted before ll residul forge is gone, nd supplements need to be fed where ll cttle cn et the supplement t one time. Strtegies to Optimize Cttle Performnce Forge qulity nd quntity my not lwys meet the nutritionl requirements of the cttle. Cttle owners cn evlute the nutritionl sttus using the body condition score (BCS). BCS hs been shown to be closely relted to pregnncy rte. A BCS of 5 or bove is needed for cceptble reproductive rtes. Monitoring the BCS of cows nd heifers is good mngement tool to evlute the dequcy of your nutritionl progrm. BCS needs to be considered when evluting forge mngement, cttle mngement, nd supplementtion lterntives. Forge Mngement Select species. In South Florid, limpogrss nd strgrss hve good growth in the fll. The qulity of strgrss declines rpidly with mturity but limpogrss mintins qulity with dvncing mturity. Strgrss should be grzed or cut t 4 6 weeks regrowth, nd limpogrss should be ccumulted for grzing lter in the fll. Improved vrieties of bermudgrss should be utilized for conservtion of forge for lter use. Likewise, winter/summer nnuls offer vible opportunities to incorporte dditionl forge resources for the cow herd. Mnge grzing. Cttle selectively grze the higher qulity forge first. Heifers nd/or thin cows tht need higher qulity forge should be grzed on pstures first, nd then cows in good flesh cn grze the lower qulity forge. Test forge. Ech cutting nd field of forge hrvested s hy should be smpled nd sent to forge testing lbortory to determine nutrient content. Contct your county Extension gent for detils on the Florid Forge Testing Progrm. Feed the higher qulity forge to growing heifers, thin cows, nd lctting cows. Feed lower qulity hy to cows in good body condition score before clving. Ammonite low-qulity hy. Anhydrous mmoni tretment of low-qulity hy will improve hy qulity nd intke, reduce hy wstge, nd improve cttle performnce. Ammonited hy will give cttle performnce similr to verge qulity hy nd reduce the need for supplements. Low-qulity hy, especilly hy tht hs been wethered or stored outside since lst yer, usully shows significnt improvements in feeding vlue from mmonition. Cttle Mngement Clculte cttle requirements. The generlized trget weights nd gins to grow heifers to clve t two yers of ge nd to mintin cows re outlined in Tble 1. The totl digestible nutrients nd crude protein requirements increse t higher weights nd gins (Tble 2). The quntities of hy nd supplements required cn be estimted from the nutrient requirements nd forge qulity. Complete nutrient requirements for cows nd clves cn be found in AN190 nd AN254, respectively. Clve t BCS 5 or bove. Cows clving in good body condition will rebreed sooner nd hve higher pregnncy rtes thn thin cows. Cows should be mnged from wening to clving so they will clve t BCS 5 or bove. Cows in BCS 4 or lower should be mnged from wening to clving to gin weight nd be in BCS 5 t clving. If cows cn put on extr body flesh bove BCS 5 using better forge mngement or low-cost strtegic supplementtion, it will llow dditionl flesh loss fter clving with miniml effects on reproductive performnce. Group cttle by requirements. During the fll nd winter, cttle with higher nutritionl requirements need to be mnged in seprte groups nd fed to meet the trget weights nd BCS. Wened heifers should be mnged seprtely from older heifers nd cows. If some cows re below BCS 5, then these cows should be seprted nd grzed on the best psture nd fed supplements s needed. Cows in BCS 5 or higher cn be grzed on residul forge nd supplemented to mintin BCS. 2

3 Supplementtion Strtegies Energy 1Economic Priority Supplement only cows nd heifers tht will respond. It is essentil to supplement only the cttle tht will give n economicl response. Cows tht lost clves, cows in BCS 5 or bove, nd those clving lte need to be segregted from the herd being offered ny energy supplement. Clculte feeding level. The level to feed depends on the forge qulity, BCS, level of production, wether, nd other fctors. A guideline to supplementing heifers with different forge qulities for different gins is presented in Tble 3. Estimte the level of supplement needed, monitor the cttle weight nd BCS chnge, nd djust the supplement level to meet the performnce desired. The response to energy supplements will be better if lower level of supplement is fed over longer period time. Do not wit until the cttle re thin to strt feeding supplements. Select cost-effective energy supplement. Selecting n energy supplement tht will provide TDN blnced with protein t low cost is essentil. The source of energy with the lowest cost depends on the quntities purchsed, hndling nd storge system, processing nd mixing required, feeding system, nd lbor vilble. Compring costs of TDN from severl sources shows citrus pulp, rye psture, sorghum silge, nd hy to be lower cost sources of supplementl TDN (Tble 4). Lower strch supplements my give better response. Supplements with high grin content hve high TDN levels, nd the grin contins high levels of strch. Strches nd sugrs re fermented rpidly in the rumen, resulting in lower rumen ph, nd this cn lower the forge intke nd digestibility. Recent reserch using by-product feeds tht hve lower levels of strch but reltively high levels of TDN hs shown these feeds hve fewer negtive effects on forge intke nd digestibility, resulting in better cttle performnce. Feeds such s soyben hulls, whet middlings, nd citrus pulp fed t 5 lb/hed/dy or higher usully give better responses per unit of supplementl TDN. In situtions when forge is being supplemented, choosing highly digestible supplement such s soyben hulls, whet middlings, or citrus pulp compred to high strch supplement such s corn ppers to give 15% 30% better performnce per unit of supplementl TDN. When compring the cost of TDN in these situtions, this suggests you cn py 15% 30% more per unit of TDN nd still get the sme performnce. Protein 2Economic Priority Feed 0.15 to 0.30 lb crude protein when forge hs TDN:CP rtio greter thn 7. Protein supplements hve been shown to increse forge intke nd digestibility when forges hve TDN to crude protein (CP) rtio greter thn 7. Results of severl studies hve shown 15% 45% increse in forge consumption when forges deficient in protein reltive to TDN re supplemented with protein. A few studies hve lso shown 2 5 percentge unit increse in forge digestibility. The mount of protein needed to stimulte intke with bhigrss is usully less thn 0.30 lb dily. Additionl levels of protein usully hve no effect on forge intke nd my be detrimentl if the levels consumed re too high. Supplementl protein fed t lb dily typiclly costs 5 10 cents, nd the cow is expected to hve n increse of 2 or more pounds of TDN. This is usully more cost-effective thn purchsing energy supplements. Use nturl protein for young cttle. Non-protein nitrogen (NPN) such s ure hs been shown to effectively increse forge intke in mny situtions where forge ws low in protein. NPN supplements usully improve performnce, but nturl protein supplements such s cottonseed mel usully give better results thn NPN. In growing clves grzing low qulity forges, nturl protein supplements usully give better results thn supplements high in NPN. Select cost-effective supplement. Selecting high protein supplement tht provides protein t resonble cost is desirble. The cost of protein will depend on the supplement, quntities purchsed, hndling nd storge system, processing nd mixing required, feeding system, nd lbor vilble. The first decision is to nrrow the list of supplements to those tht cn be used in your system nd then compre prices bsed on the cost of the nutrients from ech source. Compring the costs of protein from severl supplements shows tht liquid supplement nd severl commodities when purchsed in bulk quntities re some of the lowest cost sources of protein (Tble 5). Limittions of ech feed must be considered. As n exmple, the mels need to be fed in feedbunks to minimize wstge, which increses the cost of using these supplements. Monitor the forge nd cttle. Protein supplements will stimulte forge consumption when forge protein content is low. Visully monitor the forge qulity nd fill (digestive fullness) in the cttle. If the cttle re not full, strt feeding supplements. Protein supplements hve been proven to be effective when fed three times per week. 3

4 Minerls Lst Economic Priority Minerl deficiencies lower BCS. Acute minerl deficiencies cn result in chrcteristic symptoms such s the lck of pigmenttion in hir ssocited with copper deficiency. However, mny deficiencies re borderline nd do not result in specific symptoms. The most likely results of chronic minerl deficiency re poor-doing cows tht hve lower BCS, which cn be cused by mny different fctors. Feed complete minerl supplement. A complete minerl supplement contining slt, clcium, phosphorus, nd trce minerls is recommended to be provided free choice. Minerl consumption vries cross pstures, sesons, nd cttle, but n verge consumption of 2 ounces/hed/dy of minerl contining 25% slt, 14% 18% clcium, 8% phosphorus, 0.4% zinc, 0.2% iron, 0.2% mngnese, 0.15% copper, 0.016% iodine, 0.01% coblt, nd 0.002% selenium hs been sufficient in mny situtions. Literture Cited Hersom, M Bsic Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cows. AN190. Ginesville: University of Florid Institute of Food nd Agriculturl Sciences. n190. Hersom, M., nd T. Thrift Growing Clf nd Show Steer Feed Mngement. AN254. Ginesville: University of Florid Institute of Food nd Agriculturl Sciences. edis.ifs.ufl.edu/n254. 4

5 Tble 1. Trget Weights nd Body Condition Scores (BCS) for Heifers nd Cows. Dte Dys Weight Comments Begin Ending Dily Gin Heifer-clve t 24 months of ge lb lb lb 9/15 3/ Wen to breeding 3/15 5/ Breeding seson 5/15 12/ Grow nd clve t BCS 6 12/15 4/ Clving-no flesh loss 4/1 6/ Rebreeding in 60 dys Cow-wening to clving Higher gin if BCS below 5 Cow-clving to breeding Clve t BCS 5 to 6 nd lose 0.5 to 1 BCS through breeding Trget weights re for cows weighing 1000 lb t BCS 5 when mture. Adjust trget weights for smller or lrger beef cows. Dtes re designed for clves born in the winter. Tble 2. Dily Totl Digestible Nutrients (TDN) nd Crude Protein (CP) Requirements of Heifers nd Cows. Stge of Production Dily Gin Dry Mtter Intke TDN Crude Protein Heifers lb lb lb % lb % 500 lb lb lb lb lb lb lb lb Cow-lte gesttion Cow-lcttion 10 lb milk, pek lcttion 20 lb milk, pek lcttion Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cttle, Ntionl Reserch Council, Tble 3. Dily Levels of 75% TDN Supplement Required For Vrious Gins of 600 lb Heifers Fed Different Qulity Forges. Gin Forge QI=1.0 b Forge QI=1.2 c Forge QI=1.4 d Level e Protein f Level e Protein f Level e Protein f lb lb % lb % lb % Qulity Index (QI) = TDN intke s multiple of mintennce (1.0 = mintennce). b QI = 1.0, TDN = 47%, Crude protein = 6%. c QI = 1.2, TDN = 54%, Crude protein = 9%. d QI = 1.4, TDN = 58%, Crude protein = 12%. e Supplement (lb/dy) needed long with forge vilble d libitum. f Crude protein (%) needed in 75% TDN supplement to meet requirements of 600 lb heifer. 5

6 Tble 4. Nutrient Composition nd Costs of Energy Supplements. Feed Totl Digestible Nutrients Crude Protein Cost Cost of TDN on Dry Mtter Bsis b % s fed % s fed $/unit $/100 lb Bhigrss hy, round bles /800 lb 9.22 Sorghum silge (30% DM) Shelled corn 18(60) 2(7) 25/ton 6.94 bulk, 25 ton /ton bgged, 50 lb /50 lb Hominy /ton Citrus pulp /ton Whet midds /ton Corn gluten feed /ton Soyben hulls, 25 ton /ton Blckstrp molsses, 25 ton /ton Liquid supplement, 16% CP bulk, 25 ton /ton delivered to lick tnk /ton Steer grower-12% /50 lb Whole cottonseed, bulk-25 ton /ton Rye psture /cre Prices quoted during Fll 2011 from suppliers in centrl Florid; prices vry in different res of the stte nd with different quntities purchsed. b Cost of feed ($/100 lb) is clculted by dividing the cost per ton by 20, then dividing by the dry mtter %.The cost TDN ($/100 lb TDN, dry mtter) is clculted by dividing the $/100 lb of dry mtter by the TDN content (% TDN/100). Exmple for soyben hulls: $250/ton = $13.74/100 lb (($250/20)/0.91); 100 lb of soyben hulls contins 70 lb TDN, nd 100 lb TDN costs $19.62 ($13.74/0.70). 6

7 Tble 5. Nutrient Composition nd Costs of Protein Supplements. Soyben mel Feed Crude Protein Totl Digestible Nutrients Cost Cost of Protein on Dry Mtter Bsis b % s fed % s fed $/unit $/100 lb bulk, 25 ton /ton bgged, 50 lb /50 lb Cottonseed mel bulk, 25 ton /ton bgged, 50 lb /50 lb Whet middlings, 25 ton bulk /ton Corn gluten feed, 25 ton bulk /ton Rnge cubes /50 lb Protein block, 33 lb /33 lb Molsses blocks 200 lb /200 lb lb /500lb Liquid supplement, 16% CP bulk, 25 ton /ton delivered to lick tnk /ton Liquid supplement, 32% CP bulk, 25 ton /ton delivered to lick tnk /ton Whole cottonseed, 25 ton /ton Prices quoted during Fll 2011 from suppliers in centrl Florid; prices vry in different res of the stte nd with different quntities purchsed. b Cost of feed ($/100 lb) is clculted by dividing the cost per ton by 20, then dividing by the dry mtter %. The cost protein ($/100 lb protein, dry mtter) is clculted by dividing the $/100 lb of dry mtter by the protein frction (% protein/100). Exmple for soyben mel: $475/ton = $26.09/100 lb (($475/20)/0.91); 100 lb of soyben mel contins 48 lb protein, nd 100 lb protein costs $54.37 ($26.09/0.48). 7