All-natural beef calves are raised and sold in area – Hickory Daily Record

Occasionally, cow-calf producers need to feed a concentrate to further increase body condition of the cows. To implement and maintain an efficient supplementation program for grazing or forage fed cattle, the following must occur.

First, cattle producers identify specific supplementation needs. Second, they estimate nutrient content of standing forage or hay which may vary greatly. Once nutrient requirements have been established and a reasonable estimate of the nutrient contribution of the forage has been made, determining supplemental needs is simply a comparison of the two.

Next, it is a matter of finding feedstuff at the cheapest price and meets the animals nutrition requirements. First priority is the protein requirement to maximize forage intake. Many years of research have consistently shown that protein supplementation is extremely effective for cattle grazing protein-deficient forage. In fact, energy supplementation will not be effective if dietary protein is deficient.

Once protein is met, energy intake will be evaluated. The decision must be made whether the cattle need to maintain body weight, or gain weight, or allowed to lose some weight. This decision will dictate how much supplemental energy will be provided.

Lastly, vitamin and mineral requirements should be compared to make certain the vitamin and mineral intake will solve any potential deficiencies.

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All-natural beef calves are raised and sold in area - Hickory Daily Record