Nutrition for Cow-Calf Producers: A practical guide to supplementation: Know your forages, feeds and water sources

A practical guide to understanding forage reports, water analysis, cattle nutrient requirements and how to supplement to meet the gaps in protein, energy and mineral nutrition. This guide includes worksheets to better understand not only the nutritional parameters of forages, but also the physical attributes that impact animal feed behavior and performance.

Excerpt:

"It is likely, as a beef producer, your first encounter with making decisions about forage will be purchasing. When buying forages, an analysis is often used by the seller to demonstrate the quality of their forage. Therefore, the first thing producers will consider is a forage quality index, Relative Feed Value (RFV) or Relative Forage Quality (RFQ). It is important to remember that these indexes are meant only to quickly judge the value of one forage, among others. The key term here is relative.

Since these values are meaningless when it comes to balancing a beef diet, I am a proponent of reviewing the nutrients on the forage report. Consider how these numbers compare to the cow’s nutrient requirements. Will protein supplementation be necessary? Does this forage meet energy requirements? Is bloat a risk? Will the fiber limit daily intake? All these questions may seem overwhelming. However, if you know what you are looking for based on the forage type, it can easily be narrowed down.

Regardless of the forage type, the first nutrient to consider is protein. Always compare the forage report to animal requirements on a dry basis. Familiarize yourself with the nutrient requirement tables in section 6 of this book. For most beef cows, crude protein requirements will range anywhere from 8% when dry or maintaining to 10% during peak lactation. So, looking for a forage within this range will decrease the likelihood of needing added supplementation.

The second constituent to consider is total digestible nutrients (TDN) or the energy provided in the forage. Again, being familiar with the class of cattle you are feeding’s nutrient requirements will aid in identifying the best possible forage. Most beef cow TDN requirements will range from 52 – 58%. Other constituents to consider vary based on the forage type and preservation. There are essentially three categories of forages, grass, legumes, and mixed species. These forages can be stored and fed out as hay or silage or grazed as pastures or cover crop mixes on crop land."

We hope this practical consolidation of information will improve supplementation decisions on your operations!