Autumn is a good time for producers to determine the best type of cattle mineral and how they will provide it to their early-gestation beef cows. In doing so, they should avoid five common myths when they consider outside advice. Producers can effectively meet important mineral and vitamin requirements of their cow herd now and […] Read more
Don’t buy into myths about mineral/vitamin requirements
Fall and early winter are not the time to cut back on supplements
Dog days of summer can still produce heat stress in dairy cattle
It’s important to keep the dairy herd cool and eating
On a recent early August morning, I let our dog Luna outside to do her business which amounts to chasing red squirrels and barking to wake up the neighbours. By 10:00 a.m., the temperature was already 30 C in Winnipeg. I noticed that Luna became lethargic, lying on the deck and panting profusely. Within a […] Read more
Bulls need to rebuild after breeding season
A proper feed and mineral program prepares them for next year
By midsummer, most producers pull their bulls from the spring cow herd, mainly to maintain a desirable 60-day breeding season and to avoid any temporary sterility caused by heat stress. As a beef nutritionist, I advocate that bulls be treated with lots of attention during the post-breeding season. They should be put on a good […] Read more
‘Push-ups’ in the dairy barn are good exercise
Make sure there is enough feed in the bunk at all times
As a dairy nutritionist, I believe that good dry matter intake of a well-balanced dairy diet means everything for good milk production. More nutritious feed consumed by healthy lactating cows means they produce more milk. It also has been proven that higher dry matter intake, as well as less feed refusal, can be simply achieved […] Read more
Five benefits of creep feeding calves
Always an ROI, some years better than others
Over the years, I have discovered that there are three types of beef producers who are creep feeding spring calves. 1. Those who don’t creep feed. 2. Those who sometimes creep feed if it makes economic sense, and 3. Producers who routinely creap feed as a matter of course. Although, I have heard almost-convincing arguments […] Read more
Get magnesium levels up before cattle turnout
Mineral deficiency can lead to sudden and fatal grass tetany
It wasn’t unusual that many producers fed a lot of straw and screenings to their beef cows this winter. That’s because their last year’s hay or grain crop was so poor. Some told me that spring couldn’t come soon enough when green grass starts to sprout on pasture. As a beef nutritionist, I warned them: […] Read more
High-quality colostrum is magic for newborn calves
There’s a 24-hour window to get antibodies into the gut
The most critical aspect of promoting newborn calf health and reducing morbidity/mortality is to feed sufficient amounts of high-quality colostrum to each calf shortly after it is born. Once colostrum is fed, it becomes a matter of allowing its specialized antibodies to do their job. They do this by establishing temporary immune protection until the […] Read more
Keep nutrition going through to breeding season
Proper ration needed from last trimester through to green grass
Maintaining good nutrition in beef cows after calving largely involves continuing with the well-balanced diets that were fed to them as late-gestation cows. Years of beef research demonstrate that cows that calve out in optimum body condition score of between five and six, compared to thin fresh cows, have a greater chance of an easier […] Read more
Reducing variability of dry matter intake for dairy cows
Dairy Corner: Several factors, including particle size, can affect how dairy cows eat
Optimizing dry matter intake (DMI) of a well-balanced dairy cow diet should be one of the mission statements of every dairy producer. It is the key to providing enough essential nutrients that support good milk production (and its components) in feed that cows can reasonably consume every day. Unfortunately, daily DMI among a lactating cow […] Read more
Don’t delay on proper mineral feeding program
Important for the new calf as well as the next breeding season
The entire nine months of a beef cow’s pregnancy can be broken up into three stages; early, mid- and last trimester of gestation. During these first two stages, her unborn calf doesn’t require a lot of nutrients, so it doesn’t put a lot of pressure on the cow. However, this all changes in the last […] Read more
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