Creep feeding calves on pasture has become popular among Prairie cow-calf producers over the last 10 years. For most, after calving, spring calves rely on milk for the next couple of months, but by midsummer some form of supplement feed is provided for the rest of the grazing season. From this point forward, cow milk production has […] Read more
Creep feed picks up where milk leaves off
Don’t ignore cow nutrition during dry period
After 10 months on the milk line, dairy cows complete their annual cycle by being dried, put into a designated “dry cow pen,” which may be further broken down into an early dry cow pen and close-up cow group. While there is a lot of emphasis on close-up cows, healthy faraway dry cows make a […] Read more
Zinc key to good beef bull fertility
Sometimes it’s seems unfair beef cows and replacement heifers get more attention paid to their nutrient requirements, and bulls often are left to fend for themselves. Although, they make up less than five per cent of the beef herd, bulls provide 50 per cent of genetic material to make calves and 90 per cent of […] Read more
Zinc key to good beef bull fertility
Sometimes it’s seems unfair beef cows and replacement heifers get more attention paid to their nutrient requirements, and bulls often are left to fend for themselves. Although, they make up less than five per cent of the beef herd, bulls provide 50 per cent of genetic material to make calves and 90 per cent of […] Read more
Pasture can work for dairy cattle
Although there can be a feed savings, producers need to consider special nutrition and management requirements
At one time dairy cows were kicked out of the barn to graze green pastures in the spring and were only brought inside at milking time. Times have sure changed — the trend for more milk produced by individual cows consuming great quantities of ensiled and dried roughages moved most productive lactating dairy cows indoors. […] Read moreThe pros and cons of late-spring calving
A growing trend has developed among beef producers who raise cattle in the snow belt. Many cow-calf ranchers have adjusted the calving season until much of the snow has melted and the first green blades of grass have shot up. For many late-spring advocates, there just seems to be something natural about allowing beef cows […] Read more
Fight disease with trace minerals
Trace minerals play a valuable, but almost invisible role in the well-being of beef cattle. They are essential for good animal health status when the immune system is activated by disease. Whether a single or combination product, trace minerals are needed for good immunity to improve vaccination take in cattle. University research has already proven […] Read more
Dairy reproduction needs nutritional balance
The lactating dairy cow has an absolute requirement for nutrients, which is normally greater than nutrient requirements for vital body functions. These nutritional requirements are also linear — as she produces more milk, she needs to consume more dry matter feed containing the essential nutrients. In contrast, the need for the same nutrients for good reproductive performance seems to be a […] Read more
Most forages fall short of nutrients at calving
This is not a typical Prairie winter for pregnant beef cows ready to calve. Right after New Year’s, Calgary smashed a 100-year weather record of 12.8 C. The next day, Manitoba shattered 11 temperature records. Saskatchewan wasn’t left out; Maple Creek reported a record of 16 C. What does this mean for beef cows just weeks or a month away from calving? Although we […] Read more
Time To Finalize Home-Grown Mineral Program
At this time, most mature cows and first-calf heifers are in the early stages of gestation. Their nutrition needs are relatively low and therefore it makes a starting point for designing a gestation into pre-calving mineral program. Producers have a lot of commercial mineral choices at their fingertips, from buying a standard beef mineral to […] Read more
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