It is easy to open a bag of loose cattle mineral and pour it into mineral feeders or a trough. Yet many beef producers don’t realize the importance of providing essential minerals and vitamins to their beef cow herd on a regular basis. That’s why I encourage people to choose a well-formulated cattle mineral and […] Read more
Feed management affects proper mineral intake
Don't just dump a bag of mineral in a tub and walk away
Udder edema puts dairy cows under pressure
Dairy Corner: If a chronic problem, a change in ration formulation may be needed
Udder edema is the swelling and visible accumulation of fluid in a cow’s udder at calving, or it may appear a couple of weeks ahead of time in the close-up pen. Fortunately, most distressed cows do not need any producer or vet intervention. That’s because most of these cases disappear on their own, usually after […] Read more
Bulls need lots of TLC during the post-breeding season
Check for any health problems and make sure they have proper feed, including minerals
As a beef nutritionist, I recommend that bulls during the post-breeding season be given lots of attention, namely a physical exam, a good summer/fall-feeding program (winter programs to follow) and implementing other timely considerations. This will help both mature bulls maintain and young ones achieve body condition and health, which will contribute to next year’s […] Read more
‘Extra’ water key to reducing heat stress in calves
Dairy Corner: Keeping them hydrated is part of proper management when temperatures rise
Heat stress starts to harm dairy calves even at about 22 C with a relative humidity of at least 60 per cent. At this humidex level, I have seen many calves become restless, reduce feed intake, and significantly increase water consumption. As temperatures rise (coupled with more humidity), most sooner or later breathe rapidly and […] Read more
Lick tubs one way to supplement poorer pastures
It doesn't take much loss in body condition to affect conception rates
A good illustration for this column is a photo I recently took of a dried-out and brown cow pasture. And, if much of the southern Prairies doesn’t get rain soon, many good pastures will start to look like this, which may be detrimental to this year’s breeding season. To lessen its impact, producers should implement […] Read more
Creep feeding may be a necessity
With dry growing conditions, supplemental feed may be needed to make up for milk and grass shortfall
Bridging the nutrient gap between mothers’ milk and pastures has always been the traditional purpose for creep feeding spring calves on many commercial cow-calf operations. Some producers put creep feeders out during the late summer when pasture is mature and milk of the average cow can only meet 50 per cent of her growing calf’s […] Read more
Dairy Corner: Forage fibre the big driver in milk fat production
Put your TMR to the test to determine if it's the proper particle size
Maintaining good milk production with adequate milk fat is always the main source of good revenue on most dairy farms. Regardless of the actual feed ingredient formulation, it must work in tandem with the natural body functions of healthy cows. This is something we should keep in mind when reformulating current rations if restrictions are […] Read more
Cash in on beef cow mineral status in the spring
To avoid disease and promote rebreeding and maybe a dash of garlic for fly control
As the weather turns warm, many beef producers wish to refresh their cow mineral programs. It seems that most want to maintain the well-being of their cows coming into spring, whether cows are spring-calvers or calving is completely done and their cows are nursing new spring calves. In both cases, many producers also want to […] Read more
Canola meal as a dairy ration can be excellent soybean replacement
More research is showing improved milk production and quality
I use a lot of soybean meal in several of the lactating feeding programs I develop for high-milk-producing dairy cows. However, in recent months, the skyrocketing price of soybeans has caused me to reconsider. So, I have replaced a significant portion of soybean meal with canola meal, yet have retained the economics and production in […] Read more
Invest in a good feeding program after calving
It benefits in rebreeding and also fall-calf weaning weights
I give nursing beef cow diets a passing grade when they support beef cows to produce lots of milk for their newborn calves and promote growth in postpartum replacement heifers. These diets must also retain their precious body condition (BCS of 2.5 -3.0, on a 5-point scale) so females can get rebred and conceive within […] Read more
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