About a month ago, in 2025, we made our second voyage to South Korea and got another great opportunity to revisit her family’s farm.

To appreciate their farm, as well as the special beef industry in Korea, we should compare the typical Korean palate against our own eating habits in Canada. For example, Canadians consume about 30 kg of beef and eat less than eight kg of fish and seafood on an annual basis. Koreans, on the other hand, consume over 60 kg of fish and seafood and about 15 kg of beef. Furthermore, a Korean plate of beef rarely bears a steak as we know it, but often displays stewed heart, tripe, chitlins, oxtail and other offal.

Similarly, Canada slaughters about two million cattle per year, while Koreans slaughter nearly 900,000 Hanwoo beef feeders, which originate in their country. Plus, I can attest that from Seoul to Naju City (pop. 120,000), I did not see any open-air feedlots, which are a common sight in Western Canada. Rather, most in Korea are like that of my girlfriend’s uncle and aunt — Sang June Kim and Hee Jong’s operation — in the form of an open-roof and dairy-like barn with two longitudinal rows of cattle pens.

I reported last year that they bought 170 Hanwoo feeder steers at eight to nine months of age, weighing between 300 and 350 kg. Their plan was to raise and market these calves to 1,000 kg at 24 months of age.

Upon our second visit, most of these calves have been sold. Now 150 five- to six-month-old Hanwoo heifers weighing about 250 kg have been trucked in. They will be raised until they are marketed at 750 kg, which I am assuming is about their slaughter weight.

According to Sang June, using my girlfriend as an interpreter, they made a handsome profit on last year’s steers. Given that a new group of feeder steers would be an unprecedentedly high input cost and would have resulted in razor-thin profit, he penciled it out and decided to buy light-weight Hanwoo heifers.

Sang June acknowledged heifers may gain less per day than comparable steers, but should have better overall feed efficiencies for an attractive financial return.

On the farm with the steers, he cut and loaded plastic-wrapped bales (500 to 600 kg per bale) of complete diet (forage plus concentrate) in a small TMR mixer, which was mounted on a small truck and then equally unloaded in front of the steers.

Now, Sang June lays only chopped hay (wrapped 500-kg bales imported from Australia) in front of the heifers and in a more precise manner feeds a complete grain ration through individual self-drop feeders on the other side of the heifer pens.

It is my further understanding that this heifer concentrate is made up of rolled corn, rolled soybeans, ground barley and a mineral-vitamin pack.

The amount of this concentrate diet is distributed on a weight-per-head basis and then increased respectively as these animals grow heavier. As a footnote: no implants are used on this operation.

Another change Sang June made this year is that all growing heifers are still housed to about three to five animals per pen, but a thick layer of clean rice hulls lines each pen. In comparison, last year’s steers laid on their own manure.

According to Sang June, his goal of continuous improvement is to keep all animals as clean and comfortable as possible, particularly during the autumn rainy season. He believes it contributes to good health and better weight gains.

For me, such a second guided tour of this beautiful operation was totally unexpected. I was thrilled to learn about the significant improvements made to it in less than one year’s time. I encourage all readers to look back at my Grainews article from last spring to read or re-read about my first excellent visit. Both visits certainly made me appreciate ever more of the beef industry in another country and here at home. Above all I want to thank Sang June and Hee Jong again for their great hospitality in welcoming us to their farm and home.

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A hidden hazard, mycotoxins can create a variety of problems, including impaired immune response, which can lead to secondary infections, compromised growth rates, reduced reproductive performance, lameness and gangrene.

Illnesses caused by mycotoxins can be difficult to identify, and treatment with antibiotics has little to no effect. Therefore, knowing the threat presented by mycotoxins, and the appropriate prevention measures to implement, are key to reducing the risk to cattle.

What are mycotoxins?

Mycotoxins are produced by certain types of fungi, including mould, and can be present in virtually all of the forages and other feedstuffs that cattle consume. Just because mould or ergot bodies can’t be seen in forage, grain or screenings is no guarantee mycotoxins aren’t present. These toxins are invisible, colourless and odourless. In addition, the presence of multiple mycotoxins within a single feed can have an increased negative impact on the animal.

The most common sources of mycotoxins that Canadian beef producers encounter are fungal diseases such as fusarium and ergot, as well as environmental, handling and storage issues that contribute to mouldy feed. The chance of mycotoxins being present in high concentrations in cattle feed can fluctuate substantially in any given year.

When are mycotoxins the biggest risk?

• If feed is suspected to be contaminated, or if conditions have been favourable for mycotoxin production;
• If mould is visibly present in a feed being fed to cattle and it makes up a large portion of the diet;
• If significant changes in production performance or health are observed in a large percentage of the herd; and/or
• If performance or health declines have no obvious cause.

What are signs of mycotoxin toxicity in beef cattle?

The symptoms of mycotoxin toxicity will vary depending on the toxins present, amount ingested, duration of exposure, animal condition and stage of production. Symptoms can include:

• Reduced feed intake: a feed reduction greater than 30 per cent should be investigated
• A decrease in growth or performance, or a failure to thrive
• Animal seems to be frequently sick, which may indicate immune suppression
• Animal does not respond when treated with antibiotics
• Animal has convulsions, muscle spasms or temporary paralysis
• Gangrene or lameness is present, especially in the animal’s ears, tail and feet, which is a sign of ergot toxicity
• Animal shows signs of heat stress, elevated breathing rate, panting or drooling
• Animal has a fever or intermittent bloody diarrhea
• There are blisters, reddening or ulcers in the mouth
• Abortion and premature births occur, or reduced lactation

How to protect cattle

Reducing the risk of mycotoxins boils down to four factors:

• awareness,
• feed testing,
• additional best practices for feed quality, and
• best practices to keep animals healthy.

Monitor for risk factors, which can fluctuate from season to season and year to year, influenced heavily by moisture conditions during growth, harvest and storage. As an example, the risk of fusarium production is increased with the presence of warm, moist conditions during the flowering stage. In contrast, ergot favours cool, moist conditions during this stage.

When producers are growing their own feed, disease monitoring must include the year before, as risk conditions and pathogen presence can carry over from one year to the next. In the case of ergot, if the fungal bodies are left to mature, they will detach from the plant head and drop to the soil, starting the cycle over again.

If the risks are high, consider diverting the crop to silage or cutting early for greenfeed before ergot bodies have developed. For grasses used for feed which may be infected, it is best to mow them sooner rather than later.

Perform regular feed tests on all feeds suspected to be contaminated. Remember, mycotoxins and mould are not the same thing. Mycotoxins may be present in a feed even if no mould is visible; therefore, it’s difficult to correlate mould or grain damage with the presence of mycotoxins. The only way to know for sure is feed testing for mycotoxin identification.

Ensuring high-quality feed also means following best practices for feed quality at harvest, storage and during feed-out. This includes proper packing to ensure oxygen exclusion for ensiled feeds, managing moisture levels for grains, byproducts and dry forages, and purchasing byproduct feeds from reputable sources, as this type of feed is at an increased risk of contamination.

Healthy animals that are not exposed to stressors are less susceptible to the impact of many mycotoxins. Follow best practices for vaccination, internal and external parasite control, biosecurity, low-stress handling, nutrition and gut health.

Eliminating the threat of mycotoxins is nearly impossible. However, producers can take preventive steps to reduce the possibility of mycotoxin contamination of their feed sources. If mycotoxins are detected in feed, certain strategies can be followed to make the feed source safer for cattle.

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However, due to variability in supply, nutrient composition and quality of these feed ingredients, there can be pitfalls if not properly managed. Below are several key areas on which producers can focus when deciding if alternative feeds are a good fit for their farm.

Match feed composition to beef cattle groups

Two of the main components to know when creating a balanced ration for beef cattle are the nutritional composition of the feedstuffs being used and their suitability for the type or group of cattle being fed. Ration-balancing tools, such as CowBytes, allow producers to input feed analysis results and ingredient costs to calculate appropriate rations that safely use alternative feeds and reduce the risk of digestive upsets.

Screenings from cereals, pulses or canola can be cost-effective sources of protein and energy in the diet for mature cattle. Care must be taken, as inconsistency between loads and the potential for toxins call for feed testing to determine the true nutritional value.

In comparison, soyhulls or beet pulp, which are byproducts of processing, typically contain a consistent amount of energy due to having a high level of digestible fibre. This makes them an excellent feed for most classes of cattle.

Feeds such as straw and oat hulls have a poor nutritional composition but can be used as fibre sources to partially substitute for forage in rations for mature cows in early and mid-gestation.

READ MORE: Balancing low cost with enough nutrition

It is recommended to restrict the use of these feeds in the diets of bred heifers — a group that requires a higher plane of nutrition to meet growth and development needs, along with the rising demands of pregnancy. Feeding high levels of straw also increases the risk of impaction.

Protein supplementation is often needed when feeding low- to medium-quality forage-based diets or grazing crop residues. Byproducts such as canola meal, soybean meal or dried distillers’ grains (DDG) are high-quality protein feeds that can be easily fed in multiple feeding scenarios and to all classes of cattle.

Supplementing cows that reach peak lactation in early spring can provide them with the added energy and protein needed to support milk production before pasture turnout.

There can be an increased risk of toxins with some alternative feeds, due to the concentration of nutrients during processing or the presence of certain conditions at harvest and storage. For example, heated or sprouted grains have an elevated risk of moulds and mycotoxins, while cereal screenings increase the danger of ergot toxicity. These contaminants can lead to reduced production performance, fertility issues and abortions in cattle. It is recommended to avoid feeding to bred heifers, pregnant cows or cow-calf pairs. Feed testing is necessary for any suspect feeds.

Think about handling and storage

Consider storage and feeding requirements before purchasing alternative feeds. Having the proper facilities and feeding infrastructure will make incorporating these feeds easier.

Handling can be a challenge when working with high-moisture feeds such as cull potatoes or fruit and vegetable waste. These types of products can freeze in cold weather, making consumption by cattle difficult.

For example, whole, frozen cull potatoes present a choking hazard when fed. To reduce this risk, the potatoes can be chopped using a tub grinder or crushed with equipment such as tractors. However, it is important to keep in mind that once processed, storage time is greatly reduced.

In addition, high-moisture products tend to ferment rapidly, especially when temperatures warm up. This creates potential spoilage issues, so it is recommended to feed quickly unless ensiled.

Feeds such as chaff, oat hulls or screenings can be bulky to transport and store. Covered commodity sheds can help reduce feed losses when compared to outside storage. The storage facilities used should be functional and well-maintained.

These feeds are also dusty and ideally fed as part of a total mixed ration (TMR) with a wet ingredient or water included in the mix.

When thinking of on-farm ration preparation and feed delivery, consider the mixing characteristics of the novel feed, such as particle size, shape and density. Feeds with a fine particle size should be combined with other ingredients in a TMR to allow for the greatest utilization of the product. In contrast, larger particle feeds can be either fed on their own or mixed with other ingredients as part of a balanced ration.

What about costs — do they add up?

It is key to compare feeds on an equal nutrient basis, not simply on purchase price. This allows for a direct comparison between feeds. Consider the scenarios below (nutrient values expressed on a dry matter (DM) basis):

• Two protein sources are available: Source 1 contains 30 per cent protein and costs $350/tonne, while source 2 costs $375/tonne and contains 38 per cent protein. The cost per unit of protein for source 1 is $1.17/kg. In comparison, the cost per unit of protein is 99 cents/kg for source 2. Therefore, although protein source 1 is purchased at a lower price, it will end up costing more to feed the same amount of protein per head per day when compared to source 2.
• Assume corn grain is priced at $248/tonne and contains 88 per cent total digestible nutrients (TDN). The cost per unit of energy is 28 cents/kg. If grain screening pellets are available as an alternative energy source, and they contain 70 per cent TDN, the breakeven price to pay for these pellets would be $195/tonne. It is important to remember that some screening pellets might be fortified with vitamins and minerals which must be considered when doing comparisons.

The BCRC’s interactive calculator for Evaluating the Economic Value of Feeds can help producers determine the value of feeds they are considering for purchase compared to the value of standard feeds. Keep in mind that it is important to use “dry matter” values rather than “as fed” when running cost comparisons.

Considerations when calculating the cost of transportation should include the distance hauled and the physical nature of the product itself. As an example, culled potatoes, culled onions or other fruit and vegetable wastes can have moisture contents ranging from 70 to 90 per cent. This means that one tonne of these feeds at a dry matter of 25 per cent would contain 750 kg of water.

This greatly increases the transportation costs, especially over long distances. In addition, due to the high-moisture content, bedding costs may increase along with a higher risk of digestive upsets and buildup of manure tags.

Carefully manage inclusion of alternative feeds

Local alternative feeds can be effective and economical additions to beef cattle rations. However, careful management is required to avoid potential problems and to ensure the nutritional requirements of the type of cattle being fed are met.

The post Do your homework on alternative feeds appeared first on Grainews.

“Barley continues to decline slightly week after week and even day to day,” said Alberta-based Agfinity in a Feb. 29 market report. Large barley stocks and continued imports of corn from the United States accounted for the weakness, according to the brokerage, with any pricing opportunities quickly filled by growers before they disappear.

Agfinity placed current barley pricing in Lethbridge at around C$265 per tonne for March/April delivery, with pricing C$10 above that for May to July delivery. New crop bids were pegged at C$275 to C$280 per tonne.

Prices for barley delivered into southern Alberta have gone down by about C$7 to C$8 per bushel over the past week, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire data.

U.S. Department of Agriculture export data for the week ended Feb. 22 shows that Canada has already imported 564,900 tonnes of U.S. corn during the marketing year that began Sept. 1. That’s roughly double the accumulated imports at the same time the previous year. There are an additional 242,600 tonnes of corn on the books slated to move later in the crop year – which compares with 207,800 tonnes of outstanding sales at this time.

Meanwhile, Canada’s own barley exports are running well behind the year-ago pace, with 1.16 million tonnes moved through 30 weeks of the marketing year, which compares with 2.08 million tonnes at the same time in the 2022/23 crop year, according to Canadian Grain Commission data.

Looking ahead, while the nearby trend remains pointed lower, seasonal price patterns are typically supportive for barley heading into the spring as uncertainty over new crop production brings in some risk premiums. Early indications point to acreage declines in both Canadian barley and U.S. corn, with the ongoing dryness concerns across much of Western Canada another possible supportive influence.

— Phil Franz-Warkentin is an associate editor/analyst with MarketsFarm in Winnipeg.

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Beusekom quoted feed barley at C$280 to C$285/tonne delivered to Lethbridge, having lost C$5 to C$10 per tonne over the last week. He stated that was “a pretty good move down” for the commodity. He said feed wheat backtracked by the same range, with prices at C$305 to C$310/tonne.

“Corn coming from the U.S. today, will deliver to a feedlot at roughly C$295/tonne,” he said, noting “all three of these commodities are within spitting distance of each other.”

Beusekom explained the livestock feeders remained well covered, which has put pressure on feed prices. He said they made their purchases of U.S. corn during the height of last summer’s drought.

“Livestock feeders thought we would be significantly short on barley. So they went out and bought corn and they bought a lot of it. That covered whatever we were short on barley,” he said, pointing to a second reason for declining prices.

“Once farmers knew what they had, they refused to engage in selling it. They held on to it. Prices have been in a downtrend for seven months. Each week and each month the market is lower than the previous week or month,” Beusekom continued. “Even when [farmers] should have been making barley sales, feedlots were again forced to buy even more corn. Today that means you now have a surplus of barley.”

Beusekom pointed to the stocks as of Dec. 31 report from Statistics Canada that was released on Feb. 8. Barley stocks were estimated to be 5.45 million tonnes, up from the 5.17 million the previous year. With that, he said barley could see ending stocks of about two million tonnes when the 2023/24 marketing year wraps up at the end of July.

“That’s absolutely bearish for barley,” he warned.

Last month, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada forecast the barley carryout for 2023/24 at 750,000 tonnes, up from 709,000 in 2022/24. And AAFC projected the 2024/25 carryout at 800,000 tonnes.

Also, the Canadian Grain Commission reported the amount of barley in the commercial pipeline were lower than a year ago. The CGC said producer deliveries of barley at through 27 weeks of the 2023/24 marketing year were 2.18 million tonnes versus nearly 2.99 million a year ago. Exports so far reached 962,300 tonnes versus almost 1.74 million, and domestic usage slipped to 773,300 tonnes from 839,800.

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“My grandmother always said, ‘Feed the cattle good at breeding time,’ because that’s when you get your best fertility with the best-quality forages,” Finn says. “It’s kind of been educated from when we were just kids that you leave your best pastures for your breeding season.”

Finn says if Canadian producers can learn more about grazing for fertility with a high-legume and grass-forage stand in the pastures, it will improve their operations and their success that much more. That’s especially as more drought conditions show up on the Prairies.

Here are six areas to keep an eye on to help improve cow fertility.

Body condition score

Kristen Ritson-Bennett is a ruminant nutritionist and managing partner at Blue Rock Animal Nutrition in Alberta. She says the biggest indicator of how well a producer’s nutrition program is doing is based on the cow’s body condition score (BCS).

“That’s going to be directly related to whether or not there’s enough protein and energy in the ration,” she says.

According to the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), cows with an ideal BCS rebreed up to 30 days sooner than cows who don’t meet the ideal score, which allows more cows to calve in the first 21-day cycle.

“One thing that I talk to my producers about all the time is that body condition score at calving is your greatest predictor for conception the next year,” Ritson-Bennett says. “Because if she doesn’t fall pregnant, you aren’t going to have a calf cheque.”

What to feed

Dr. Bart Lardner is a professor at the University of Saskatchewan in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, where they have researched feeding for fertility. He says it’s important producers pay attention to what the animal is eating.

“That animal has a requirement for nutrients every day,” Lardner says. “So specifically, which ones are important: energy, protein and minerals and vitamins. And so if those are not in adequate levels or nutrient density, then all of a sudden we do run into issues in terms of fertility.”

Finn says it’s important to feed the cattle high-protein plants that will increase their energy. That, he adds, includes “I think having a minimum of three legumes in your pasture blend and then high-quality pasture grasses.”

Lardner agrees legumes are a good thing. Not only do they provide the cattle with nutrients, but they also enhance a pasture since they are higher in quality than some other grass species because of their greater leaf-to-stem ratio. Legumes also have higher protein than other plant species often found in a pasture and will put nitrogen back in the soil.

Mineral blends

Mineral blends are used in a cow’s diet to maintain health and supplement minerals she doesn’t get in her regular diet.

However, mineral supplements are also very effective at improving a cow’s fertility. Manganese, copper and zinc are what Lardner calls the “fertility minerals.”

“All three are very involved in sperm production, and estrus cycling in female cattle, and so we need to make sure that there are adequate levels in that supplemental, granular trace mineral,” he says.

Despite these minerals being fertility minerals, Lardner says it’s important not to forget to add macro minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus.

Finn says finding the perfect blend of minerals specific for your cattle herd is an important factor in cattle fertility.

“You’ve got to have a mineral package designed for your pasture,” Finn says. “A lot of these mineral packages come off the shelf. They’re for Western Canada, but my pasture might be different from your pasture.”

Winter feeding

Feeding for fertility is easier in the summer when cattle are usually out on pastures, grazing. However, it could be hard for producers to know how to continue helping their herd’s fertility during the winter.

Lardner recommends vitamins — specifically, vitamin A, which is important for sperm production, and vitamin E. Since vitamin E is found in leafy green plants, it has to be supplemented in the winter.

“Make sure that you maybe give them that additional vitamin shot,” Lardner says. “We’ll see lower conception rate(s), see some weak calves and maybe early abortions with that vitamin A deficiency.”

Heat and management

Lardner says producers may have seen an effect on fertility during the drought years, which affected forages and the proteins the cattle consumed.

“Inadequate protein will certainly have a negative impact on the estrus cycle or the heat cycle of these females. They just won’t cycle,” he says. “Hence, they won’t get pregnant or ovulate for pregnancy.”

Ritson-Bennett echoes this. For example, in 2020, they saw “excessively high levels of heat in July” in herds bred in July. “And those bulls had no libido, they didn’t want to breed at all.”

A replacement heifer that doesn’t get enough energy in her feed will take longer to reach puberty compared to a female with a balanced ration. Male calves and bulls may experience suppressed libido and sperm production.

The fertility of cattle doesn’t depend entirely on nutrition, however. According to Ritson-Bennett, a variety of different management practices and issues could also have an impact on fertility. The cow-to-bull ratio, injuries and diseases can affect the fertility on your operation — as can heat stress, cold stress and predation.

“We definitely see lower reproductive success on those operations because those animals are on the move all the time, whether they’ve got wolves or bears around,” Ritson-Bennett says.

Testing

Because nutrition is such a big part of a cow’s fertility, it’s important to ensure it receives the proper amount of nutrients. That’s why both Ritson-Bennett and Lardner emphasize the importance of feed testing.

Ritson-Bennett says feed testing can identify many important things, such as shortfalls in protein or energy. As a result, producers will know before feeding if they need to invest in a concentrate (grain), if they need to bring in a protein supplement and what they need to do to balance minerals and vitamins.

Lardner says that although a feed test may seem like another thing on a long to-do list, it’s integral to an operation’s success and fertility.

“I know that times are tough,” he says. “And I know that input costs are going up. But what are some of the first things that producers will not put the money out for? That is certainly mineral supplementation. So yes, do a feed test.”

Lardner also recommends producers do a water test to ensure they are at the correct level of nitrates and sulphates.

For producers, knowing how to feed for fertility could help their herds in dry times.

As for spreading information on the importance of feeding for fertility, Finn hopes researchers in Canada will continue to help producers learn how to improve their operations.

“There’s knowledge out there, it’s just not getting out to producers as it should be,” he says. “So go and make friends with a researcher. They are good people and have helped me a lot.”

The post Six areas you should watch to maintain your cows’ fertility appeared first on Grainews.

Harakal pointed to the ongoing imports of corn from the United States, as it’s cheaper than domestic feed barley or wheat.

“The biggest thing is they have corn contracts all the way up to spring,” she commented.

Another factor she cited was the mild fall/early winter the Canadian Prairies have been experiencing, noting the feedlots don’t have to provide as much in rations for the cattle, thus reducing demand.

Harakal quoted C$305 to C$310 per tonne for December delivery for feed barley going into Lethbridge. Those prices nudged up to C$310 to C$315/tonne for January-February delivery into feedlot alley.

Prices for feed barley for the week ended Dec. 13 were steady to lower, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire. Alberta saw the largest decline, down 33 cents per bushel at C$5.32 to C$7.08/bu. delivered. In Manitoba, prices eased back seven cents at C$5.75 to C$5.84/bu., while they held firm in Saskatchewan at C$5.50 to C$5.75/bu.

It’s a similar story for feed wheat, with a decline of 27 cents in Alberta at C$6.80 to C$9.39/bu. delivered, and down 12 cents in Manitoba at C$7.82/bu. Meanwhile prices were unchanged in Saskatchewan at C$6.80 to C$8.88/bu.

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The goal of any good fall feeding program in drought or even with adequate rainfall is to maintain the beef cows’ body condition. A cow going into winter with an optimum body condition score (BCS) of five to six (One is emaciated while nine is obese) has a better chance of maintaining health and a trouble-free pregnancy. This compares to a thin cow with a BCS < 4.0, which will likely have a difficult time surviving winter, often ending in a difficult calving season. 

Early to mid-gestation mature cows, starting off in relatively good shape make the best candidates to be sustained on nutritionally challenged forages complimented with other feedstuffs. To support vital functions and an early-term fetus; these cows have a require 52 – 55 per cent TDN (dietary energy), nine to 10 per cent crude protein, 0.40 per cent calcium, 0.25 per cent phosphorus, 0.20 per cent magnesium and salt, essential trace minerals and vitamins. 

By end of a drought summer, many dire cows are not producing significant amounts of milk. Even if they did, it’s a good idea this year in many areas to early wean their calves. A lot of people simply creep them in drylot. This saves up to 20 per cent dietary energy and protein that the lactating cow would otherwise need. 

One producer (250 beef cows) that lives in the southern prairies told me that he has no intention of ditching science that wrote these nutrient requirements. Yet, he has no intention of feeding alfalfa-grass hay at over $200/mt and $10-bushel barley. Rather, he is rotational grazing until the end of August, then weaning his calves and feeding his beef cows in his feedlot at home. 

The cows will be switched (he is already putting out straw bales and 20 per cent protein low-molasses lick tubs on pasture) to an autumn diet of barley straw, complimented with corn distillers’ grains and a 2:1 cattle mineral w salt (Note: He managed to secure 150 bales of fair-quality grass hay to be fed toward calving in February). In addition, newly weaned calves (350 – 400 lbs) will be crept-fed upon a diet of oat-barley greenfeed and four to five lbs of an 18 per cent grain-screening pellet. 

The economics of his diet (#1) as well as some diets of his friends are illustrated in the chart below.

In all four diets, I made ball-park guesses as to the dietary energy and protein of these three forages: cereal straw compared to perennial rye-grass straw compared to bull-rushes. Furthermore, I estimated the dollar value of each forage and commodity. As a result, the lower nutritious forage – ground bull-rushes required more nutrient supplementation, yet surprisingly were either the lowest cost diet or were in-line with the other fall diets. Notably, missing from this table is any mention of barley grain or alfalfa-grass hay. 

Consequently, one thing that I am advocating this year when putting together fall feeding diets is to test all forages for nitrates. That’s because, nitrates are notorious for accumulating in many types of these drought-stricken forages. Mature cows and replacement heifers can safely consume a diet (dm, basis) containing nitrates that are below 0.5 per cent nitrate (NO3). The same bales should also be tested for molds and mycotoxins. Last, I would also test forages like perennial ryegrass for the endophytes’ toxins. 

Otherwise, these are the right type of diets to feed to early- and mid-gestation beef cows for the next few autumn months and even into early winter. Their success is how well that they support the cows’ nutrient requirements in order to maintain adequate body condition. Once they achieve this goal, it will probably be a few months away from the calving season, and people should be prepared to put their beef cows on a higher plane of nutrition. 

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Separating spring calves from cows by the end of September, rather than typically at the end of October and into the first weeks of November, is considered as early weaning for us. I believe people whom consider this approach should take advantage of two major opportunities: (1) build up the body condition of thin pregnant replacement heifers and mature cows before winter, and (2) achieve the best saleable weight on calves by creep feeding.

Both points are achievable, because mature, dry, pregnant beef cows (early- to mid-gestation) with their spring calves removed only require about 52 to 55 per cent TDN and about eight to nine per cent protein to meet body maintenance requirements and body condition of 3.5 (1-emaciated and 5-fat) as well as support an early-term fetus.

That’s a 20 per cent reduction in dietary energy and protein requirements of a beef cow nursing four- to five-month old calf at summer-end. Likewise, young first-calf mothers have an extra natural requirement for further body growth. Without a nursing calf they are able to put on more desirable frame and body size ever becoming more productive cows in the herd.

Feeding these early-gestating cows without their calves is relatively easy. Despite a shortage of good pasture, there is a fair supply of straw and crop residue available following this year’s early grain harvest. Either straw and grain chaff can be collected together or the chaff can be collected separately. These straw/chaff or chaff-only residues might be blown or stacked into piles for cattle grazing throughout the field.

The nutrient value of straw and crop residue ranges from 40 to 45 per cent TDN, four to six per cent protein and has a poor mineral/vitamin profile. This quality will not support the nutrient requirements of the early-gestating beef cow. Therefore, extra energy, protein and a good mineral program must be provided. The magnitude of this supplementation depends on the current cow herd feeding program, cow health and current body condition.

Ration options

Consider three well-balanced rations based on straw as the sole forage and supplementing with either barley, screening pellets or corn distillers grains for a typical early- to mid-gestation cows and compare their feed costs:

1. 20 lbs. barley straw @ $50/mt, eight lbs. barley @ $3/bu., 1.5 lbs. 32 per cent beef supplement @ $490/mt and 3 oz. of commercial 2:1 mineral with salt @ 11c/head/d. = $1.38/head/day.
2. 20 lbs. barley straw @ $50/mt, 10 lbs. 14 per cent cow screening pellets @ $175/mt and 3 oz. of commercial 2:1 mineral with salt @ 11c/head/d. = $ 1.36/head/day.
3. 20 lbs. barley straw @ $50/mt, eight lbs. corn distillers’ grains @ $200/mt and 3 oz. of commercial mineral with salt @ 11c head/d. = $1.29/head/day.

The cost of these feeding options is nominal when substituting dried-out pasture grazed by early- to mid-gestating beef cows. Yet, when we turn our attention to their separated calves, the exercise becomes a little more difficult. That’s because calves have comparably higher nutrient requirements, lower dry matter intakes and their digestive systems cannot digest large quantities of low-quality forage such as straw.

Instead we must choose from a number of limited options for weaned calves such as putting them on dry but acceptable quality pasture or move them into dry lot and feed them hay. In both cases, a creep feeder should be moved in to provide supplemental nutrition.

Creep feeders should be filled with a well-balanced creep feed: 14 per cent protein, medium level energy (65-70 per cent TDN), balanced with calcium, phosphorus, salt, fortified trace mineral pack (especially copper, zinc and selenium). A growth promotant and coccidiostat such as monensin sodium should also be added to the final creep formula. Given the quality of forage provided, newly weaned calves should consume about eight to 10 lbs. of creep feed into autumn months and much higher after the date of traditional weaning. Afterwards, these calves can go onto more typical backgrounder and grower feedlot programs.

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There are various types of alkaloids in ergot that affect cattle in different ways. One response is due to effects on the nervous system, resulting in muscle spasms in the hind legs, inco-ordination, loss of balance, and sometimes a temporary paralysis.

Perhaps more commonly the toxic alkaloids impair blood circulation to the extremities (due to constricting of blood vessels), which can result in loss of ears, tail or feet.

Mild cases of ergot poisoning may simply show up as poor animal performance (lower weight gain, drop in milk production, inability to handle hot or cold weather, reproductive problems, or abortion). The alkaloids tend to restrict blood flow and milk flow.

Grains are susceptible

Ergot is most common in grains, but can also infect wheatgrass, brome, wild rye and a number of other wild grasses. An ergot fungus that grows mainly on rye produces a condition called ‘ryegrass staggers’ in cattle. Another type of ergot infects barley and creates another class of toxins. Often the signs of ergot poisoning are similar to those of fescue toxicosis, with a rise in body temperature, reduced milk production, reduced growth rate, and poor circulation to the extremities.

Barry Yaremcio, beef and forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, says the ergot and alkaloids produced by the fungi vary considerably around the world. There are also some major differences found, even in North America.

“A lot of research is being done right now in Saskatchewan on ergot,” says Yaremcio. “They are looking at how it develops, and how long it takes for that ergot body to start putting the alkaloids into the seed. Feeding trials are being done at the University of Saskatchewan to determine the threshold before producers see reduced performance in the animals caused by alkaloids in ergot contaminated feeds.”

Research over the past couple years at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine has identified certain strains in Western Canada that are two to four times more virulent and harmful than strains seen in Texas, Oklahoma and Florida, for example.

Rules have changed

“The old rules of thumb for safety levels (one kernel in 1,000, or about 10 ergot bodies per litre of grain) are completely invalid in these cases,” says Yaremcio. Due to the high toxicity, tolerances for ergot are very tight, and should be more like one ergot body per 10,000 kernels. The Animal Nutrition Association of Canada has hired Brian Doig, who recently retired from Saskatchewan Agriculture, to co-ordinate all the information.

“Researchers and nutritionists are trying to get the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to readjust the recommendations and actually put forth some limits and regulations, rather than just guidelines for feed,” says Yaremcio. “Many people know if they have ergot in the feed they will have problems in cattle with tails and hooves sloughing off, but unfortunately that’s one of the last symptoms to show up, just before these animals die.”

Cattle don’t find ergot infected feeds very palatable. “One of the first symptoms, particularly in heavily infected feed is seeing cattle will back off feed within two or three days,” he says. “They may reduce their intake of that feed by 60 to 70 per cent. This is your warning sign.”

Yaremcio says if the infected feed isn’t removed or replaced, the health of cattle will be adversely affected.

“You’ll see problems with many of the diseases that we normally associate with stress, such as at weaning and shipping,” he says. “That includes IBR, shipping fever, pneumonia, and other respiratory problems. These tend to show up in cattle that have been affected by ergot.” He also says some ranchers in Western Canada have lost cows, due to ergot contamination in pellets.

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