NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
November 18, 1999
This fall's mild weather could be a good news-bad news situation for the region's beef producers, a North Dakota State University livestock specialist says.
The good news is that weather has allowed producers to extend their grazing season and a lack of cold and snow has reduced performance-robbing stress on cattle. "Producers may be saving from 40 to 60 cents per head per day in feed costs by grazing cattle rather than having them on the drylot," says Karl Hoppe, NDSU Extension livestock specialist at the Carrington Research Extension Center.
The potential bad news is that most forages and crop residues being grazed at this time of the year are extremely low in quality. Without careful management, producers may face reproductive problems in their herds and low performance in this year's calf crop.
"There are a number of producers who haven't weaned their calves yet." Hoppe notes. "The forage and crop residue out there just doesn't have the nutritional value to support that cow and a calf."
For cows, that means a gradual decline in body condition which could lead to a reduced calf crop next spring or smaller and weaker calves. For this year's calves, poor nutrition means reduced gain. "Those calves are probably increasing in frame size, but not putting on the weight they should," Hoppe says. "They look bigger, but they may not be getting any heavier."
The best solution is to wean calves soon, Hoppe says, so that cows and calves can be managed separately and the nutritional needs of each can be met.
Calves on pasture should be supplemented to keep growth rates on track. A creep feed may be a good option, Hoppe says. "We're looking for a gain of 1 to 2 pounds per day. With the market increasing it generally pays to hold on to calves and keep them gaining, especially with the current weather."
Hoppe cautions producers to introduce new feeds gradually and watch cattle closely. He says, "All the rules of creep feeding apply. Bloat and other digestive problems can be a problem if creep feeds aren't managed properly."
Cows may also need to be supplemented to keep them in good condition. Hoppe says crude protein is the nutrient most likely lacking in cow diets. A half pound to 1 pound of crude protein per day provided by 1 to 2 pounds of soybean meal per day should be adequate, he says. For both cows and calves, a trace mineral supplement may also be necessary.
"This mild weather offers a great opportunity to enhance profitability, but producers may pay for it later if they're not keeping a close eye on their cattle and making sure nutritional needs are met," Hoppe says.
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Source: Karl Hoppe (701) 652-2951
Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629