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Nutrition
Nutrition of the brood cow is of utmost importance. Nutritional needs must be met if you want a high calf crop percentage, heavy weaning weights, and a short calving interval.
Feeding beef cattle constitutes the greatest cost item of production. Therefore, feeding practices need to be as practical and economical as possible.
Feed affects total profit and cow productivity, accounting for 65-75% of the total cost of production. Nutrition influences cow fertility and calf weaning weight, the two biggest success factors in the cow-calf operation. As a cattle producer, one should utilize pasture forage as the majority of the animal’s diet with minimal supplementation and only when supplementation is needed. Body condition scoring is the best tool to assess whether or not an animal’s nutritional needs are being met.
To reduce feed cost, animals should be separated based on age of animal (heifer or mature), size and production status for a more efficient and economical use of feed resources. Nutritive requirements can be separated into 5 categories: (1) Energy, (2) Protein (3) Minerals (4) Vitamins and (5) Water. One must recognize the importance of each and their relationship to each other.
Cattle are ruminants due to the four-compartment stomach. The rumen is the major part of the stomach and functions as a fermentation vat. The rumen houses a population of microorganisms (bacteria and protozoa) that digest forages and feed concentrates. The cow derives energy from the volatile fatty acids produced from the microbial fermentation. Microbial protein is obtained through digestion of microorganisms. To function properly, the cow digestive system requires a balance of essential nutrients.
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