I look forward to March most every year, even if the weather and my favorite basketball teams are so unpredictable. March Basketball is so unpredictable that a group is offering a BILLION dollar challenge for a perfect bracket. Good luck! The odds are against you. For dairy and beef producers some things in March are fairly certain; Fighting a few weeks of MUD and several days when Mother Nature will be confused about starting spring or holding on to winter. Weather changes impact feed intake and increase health risks for cattle. The odds of your cattle having consistent eating patterns or feed delivery in March are about as good as me have a winning basketball bracket with my UK Wildcats going all the way. We can’t control Mother Nature, however there are several CRYSTALYX® Self Fed Supplements that can help your livestock maintain performance through March Madness.
Mud is an unavoidable part of cattle production in spring. The spring mud season is associated with the added stresses of heavy wet air, cold rain or a mix of precipitation. Nutritionally we build very sound rations for both dairy and beef cattle. Getting the desired amount of that diet consumed by each animal every day is the challenge because the best number we have for ration formulation is average dry matter intake of the group. Preventing illness is a balance between the animal’s level of resistance and the health challenge. The level of resistance is impacted by a combination of immunity, nutrition and stress level. During periods of stress the need to have animals on a higher plain of nutrition is critical. CRYSTALYX® can help meet this demand with a variety of convenient, self-fed supplements. The intake of the supplement is very predictable and independent of total feed intake. There are several formations designed for specific situations. Some interesting work with dairy cattle around the time of calving demonstrated the relationship of ration intake and the potential impact on health. The diet was a well-balanced total mixed ration using average DMI. However, animals that were eating less prior to calving were at a significantly greater risk of developing a mild or severe uterine infection after calving. The take home message is delivering key nutrients to all the animals all the time is difficult. By having a portion of those key nutrients in a low intake nutrient dense supplement that is not physically part of the mixed ration is an effective nutrition tool.
Adapted from Huzzey et al. 2007
This year there are additional concerns about how March will impact our first calf heifers. In many areas we are starting or well into the spring calving season for the beef herd. We have set records for cold temperatures in many parts of the country. Forage inventories are improved from the drought but quality of the hay has been a concern. The higher maintenance required due to the colder temperature and lower quality forage is a bad combination. Dan Dhuyvetter’s recent blog covered the nutrient needs before and after calving and the considerations you need to make with supplement programs. This is especially true for the highest risk animals on your operation; the first calf heifers. The current value of bred heifers makes it an economic necessity to keep her in the herd for as long as possible. Listed below are points to remember about the importance of heifer nutrition around the time of calving that will impact heifer longevity.
- Heifers that breed back in the first 21 days of the breeding season stay in the herd longer.
- Heifer nutrient demands are for growth, milk production and reproduction, in that order.
- Heifers at calving are typically 85% the size of mature cows and eat 25% less.
- Intakes decline another 13-15% at 270 days pregnant compared to 240 days pregnant due to the increasing size of the calf she is carrying.
- In mixed groups of mature cows and first calf heifers it is difficult to “balance” a diet for the group due to the wide range and variability of dry matter intake.
Maintaining body condition of the heifers is critical for achieving a high pregnancy rate in the coming breeding season. Numerous research trials have shown the correlation between BCS and pregnancy rate. Heifer that calve with BCS of 5 or 6 have much higher pregnancy rates compared to heifer with BCS 4 at the time of calving.
Figure 1. Effect of Body Condition Score at Calving on Subsequent Pregnancy Rate of First Calf Heifers
Adapted from Spitzer et al. 1995
Getting through March successfully can be a challenge, especially if for the young and inexperienced. Calf and milk prices are very good. A profitable production cycle starts with a successful calving. The investment in a sound nutrition program will generate a good return. Visit with your local CRYSTALYX® dealer to learn more about the specific products that fit your operation.
