Did the early snow catch you off guard? Did you have to start feeding those cows earlier than you anticipated? What are you feeding this year? Do you have alfalfa-grass hay, oat greenfeed, slough hay, barley? Will you have enough feed to get you through to spring turn out? Are you including straw in your ration and how much? Are you swath grazing this fall or winter? Did you remember to purchase a mineral supplement? Do you know what your cows requirements are and do you know what the quality of your feed is in terms of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals?
An inventory of the feeds available to you for winter feeding is important. It is a good idea to figure out ahead of winter feeding if you need to supplement energy or protein and what's the best and most economical way to do that - is it oats, barley, pellets, or something else? The next step is to obtain a feed analysis of your hay, greenfeed and/or silage or other forage you plan on feeding. For the most part crude protein and energy do not vary considerably in straw whether it be barley, oat or wheat straw. You may consider testing pea straw which has a much wider variability.
Feed analysis of the forage we're going to be feeding is important every year as we need to be sure that we're providing a sound winter ration in terms of feed quality and economics. Based on what nutrients, vitamins and minerals are available in the feeds you have on hand, you are then better equipped to determine the type of mineral/vitamin supplements you will need, and whether or not you will need to supplement protein or energy as well. I've seen a number of feed tests this fall with high neutral detergent fibre - this limits the capacity of our cows to physically consume feed. I've also seen a number of tests with high potassium levels. Do you know what you're feeding? Do you know what precautions are necessary when feeding forages that are high in fibre or have mineral imbalances?
It is also important to body condition score your cow herd and sort animals accordingly. Thin cows and heifers need to put on more condition, or weight going into winter and calving; while fat cows can afford to lose some condition or simply maintain it. These groups of cattle should be fed in view of that to feed efficiently and effectively. Once your feeding program has been implemented it is important to monitor body condition score and performance. It is also necessary to adjust your feeding program for changes in weather, gestation and lactation.
Do you want to learn how to develop winter rations for your cow herd utilizing the recently updated CowBytes software? Half day courses in the northwest are being offered in Lloydminster, Meadow Lake and Medstead this fall. The course will help you understand the ins and outs of CowBytes Version 5 through hands on demonstration. You will be provided with some basic nutrition information and the ability to develop rations for your cow herd. If you require more information on the CowBytes workshops, feed testing, interpreting a feed test analysis or developing rations please contact Jenifer Heyden, Regional Livestock Specialist at 306-446-7961.
