Late summer is an ideal time to begin thinking about winter feeding programs for beef cows. Winter feed costs are dictated by two important factors, forage quality and cow body condition score. Late summer management for maintaining body condition on spring calving cows is crucial in helping manage winter feed costs.
To illustrate this concept, various winter feeding scenarios were based on a forage sample that was 7.8 percent protein and 55 percent TDN. This marginal quality hay was used to feed cows at maintenance or requiring the addition of either ¼ body condition score per month or ½ body condition score per month. Remember it takes approximately 80 pounds of liveweight gain to increase body condition score one point.
This hay meets the energy requirement for a dry, mid-gestation cow not needing to add body condition. Adding ¼ body condition score per month requires 14% more energy in the diet compared to the animal that does not need to add body condition. This extra energy can be provided by feeding 2.5 pounds of corn, 2.5 pounds of dry distiller’s grains, or an equivalent energy supplement.
Adding ½ body condition score per month requires a 31% increase in energy content of the ration. This can be provided by feeding a supplement consisting of 4 pounds of corn plus 2 pounds of dry distiller’s grains for a total of 6 pounds of supplement, or an equivalent energy supplement.
Since forage availability and quality in September may be questionable, begin monitoring forage disappearance, pasture regrowth and cow body condition in August. Then if forage availability becomes limiting, calves can be weaned before cows lose a substantial amount of body condition that must be replaced with high energy grain supplements or be dependent on the availability of adequate fall stockpiled forage. Be sure to factor in the time necessary for preweaning management when determining a target weaning date. After weaning, supplements can be fed to weaned calves to add weight to a saleable product.
If the addition of body condition is necessary, begin that process long before calving and breeding when body condition scores need to be at their greatest. One simple way to add body condition is to not remove it from the animal in the first place. Timing of weaning can have a dramatic impact on the necessity of adding body condition to cows and overall winter feed cost for the cow herd.
For more information on hay testing, ration formulation or producing stockpiled tall fescue, contact me at schmitze@missouri.edu or by calling the Pettis County Extension Center at 660-827-0591.
