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7/31/2019 Feeding and Management of the Cow-Calf Herd
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FEEDING ANDMANAGEMEN
T OF THECOW-CALF
HERD
Unit 15
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Kinds of Feed
Cow-calf feeding programs are based on the use ofroughages
Typical roughages used are Pasture
Hay
Silage
Straw
Corncobs
Other crop residues Roughages provide the cheapest source of energy for
the cow and calf.
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Forages
Graze as much as possible.
If weather does not permit year round grazingthen forage should be harvested and stored for
later use.
Downfall: grazing only recovers 15-30% ofwhat is produced.
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Pasture & Hay
Proper management increases the yield.
Soil should be tested and fertilized
Use rotational grazing to increase carryingcapacity.
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Crop Residues
Helps reduce feed costs
In Northern areas 2 acres of cornstalks willcarry a pregnant cow 80-100 days
Heavy snows will reduce the carrying capacityof cornstalk fields.
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FEEDINGREQUIREMEN
TS
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Feeding Dry Pregnant Cows
Feed enough to keep them in good flesh fromfall to spring calving
Cows of normal weight should not loose less
than 10% of their body weight
Thin cows should be fed enough to gain someweight during winter
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Overfeeding
Should be avoided.
Results in
Higher cost
Trouble calving
Less milk flow
Higher calf losses
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Feeding Young Cows and Heifers
Require more feed because they are stillgrowing
The amount of feed received is more important
than the kind of feed.
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Energy Needs
Vary according to
Size
Condition
Age
Weather
During cold weather increase feed or energy
intake by 1% for each degree of cold stress.
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Last 30-45 Days of Pregnancy
Generally need a 10-15% increase in protien
Especially so if hay is being fed
Can be achieved with an extra 2 pound/hd ofhigh quality hay or additional protiensupplements
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Minerals
Should be fed free choice
Mineral mixes should include Calcium
Phosphorus Salt
Any trace minerals that are known to be deficient
If grass tetany is a problem then magnesium oxide
should be included in the mix A good mixture to use is one part trace mineral
salt and one part dicalcium phosphate
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Protien
Blocks, lick tubs and cubes are the mostconvenient ways to feed
Care should be taken to prevent overeating
Overeating can be partially controlled byfeeding plenty of roughage and supplyingplenty of fresh water
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Protein Supplements
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Vitamin A
Only needed when cattle are fed poor qualityroughage
If the cow has been on good summer pasture
enough Vitamin A will be stored in the body toget the animal through several months
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Lactation Rations
Depends on how much the milk cow produces
Heavier milk producers have higherrequirements than average or low milk
producers Protein requirements for lactation are 160-268%
greater than for dry cows
Energy 36-38% Calcium and phosphorous 100-250%
Vitamin A 18-88%
High quality pasture can usually meet lactationneeds
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Lactation Rations
Salt and minerals should be provided freechoice
If the roughage is limited or poor quality some
grain should be fed
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Lactation Rations for 1st Calf
Heifers
Require more feed
Heifers are still growing and developing
They need to regain weight lost from calving &
produce milk for their calf
Heifers also need to be in good condition forrebreeding.
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CREEP
FEEDING
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Creep Feeding Calves
A way of providing calves with extra feed
May be grain, commercial creep feed mix, orroughage
Fed in a feeder that cows can not get into
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Advantages of Creep Feeding
Produces heavier calvesat weaning (30-70 lbs)
Produces higher gradeand more finish atweaning
Calves go on feedlotrations better at weaning
Creates less feedlotstress
Allows cows and calvesto stay on poorer qualitypasture for a longer time
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Good Reasons to Creep Feed
Calves are to be sold atweaning
Calves are to be fed outon high-energy rations
Cows are milking poorly Calves are from 1st calf
heifers
Calves were born late in
the season Calves have above
average inherited growthpotential
Calves were born in thefall
Calves are to be weanedearly (45-90 days)
Calf-feed price ratio isfavorable
Pastures become dry inlate summer
Cows and calves arekept in confinement
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Disadvantages of CreepFeeding
Calves are well fed after weaning,
the weight advantage from creep feeding is lost
When production testing, it is harder to detect
differences in inherited gaining ability Replacement heifers become to fat
Non-creep-fed calves usually make faster and
more economical gains after weaning comparedto calves that were creep fed before weaning
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Reasons Not To Feed Creep
Calves are to be fed through the winter onroughage
Cows are above average milk producers
The calf-feed ratio is poor Calves are on good pasture
Heifers are to be kept for replacements
The milk production of the dam is to bemeasured
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GROWING
RATIONS
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Growing Replacement Heifers
British breeds should gain 1.0-1.25 pound/dayfrom weaning to breeding
Larger breeds should gain 1.25-1.75 pound/day
Heifers should reach puberty at 12-14 months Generally heifers reach puberty when they have
attained 65% of their mature weight English breeds- 550-625 lbs
Larger breeds- 675-750 lbs
Heifers need to be bred according to weight andnot age!
F d F G i R l
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Feed For Growing ReplacementHeifers
Must be palatable
In areas of cold weather nutrient needsincrease 1% for each degree of temperature
below freezing Feed must be increased as heifers grow
Vitamins and minerals should be fed free
choice
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FEEDING
BULLS
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Growing Young Bulls
Wean at 6-8 months of age
Feed high energy rations for about 5 months
Avoid fattening
Allow full feed until spring then put on pastureto complete growth.
Bulls will continue to grow slowly until about 4
years of age
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Feeds
Hay
Grain
Amount depends on type and quality
Minerals free choice
Feed Vitamin A if ration is mostly corn silage orlimited hay
May be self fed or hand fed When self feeding use plenty of roughage to keep
bulls from getting to fat or going off their feed.
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Rate of Growth & Needs
Yearling bulls should be fed to gain 1.5-2lbs/day
2-4 yr old bulls need more energy and protein
in the winter than cows and should be fedaccordingly
Mature bulls in good condition may be fed the
same as the cow herd
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After the Breeding Season
Loose weight
Must be fed to regain that weight
Give additional feed 6-8 weeks before the start
of the next breeding season Bulls that are too fat or too thin have poor
fertility
They should be in medium flesh and have
plenty of exercise
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After the Breeding Season
Keep bulls separate from cows
If no place to keep bulls it is safe to run them withsteers
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Before the Breeding Season
If necessary trim hoofs several weeks beforebreeding season begins
Test semen for fertility and disease
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MANAGEMENTOF THE HERD
DURING
BREEDINGSEASON
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Goal
100% calf crop
Observe the herd closely
Check for injured or diseased cows or bulls
Watch to ensure bulls are servicing cows
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Number of Bulls to Run
Young bulls can easily service 20-25 cows
Mature bulls
Estrus-synchronized cows-25
Non synchronized cows- 35-40
Range conditions
4 bulls per 100 cows
I have 300 cows. How many bulls do I need?
If a high number of cows remain inbred then thebull should be replaced.
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Breeding
No more than 60 days to maintain a shortcalving season (40-60 days)
Begin breeding 20-25 days after half the
calves are born This allows for a 2nd and even third heat cycle for
cows that do not settle the first time.
Breed yearling heifers 20 days before oldercows
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Conception Rates
Higher for cows that are gaining weight beforeand during the breeding season
Cows that are too fat or too thin are poor
breeders Pregnancy check 60-90 days after breeding
Sell any open cows
Conception Rates can be lowered byHot weather
Injuries
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Artificial Insemination (AI)
Placing the sperm in the female reproductivetract by other than natural means
Breeder uses an inseminating tube to deposit
sperm into the cervix and uterus of the cow
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Disadvantages of AIing
Need a trained inseminator
Requires more time and supervision of theherd
Sterile equipment
Special handling facilities
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BREEDIN
G
HEIFERS
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Size
Most important when breeding yearling heifers
Should weigh 550-750 pounds
Weight should be from growth, not fattening
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Age
Goal is to breed the heifer so she calves at 2years of age
When achieved the result is 1 more calf
produced during a cows lifetime
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2 year old Calving
Lowers production cost
Keeps a higher percent of cows in the herd inproduction
Fewer replacement heifers are needed eachyear to maintain a stable herd size
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Conception Rates for Heifers
Lower for yearling heifers than older cows
Longer calving season
Possibly need more help in calving
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Breeding Heifers
Breed to calve 20-30 days before older cows
Require more feed and should be keptseparate from older cows
Breed for 40-60 days
Pregnancy check 60-90 days later
Sell any heifers that are not pregnant
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CALVING
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After the Calf is Born
Make sure it breathes May be necessary to clean the mucus from the mouth
and nose
Calf should nurse shortly after birth
The cows first milk, called colostrums, is very important as itcontains nutrients, such as Vitamins A & E, and antibodies thecalf needs
Cow should expel the afterbirth within 12-24 hours aftergiving birth
Keep cows with calves separate from cows that haventcalved
Identify the calf with an ear tag or tattoo
Record the calfs birth weight, calving problems and birthdate for performance records
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CASTRATION AND
DEHORNING
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Castration
Can be done at birth
Several methods
Knife
Burdizzo (fig. 15-6)
Elastor bands
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Knife Castration
Most widely used Should only be done during a time of year when
flies are not a problem
Calves should not be more than 3-4 months old
Results in an open wound This increase the danger of infection and bleeding
Wound should be treated with iodine
Calves should be check several days aftercastration to check for swelling, continuedbleeding and stiffness
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Burdizzo Castration
Bloodless
Crushes the cords of the testicles
However if the pincers are not applied correctly
the cord may not be crushed completely resultingin a staggy steer later on
No open wound
Good choice in areas where screw worms area problem
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Elastrator Band Castration
Special instrument that places a tight rubberband around the scrotum above the testicles
Cuts of the blood supply to the testicle
This causes the testicle to waste away due to lackof blood
No open wound
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Dehorning
Several reason for dehorning
Horned calves bring less
Dehorned calves require less space at the feed
bunk and on trucks Less risk of injury with dehorned calves
Calves should be dehorned at a young age
If possible do not dehorn during fly season
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Methods of Dehorning
Chemical Liquids
Caustic sticks
Paste
Spoons Gouges
Tubes
Hot irons
Barnes-Type Clippers
Saws
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BRANDINGANDMARKING
(X)
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Branding and Marking
Common in larger herds
Required by law in some western states
W. SD requires, E. SD does not.
Brands recorded by county and stateGovernments
SD State Brand Board-located in Pierre
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Common Branding Methods
Hot Irons
Cold Irons
Freeze BrandingHot
Freeze
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Hot Iron Brand
Oldest
Most commonly used
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Branding in SD, 1888
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Freeze Branding
Becoming more common
Uses liquid nitrogen, brass irons and rubbingalcohol
Not a legal method of cattle branding in SD
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Branding
Calves can be thrown to the ground
Calves can be branded in a chute using atable
E C i
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Ear Cutting
Almost as common as branding
Recorded in brand records
Protected by law
One or both ears may be cut
Cutting is done so that it may be seen from thefront or behind
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E T i
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Ear Tattooing
Well adapted as a method of markingpurebred cattle
More permanent than ear cutting
Special instrument is used Mark is made with indelible ink
No open wound is left
E T
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Ear Tags
Widely used
Identification number is on the tag
E T i d T tt i
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Ear Tagging and Tattooing
N k Ch i
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Neck Chains
Used when herd owners do not want to usepermanent identification
Usually used by purebred breeders
Not a good choice for cows on brushy range
B i k t T
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Brisket Tags
Tag is placed in the brisket
Hard to Read
Often ripped out because they catch on things
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SELLING,
GROWINGAND
FINISHING
S lli f d l
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Selling feeder calves
Calves are born in the spring
Weigh about 400-500 pounds
Heifer calves will weigh about 5% less than steers
Calves are sold in the fall as feeder calves
S lli Y li F d
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Selling Yearling Feeders
Calves weigh 650-750 pounds
Use mostly roughage as feed
If calves are born in fall they are weaned in
spring and fed on pasture for the summer thensold as yearling feeders in the fall
G i d Fi i hi
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Growing and Finishing
Grow calve on roughage Finish for 4-6 months in the feedlot
Corn silage or grain and roughage are used
for the wintering ration When the animals are on pasture no or little
grain is fed
Animals then go to the feedlot and grain
feeding begins.
P diti i
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Preconditioning
The process of preparing calves for the stressof being moved to the feedlot
Most procedures involved in preconditioning
are accepted as good management practices Accomplished before the calves leave the farm
or ranch
Practices
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Practices
Castration, dehorning, identification by tattooingor branding
Maintaining health records
Vaccinations
Weaning 4-6 weeks before sale
Training to eat solid feed from a bunk and todrink water from a water tank
Worming and treatment for lice, grubs andmange (if necessary)
Preconditioning
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Preconditioning
Preconditioning adds costs toproduction but is well worth it!
Backgrounding
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Backgrounding
Growing and feeding calves from weaning untilthey are ready to enter the feedlot
Done primarily with roughage ration
Calves are fed 120-150 days Expected daily gains of 1.5-2.0 pounds
Calves must be kept from getting too fat, asoverly fat calves bring less when going to the
feedlot for finishing.
Summary
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Summary
Feeding programs are based on roughages Summer pasture and fall/winter silage and hay is
common
The types of pasture, silage and hay is going to bedependant on where you are in the U.S.
Dry, pregnant cows and bulls are fed to preventthem from becoming too fat or too thin
Younger cows and heifers and young bulls thatwill be kept for breeding require more feed
So do cows nursing calves All should be fed salt and minerals free choice
Creep feeding may or may not be profitable
Summary
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Summary
Performance records should be used to replace herdcows
Replacement heifers should be bred based on weightnot age
Use fertility testing at the beginning of the breedingseason to achieve a 100% calf crop
4 bulls to 100 cows
Preconditioning of calves should occur when they areyoung
Backgrounding calves is growing calves on roughagesfrom weaning until they are ready for the feedlot