With the changing leaves of fall comes thoughts of cozy sweaters, cups of hot chocolate and… winter feed. Livestock producers across the country have spent time throughout the summer making feed plans; whether those plans entail sourcing hay and silage or putting it up themselves, it is important to know what nutrients that feed holds in order to maintain animal health, welfare and productivity in the herd.
It is cheaper to keep livestock in good condition than it is to try and catch up on nutrition as it takes a lot more energy and protein, which in turn takes more feed and cost in order to bring a bovine’s body score back up after it’s fallen.
What does this mean for producers? It is well worth the time and effort to feed test going into winter.
According to Kristin Thompson, interim extension coordinator for the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), even before taking that first sample, it is important to separate the feed into lots based on quality in order to allow for the most accurate estimate of the nutrient content of the forage. These lots could be based on maturity or harvest date, but the idea is to separate them based on expected quality.
A forage or a feed test is only as accurate as the sample that was submitted for testing, says Thompson. Producers need to be sampling at the right time using the right tools and techniques, and collecting the right number of samples.
In the video below, Thompson and RealAgriculture’s Lyndsey Smith discuss what those tools and techniques are, as well as the importance of testing not just feed, but water. If water quality is poor it can have a significant impact on the nutrients that are available in the feed for the livestock.
Check out Cowbytes, mentioned in the video, here.
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