Nutrition
By Dr. Jim White

Rumen health maximizes late-season grazing

There’s no doubt that it is almost always more economical to let a cow harvest her own forages instead of doing it with haying and feeding equipment. That’s why many producers plant annual forage crops such as ryegrass to extend the grazing season.
This year, much of the region had an available resource in the summer grass still standing in pastures. Granted, much of this feed is low quality, with low crude protein and high fiber. But if this late-season or stockpiled grass could be effectively used by the cow herd, additional savings—in labor, seed and other planting inputs—could be seen in overall feeding costs.
The key to effective use of low-quality forages is a well-designed supplementation program. A relatively small amount, say 1 to 2 pounds, of a feed high in degradable crude protein can stimulate tremendous increases in forage intake as well as digestibility. The net result is a significantly increased supply of all nutrients such as protein, energy and minerals from the available forage.
Consider it a matter of meeting the needs of the rumen microbes. It is only through the fermentation activity of the bacteria and protozoa of the rumen that cattle can access the nutrition in feeds such as grass or hay. So it stands to reason that the best supplements provide everything the microbes need to grow and reproduce at optimal rates.
When a cow’s diet consists primarily of feed such as late-season or stockpiled grass, the first supplemental need is for nitrogen—from NPN or soluble proteins. Microbial activity can be further enhanced by supplying other potentially limiting nutrients, i.e. energy.
MFA offers QLF liquid cattle supplements that can be the ideal match for stockpiled grazing. By providing readily degradable crude protein, sugar, energy and minerals, these feeds help the rumen microbes make the most of available, low-cost forage. The nitrogen in these “protein supplements” is a combination of timed-release urea and natural proteins designed to provide a steady supply of needed nutrients to the microbial population. When provided with a good dry mineral mix, these lick-tank products offer you an effective, economical and labor-saving program for taking your beef cows on into winter.
As a general rule, light stocking rates in stockpiled pastures translates into high wastage. If possible, strip graze for better utilization of available forage.
Stockpiles of warm-season grasses such as Bermuda and Caucasian bluestem should be grazed prior to fescue pastures. Oklahoma State University suggests using late-season growth of Bermuda by late December. A recent study conducted at OSU resulted in feed savings of $30 per head when stockpiled Bermuda grass, with supplementation, replaced fall and early-winter hay feeding.
Remember, too, if some ungrazed areas are saved for later use, there will be some better feed available as nutrient needs increase prior to calving.
Stockpiling fescue can be especially productive. Frost actually brings out natural sugars in the plant, increasing palatability, and other nutrient levels in fescue can remain relatively high going into winter. The alkaloids in infected fescue will decline during the winter. Ideally, cattle should be removed from the fescue in late summer or early fall while fertilizer is applied. Fescue forms a strong sod that is tolerant to trampling, and winter grazing has minimal effect on yield or quality of this grass the following season. Again, strip grazing, with the fence moved as often as daily, or at least weekly, can yield as much as a third more grazing than unrestricted access.
Labor requirements are a key point to consider with any cow herd management option. That is one of the reasons why self-fed liquid supplements are such a good fit for late-season grazing.
For producers with late-season grazing available, liquid protein supplements can be the key to a cost-effective feeding program. Self-fed supplemental feed will help cows effectively use this available feed and keep the herd on a plane of nutrition that can support optimal body condition and performance.

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