ENGLISH 7_Q4_LESSON 2_ Employing a Variety of Strategies for Effective Interp...
Cattle Nutrition
1. Cattle Nutrition
Ruminant Herbivores
Calf- young animal
Heifer- female calf that has not given
birth and is less than 30 months old
Cow- older than 30 months old, or has
given birth
Bull- intact male
Steer- castrated male up to 4 years old
Ox- castrated male, more than 4 years
old
2. Dairy Cattle
Main objective- increase dry matter
intake to produce higher levels of milk
production
Key factors: energy, ration
digestibility, rumen
fill, palatability, body weight(
BCS), environment, frequency of
feeding and water
3. Phase feeding program
Phase feeding
- Changing the nutrient concentration in
a series of diets formulated to meet an
animal’s nutrient requirements more
precisely at a particular stage of
growth or production
- Based on lactation and gestation cycle
4. Phase 1
First 10 weeks of lactation
Peak milk production happens in this
phase
Negative energy balance develops, so
cow uses body stores to make up
difference ( can borrow fat, but cannot
borrow protein)
5. What to feed in Phase 1
Increased grain for energy (
corn, wheat, soybeans)
Protein supplementation to meet amino
acid requirements ( dried brewers
grain, distillers grain, corn gluten meal)
Increased concentrates and fats to
increase energy density of feed (
soybeans, sunflower seeds)
Sodium bicarbonate “ buffer” to reduce
acidosis and maintain ruminal ph
6. Phase 2
Begins 10 weeks post calving and can
continue to 20th week
Highest dry matter intake happens
here
Nutrient intake is finally in balance
with nutrient needs
7. What to feed in Phase 2
Lower protein levels because
requirement is met by
supplementation in Phase 1
Adequate fiber
Limited grain intake
Frequent feeding ( minimizes digestive
upset)
8. Phase 3
“late lactation period”, cow is pregnant
again
Nutrient intake exceeds requirement
for production
Main period for restoring body
reserves for next lactation
9. What to feed in Phase 2
Easiest phase to manage because
cow is pregnant and milk production is
declining
Increased amount of forage instead of
concentrates
Lower protein
10. Phase 4
Most of the “ dry” period
Final regaining of any lost body weight
happens here
Goal is to get cow in good condition
for parturition, but not excessively fat (
BCS of 3.5 out of 5.O scale)
11. What to feed in Phase 4
High protein, energy, Ca and P needs
Combination of legume-grass hay and
corn silage ( with added vitamins and
P0
Long stem grass hay ( length of hay
matters)
Limit grain to energy and protein
needs
12. Body Condition Scoring
A numeric system to subjectively
assess and animal’s degree of fatness
Fat Cow Syndrome
- High blood lipids and fatty liver from
eating excess energy from grain or
corn silage
- Can lead to calving
difficulties, displaced abomassum and
ketosis
13. Phase 5
Last 1-3 weeks of “dry” period, just
before calving
Referred to as a “transition period”
Increase grain intake to prepare
rumen for high energy diets that will
be needed postpartum
14. What to feed in Phase 5
Gradual increase in grains
Small amounts of all ingredients used
in the lactation ration
Maybe decrease Ca in “ milk fever”
prone cows
15. Beef Cattle Nutrition
Most critical factor influencing
performance of cattle on forage diet is
the amount of Dry Matter Intake
Young, growing grass and pasture
crops usually have ample nutrients
old pastures, crop residues and
harvesting methods cause reduction in
nutrients
16. Biological Cycle
Goal: optimal nutrition at each
stage, not maximum nutrition
Cycle is made up of 4 periods that
span 1 year: 3 trimesters and 1
postpartum period
17. First Trimester ( 95 days)
Begins the 1st day of conception
Nutrient needs are for maintenance
and lactation if the cow has a calf with
her
Milk production is declining at this
stage
18. Second Trimester ( 95 days)
Calf is weaned, lactation requirements
end
Lowest nutrient requirements at this
point
Feed minimally
Easiest and most economical time to
increase a thin cows BCS
19. Third Trimester ( 95 days)
Rapid fetal growth causes rapidly
increasing nutrient needs
Watch BCS carefully, cow gains 1 lb
per day
Too thin cows experience
dystocias, weak calves and decreased
milk production
20. Postpartum Period ( 80 days)
High lactation requirements
Feed intake is 35-50% higher than
non-lactating cow
Nutritional stress at this point causes
problems during the cow’s next
breeding ( usually 80 days post
partum)
21. Energy Requirement
Energy is considered first in
balancing diet for beef cattle, it’s
the largest portion of the ration
Energy utilization determines cow’s
ability to use other nutrients
Good quality forage satisfies adult
energy requirements
Poor quality forages need to be
supplemented with concentrates
22. Protein Requirements
50% of all protein and amino acid
needs are met by microbial protein
synthesis
Protein deficiency is common when
cows consume straw and low quality
hay
Urea is commonly used as a protein
supplement
23. Beef Cattle, Water
requirements
Need abundant supply at once daily
Range cows consume 2 ½ gallons
daily in winter and up to 12 gallons per
head in summer
When salt is added, water need is
increased
Fresh succulent feeds or silage help
reduce need
24. Beef Cattle mineral
requirements
Salt- need more when eating succulent
forages than when eating drier forage
Calcium- depends of Ca concentration in
soil, higher needs in growing and
lactating cows
Phosphorus- Low P levels in
roughage, so P is often offered free
choice in a mineral mix
Cobalt- required for rumen
microorganisms to synthesize vitamin B
12
25. Minerals continued
Copper- Simental and Charlois have a
higher requirement than Angus
Iodine- deficiencies in Northwest and
Great Lakes area soil; supply via
iodized salt
26. Beef Cattle Vitamin
Requirements
C, D, E, K and B complex- no need for
supplementation; ruminal microflora
synthesizes B complex and K, Vitamin C
is synthesized in tissues, Sun dried
forages contain lots of Vit D and E
A- roughage and grains are low in Vit
A, causing a deficiency. Cattle on
pasture can store large amounts of Vit A
for 2 months in liver, so deficiency isn’t
immediately apparent. Look for signs of
rough coat, diarrhea, excessive
lacrimation
27. Grazing Systems and
Management
1. Continuous Grazing
- Most common type of grazing
scheme
- Cow grazes 1 area for the entire
season up to 1 year
- Low maintenance, but production
suffers
28. Grazing systems continued
2. Deferred rotational grazing
- 4 pasture system
- 1 pasture would not be grazed from
spring to mid summer in order to allow
desirable plants to flower and reach
seed maturity
- The following year another pasture
would not be grazed
- After 4 years, all four pastures will
have had time to rest
29. Grazing systems continued
3. Rest rotation
- Uses 3-5 pastures
- 1 pasture is not grazed for an entire
year, while herd uses other pastures
30. Grazing Systems continued
4. Short duration grazing
- Developed in France
- 8-40 pastures grazed intensively for 2-
3 days, then not grazed again for
several weeks
31. Nutritional Disorders
1. Pasture bloat
- Comes from consuming lush legumes
( alfalfa, red clover)
- Relieve bloat by inserting stomach
tube into rumen and giving anti-foam
material ( ex vegetable oil)
- A trocar is used in extreme cases to
release pressure ( large “needle”
puncture through skin and gas rushes
out)
32. Nutritional disorders
continued
Grass tetany
- Low Mg levels in blood from grazing
lush green grass pastures
- Common in cows nursing calves
under 2 months
- Symptoms: excitability, cows act blind
- Fix by feeding free choice mineral
supplement containing Mg, early in
grazing season
33. Nitrite toxicity
- Caused when intake of nitrite is in
excess of the rumen’s ability to
convert it to ammonia
- Causes hemoglobin in blood to
change into a form which cannot
transport oxygen to the tissues
- Cow dies from asphyxiation
- Treat with injection of IV methylene
blue
34. Fescue toxicity
- Caused by grazing or consuming
harvested hay from tall fescue
pastures
- Cow eats the endophytic fungus that
grows between the fescue cells
- signs: soreness in hind limbs, “
fescue foot” hooves and tail slough
off, hypersalivation and polyuria
35. Acute Pulmonary Emphysema “ Asthma’
- Occurs in western US when cattle are
moved from dry rangelands to lush
meadow pastures abruptly
- Signs seen in 4-5 days after diet change
- Symptoms: labored breathing, extended
neck, open mouth breathing, grunting
- Prevention: ( no treatment) slowly
introduce cattle to new pasture and
supplement with monensin