Plan ahead for an animal's winter nutrition
By By Lance Bruce / 4-H livestock agent
September 29, 2004
No matter what type of livestock a producer may own, it is important to be thinking about the nutrition program that they will be on this fall and winter.
We are reaching a time of the year when the grass that is available may not be high enough in nutritional value to meet the needs of the animal.
The first step in planning for winter nutritional programs is to have your forage tested. Hay from earlier in the year has not tested well due to the fact that most hay producers had to put off cutting hay until dry weather. This allowed the grass to reach a stage of maturity when the nutritional value greatly decreases. By testing the hay to be used a producer will be able to match the supplemental feeding program to the forage.
Another very important aspect of winter nutritional programs is to know the stage of production or growth that the animal is in. A cow that is lactating will have a greater nutritional need than a dry cow. A heifer that has just had her first calf has a high nutritional need because she is milking plus still growing herself. The horses are the same way. A horse that is not being rode on a regular basis will have a lower nutritional need than a horse that is being rode every day. By knowing what stage of production or level of work that an animal is at enables the producers to know what the expected levels of dietary requirements are these animals.
A producer can effectively match nutritional programs with animals as long as he knows what the dietary needs of the animals are and if he knows what is in his hay. The more effective at matching nutrition programs a producer is the more cost efficient he becomes in his operation. Both underfeeding and overfeeding animals will eventually lead to a negative loss, whether in monetary terms or terms of production of the animal.
For more information on hay testing or nutritional requirements of animals, call the Lauderdale County Extension Service at 482-9764.
