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Powerful
fuel to drive your beef business
 Today's beef industry is a competitive one. To succeed today - and maintain a profitable enterprise tomorrow - you need a wide range of feed products to match to your operation's requirements, plus supporting services to add vitality to your business.
As your co-op
partner, our ongoing goal is to improve the efficiency, productivity
and profitability of your beef operation. Bottom line: Land O'Lakes Feed has the powerful nutrition and programs you need
to succeed.
TOPICS:
Cow-calf & range nutrition | Feedlot nutrition
| Cow-calf & range nutrition |
Cow Nutrition
Basics
An effective cowherd
nutrition program not only meets the animals' nutritional requirements,
but does this at a minimal cost to the producer. This is important
because information from Kansas State University indicates that
feed costs typically represent approximately 50% of total feed
costs. The goal of any cowherd nutrition program should be to
maintain an optimal reproductive rate.
Supplementing
Your Cows on Pasture
A brood cow must
have an ample supply of clean, fresh water every day, good quality
forages, sufficient amounts of macro- and trace minerals, and
appropriate supplements throughout her yearly production cycle.
Liquid supplements are ideal for supplying essential nutrients
economically and low labor input cost.
Mineral Challenges for the Cow Herd
By Jeff Heldt, Ph.D., PAS
This spring beef
producers will be faced with the annual problem of either Milk
Fever or Grass Tetany. These problems can typically be handled
with some proper mineral supplementation.
Cow Body Condition
Score and Longevity
by Clifton L. Williams, Ph.D., PAS,
Cattle Nutritionist
Bouncing around in a new pickup looking
at cows in the pasture, I said as tactfully as I knew how, "You've
got a nice set of cows, but they're a little thinner in condition
than desired." "Yeah", he responds, "but they breed back almost
every year." But, while you will prove me wrong on an individual
cow more often than not, can you be profitable with a 75 to 80%
calf crop?
Backgrounding Calves
by Jeff Heldt, Ph.D., PAS
The term "backgrounding"
describes a process that adds value to farm-and-ranch raised feeds
by "marketing" feeds through cattle. The profitability of backgrounding
is determined by feed costs, feed efficiency and marketing. Backgrounding
can be incorporated into most any beef operation with the ability
to confine cattle in manageable group sizes and provide adequate
feed storage.
Bull Nutrition
A brief summary of herd bull management
practices, outlined in three phases: before, during and post-breeding
season.
Facility Design
Beef Cattle Facility Requirements tables from the Midwest Plan Service provide specifications for space requirements, waterer space, floor and lot slopes, handling facilities and bunk design.
Mixer Wagon Economics
by J.J. Wagner, D. Peterson, R. Hanson and H.L. Miller
This academic paper
summarizes a grower trial conducted to estimate the economic value
of using a mixer wagon and feed scale to feed light cattle a high-roughage
diet. Cattle fed the mixed diet gained an additional 23 lbs. on
62 lbs. less dry matter than did cattle fed the unmixed diet.
Bunk Management
Dr. Robbi H. Pritchard, South Dakota State University
Bunk management is a crucial component of efficient beef production. It relies on the "eye of the master" and is at the root of many disappointing close outs. The purpose of this paper is to review the costs associated with poor bunk management, the keys to identifying the problem in feedlots and the criteria for implementing an effective program in commercial feedlots.
Bunk Scoring Really Works
Clifton L. Williams, Ph.D., PAS
The Land O'Lakes Beef team has worked with a number of producers to implement
good bunk management practices, and have referenced much of the
work by Dr. Robbi Pritchard at SDSU to help producers be more
profitable. This article reviews a trial conducted by Colorado
State University demonstrating how a “slick bunk management
protocol” reduces feed intake, improves feed conversion and
lowers the feed cost of gain.
Feed Intake Patterns
Mark Venner, Land O'Lakes Purina Feed LLC
Monitoring and daily
feed records are crucial to bunk management and ultimately keeping
the cattle eating. Intake records can also be used to benchmark
yourself and the cattle against performance predictions.
Reducing Heat Stress
John M. Bonner, Ph.D., Land O'Lakes Feed
Temperature extremes
can greatly affect intakes, gains and digestive problems. Losses
can occur quickly from death due to heat stress and due to losses
in efficiency and gain. The challenge is not to be surprised.
Implant Considerations
John M. Bonner, Ph.D.,
Land O'Lakes Feed
It has been noted that implanting
is one of the most profitable beef management practices. Today
there are 22 products on the market containing five different
drugs in 13 different combinations of ingredient levels, sold
by five different companies supplying 10 implant devices. The
challenge is to match the implant program to the cattle, nutrition,
management and targeted market and length of feeding period.
Managing Bullers
Dave Rueber, Land O'Lakes Feed
The buller syndrome
has been an enigma and a frustration to the cattle feeding industry.
While there is no single answer, the buller syndrome may be a
manifestation of some underlying unnoticed problem in the feed
yard. This article reviews the aspects of the feed yard that can
be analyzed to determine the cause for increases in buller activity.
Sulfur Levels and Polio
Court Campbell, Ph.D., Land O'Lakes Feed
Sulfur is a required mineral for
all animals, where it plays an important role in protein, fat,
carbohydrate and energy metabolism. However, this is one of those
cases where more is not always better. High sulfur intake can
lead to decreased dry matter intake and poorer daily gain in cattle,
possibly by causing a copper deficiency. This article discusses
measures to prevent the negative effects of high sulfate consumption
by cattle.
Starting Cattle for Performance
Jeff Pastoor, Land O'Lakes Feed
What we do in the first 14 to 21
days on feed has a tremendous impact on cattle performance throughout
the feeding period. Cattle that quickly reach 2.5 to 2.75% dry
matter intake (as percent of body weight) typically gain quickly
and efficiently for the rest of the feeding period. Proper nutrition
and a planned receiving program are key to getting feed intakes
up quickly after arrival.
Backgrounding Calves
Jeff Heldt, Ph.D., PAS
Backgrounding adds value to a beef
operation by providing a means to "market" farm/ranch-raised feeds
through cattle. The profitability of backgrounding is determined
by feed costs, feed efficiency and marketing. A good program includes
pre-weaning vaccinations coupled with an adequate mineral/trace
mineral/vitamin program implemented 45 days pre-weaning through
the growing period. Budgeting analysis from Kansas State University
suggests there can be a 7 to 9% return on investment if steers
and heifers can gain above 2.0 lbs. per head per day.
What are Healthy Calves Worth?
Evan Vermeer, Land O'Lakes Feed
The more we know about the origin
and handling of the cattle prior to arrival at the lot, the better
off we are. Cattle feeders should prepare processing programs
to meet the specific needs of a particular pen of arriving cattle.
Don't shortchange your starter rations. Good nutrient intake upon
arrival will keep new cattle out of the sick pens and save you
money.
Performance on Liquid Feeds
A brief summary of
studies conducted by Purdue University (96 heifers in 6 treatments,
1991) and South Dakota State University (200 steers in 5 treatments,
1995) showing feed intake and daily gain performance of cattle
on liquid feed programs.
Feeding Whole Soybeans to Cattle
Clifton L . Williams, Ph.D., PAS
When grain and soybean
prices are low, it makes sense to evaluate the opportunities for
feeding raw soybeans. Many times the decision is not as simple
as a price comparison of nutritional feeding value. The overall
feeding program and the feed handling system needs to be considered.
This article provides information to help producers determine
the feeding value of whole soybeans.
Soybeans as Forage
Clifton L. Williams, Ph.D., PAS
Most soybean producers
plant soybeans for the purpose of harvesting the seeds. However,
under early frost or drought conditions producers may find it
advantageous to harvest soybeans as forage. This article provides
information on how to harvest soybeans for maximum forage value.
Winter Feedlot Management
Mark J. Venner, Land O'Lakes Feed
Some winters spoil
us with excellent weather (and performance), while others remind
us what terms like "wind-chill" and "blizzard" really mean. We can't
change the weather, but we can implement some management and production
techniques to increase cattle comfort and keep cost-of-gain figures
at manageable levels.
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