Alachua County Cooperative Extension Service 2800 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32609 | (352) 955-2402
September 2010
Inside this Issue: Fall Supplementation ... 1-2 Management of BVDv ... 2 Cow/Calf BMP Field Day .................... 3 September Beef Calendar & Upcoming Events ........................ 4
Cindy Sanders Alachua County Cooperative Extension Director CBSanders@ifas.ufl.edu Web site: alachua.ifas.ufl.edu
F
irst of all feeding the How Should I cow herd is the largest cost area in a Supplement this beef enterprise, approximately 45-50% of annual maintenance Winter/Fall? cost comes from feeding. Of that Cindy Sanders 45-50% supplemental feeds Alachua County Extension Director constitutes the largest, most variable portion of the annual cost. So, more importantly than perhaps ever before, the cattle producer must put a pencil to their supplementation program this year. Our expectations of our beef cows is to maintain her body weight, give us a calf yearly, cycle promptly, and nurse that calf through weaning. We truly ask a lot of her. For her to complete her job, we as cattlemen must do our job first. First, we must be aware of her nutritional requirements, which vary as to her age, and stage of her production. The first management practice should be to evaluate body condition going into the fall, to determine what needs to be fed to make up those cows that are deficient. We like cattle going into the fall to have at least a body condition of 5-6. For those cattle that are thinner than a 5, it would take 533 lbs of Bahia hay, 314 lbs of molasses, and 275 lbs of soy hulls to push her to a body condition of 5. Secondly we would like to use as much standing forage (Bahia) as possible. However, grazing standing Bahia alone during the fall/winter will not meet energy and/or protein demands of cattle. Therefore, one must supplement to meet those needs, this can be complicated. (Continued on following page)
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How Should I Supplement this Winter/Fall? (continued)
Forage quality, forage availability, cattle requirements, intake potential, and supplement characteristics can all play a role in meeting her requirements. Protein and energy are the two most critical factors to consider when supplementing. A rule of thumb for protein supplementation is when forage protein drops below 7% or when TDN (energy) drops below 50%. Although protein is important, the lack of energy accounts is the primary reason for body condition loss in Florida cows (Hersom, UF Animal Sciences). Energy supplements will improve performance in beef cattle. We need to remember, 1. Begin feeding supplements before it’s too late! Bahia at this point in the cycle is reaching 7% protein and below. 2. Evaluate what you have, so that you can figure what you need to supplement with. I have included a table with various supplemental feeds, some are more difficult to feed than others, and the cost this fall/winter will vary on these feeds. Always look at cost per pound of protein/ energy for these feed sources. Source: Dr. Matt Hersom, UF Beef Nutritionist
DRY MATTER
% CRUDE PROTEIN
% TDN (ENERGY)
Corn Grain
89
10
89
Distillers Grains
89
30
86
Corn Gluten
90
20
83
Soybean Hulls
90
12
75
Whole Cottonseed
92
23
89
FEED
Management Critical to BVDv Eradication Source: Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. What is the real cost of a calf persistently infected (PI) with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDv)? That is the question the beef industry has asked itself the past 10 years. Research has shown when as few as one PI calf is left in a herd each year for 10 years, it can cost producers $15 to $20 per cow per year. In a 100-head herd, that’s $2,000 per year, with $20,000 over 10 years. According to Joe Campbell, professional service veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., even with all of the research, discussions and press around eradicating BVDv, percentage-wise there are almost as many PI calves today as there were 10 years ago. And, he adds, even though more and more producers are using appropriate methods for managing BVDv in their herds, the industry still has a long way to go to eradicate this costly disease. Campbell stresses the importance of testing all calves for BVDv and culling any that are positive. Especially since many calves born PI don’t show signs of disease. “A dam can test negative, but still have a PI calf,” Campbell cautions. “Testing the calves is critical. If the calf is positive, then the dam should be tested.” Additional biosecurity protocols to prevent a PI animal from being introduced to the herd include: ♦ ♦ ♦
Testing all purchased animals. Quarantining any purchased females that are pregnant, and testing their calves after they are born. Testing all bulls.
The final management practice that Campbell recommends is to vaccinate the herd with a good modified-live viral (MLV) vaccine labeled for prevention of PI calves. He also suggests producers work with their veterinarian to develop a program that prevents BVDv from entering their herds.
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NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID GAINESVILLE, FL PERMIT NO.94 Alachua County 2800 NE 39th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32609
September Beef Calendar • • • • • • • • • • • •
UPCOMING EVENTS
Cut hay. Heavily graze pastures to be interpolated to cool season pastures. Check mineral feeder. Check for mole crickets, spittlebugs, and grasshoppers, and treat if necessary. Check dust bags. Wean calves and cull cow herd if not already done. Remove open, unsound, or poor producing cows. Train cowboys to observe normal and abnormal behavior and signs of disease. Be sure any replacement purchases are healthy and have been calfhood vaccinated for brucellosis. September or October is a good time to deworm the cow herd if internal parasites are a problem. When replacement heifers are weaned, give them required vaccinations and teach them to eat from a bunk – then put them on a good nutrition program. Determine bull replacement needs, develop selection criteria, and start checking availability of quality animals. Review winter feed supply and feeding plans so that needed adjustments can be made before supplies tighten and prices rise.
Nematode Demonstration Thursday, October 7, 2010 Beef Research Unit 5:00 p.m. RSVP to Cindy Sanders at (352)955-2402 by October 6, 2010
Equine Program Tuesday, October 26, 2010 UF Horse Teaching Unit 5:30 p.m. RSVP to Cindy Sanders at (352)955-2402 by October 25, 2010
Upon request, this newsletter is available in alternate formats for persons with print-related disabilities. For persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations, please contact Cindy Sanders at the above phone number listed on first page of the newsletter at least five working days prior to the program so that proper consideration may be given to the request. This information may be shared or duplicated for educational purposes, however it is expected that credit will be given to both the author and the Alachua County Extension Service. The use of trade names in this newsletter is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. It is not a guarantee or warranty of the products names and does not signify they are approved to the exclusion of others of suitable comparison. Funding for the duplication of this publication is provided in part by the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners.