10 CATTLE COUNTRY December 2023
StockTalk Q&A Feature Brought to you by Manitoba Agriculture Elizabeth Nernberg Livestock Specialist Manitoba Agriculture
elizabeth.nernberg@gov.mb.ca Question: Can I feed straw to my herd bulls this winter? Anything else I need to keep in mind? Answer: It is great that you’re asking about bull rations, as this group of animals in the beef herd can be neglected and forgotten, yet they are SO important. Although in number they make up a small percentage of the herd, remember they are 50 per cent responsible for getting that cow bred and 50 per cent responsible for the genetics of that calf! Straw can make up part of a balanced bull ration if they are in good condition. Let’s take a closer look at using body condition score to help determine what to feed your herd bulls this winter. Body condition plays an important role in the performance of your bull. Reduced performance not only happens in under-conditioned bulls, but also in over-conditioned bulls, resulting in open cows and lost revenue. Overfeeding bulls can cause soundness problems and hinder fertility as fat deposits result in impaired cooling of the testes, which reduces sperm production and increases sperm abnormalities. Did you know that bulls could lose 100-200 lbs. during the breeding season? What condition are your bulls in when coming into the winter? Have they maintained their condition, or do they need to improve their condition? Body condition score of the bulls should be at its highest just before breeding, and ideally at 3 to 3.5, on a five-point scale. When required to put condition on a bull, start early as it is easier to put gain on before the colder weather. If they need to gain a ½ point during a 210-day winter-feeding period, the ration will need to provide a pound of average daily gain. There are several ways of achieving this, depending on the feedstuffs available to you. Please see the following table for some sample rations formulated with CowBytes. Keep in mind that the parameters used were for a 2,500 lb. bull with a daytime average temperature of -15 degrees Celsius. The rations will also require the addition of salt, minerals and vitamins to be balanced. Feed testing should be the first step when balancing a ration. Special attention should be paid to copper, zinc and manganese as these trace minerals are important for fertility. Also note that Vitamin A requirements are higher in bulls as it is necessary for optimum semen production. It is often necessary to supplement beyond levels included in mineral.
Maintenance
Gain 0.5 BCS
Gain 1.0 BCS
40 lbs. Alfalfa Grass Hay 12 lbs. Barley Straw
55 lbs. Alfalfa Grass Hay
50 lbs. of Alfalfa Grass Hay 10 lbs. Barley
65 lbs Corn Silage 25 lbs Barley Straw
80 lbs Corn Silage 21 lbs Barley Straw
110 lbs Corn Silage 10 lbs Barley Straw
Ensure your bulls have access to sufficient amounts of good quality water as this important required nutrient is often overlooked. If they are not drinking enough water, they will not be eating enough. Besides providing proper nutrition for overwintering your bulls, adequate shelter is required. If feeding bulls in big pastures, windbreaks and bedding will help prevent scrotal frostbite from cold temperatures and windchill. When wintering bulls in pens, many have experienced the destructive nature of these powerful animals. Using an electric wire offset from the pen can often prevent them from destroying the infrastructure. As you finalize your winter-feeding plans, don’t forget the bulls!
Share Your Voice In the next issue of Cattle Country, a Manitoba Agriculture forage or livestock specialist will answer a selected question. Send your questions to Elizabeth.Nernberg@gov.mb.ca. StockTalk for Cattle Country is brought to you by Manitoba Agriculture. We encourage you to email your questions to our department’s forage and livestock team. We are here to help make your cattle operation successful. Contact us today. Andrea Bertholet
Killarney
204-851-6087
Andrea.Bertholet@gov.mb.ca
Kristen Bouchard-Teasdale Beausejour 431-337-1688 Kristen.BouchardTeasdale@gov.mb.ca Shawn Cabak
Portage
204-239-3353
Shawn.Cabak@gov.mb.ca
Pam Iwanchysko
Dauphin
204-648-3965
Pamela.Iwanchysko@gov.mb.ca
Cindy Jack
Arborg
204-768-0534
Cindy.Jack@gov.mb.ca
Juanita Kopp
Beausejour 204-825-4302
Juanita.Kopp@gov.mb.ca
Elizabeth Nernberg
Roblin
204-247-0087
Elizabeth.Nernberg@gov.mb.ca
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2023-11-02 9:42 AM