By Scout Nelson
Beef cattle nutrition requires careful management, especially for heifer calves intended as future herd replacements. Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute experts, including beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster and veterinarian Bob Larson, stress the importance of monitored nutrition in early life stages.
In a Cattle Chat podcast, they discussed the pros and cons of creep feeding, a practice of supplementing the diet of calves still nursing from their dams.
Creep feed, a supplement inaccessible to dams, can promote growth but must be managed to prevent over conditioning. Lancaster recommends limiting creep feed intake to 3-4 pounds per head daily, highlighting the inefficiency of high intake levels and the cost-effectiveness of forage-based feeding.
Agricultural economist Dustin Pendell advises producers to weigh the cost of supplemental feed against the rate of gain and market value of weaned calves. The price of additional feed should not exceed the expected price of the calf.
For heifer calves retained for breeding, Larson warns against over conditioning. Excessive fat in the mammary gland, resulting from a rich diet before puberty, can decrease lifetime milk production.
Veterinarian Brad White echoes this, advocating for a nutritional balance that fosters bone and muscle growth without fat deposition in mammary glands.
Larson recommends free-choice creep feeding for future herd heifers. Optimal growth, he suggests, is achieved through forage-based diets during suckling, timely weaning, and then providing essential nutrients post-weaning.
This strategic approach to heifer calf nutrition underscores the need for balance. Producers are encouraged to implement these guidelines for healthier, more productive future herd members.
Photo Credit - istock-123ducu
Categories: Kansas, Livestock, Beef Cattle