Feeding Cattle During Periods of Drought

Murray FeistSaskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture

Foraging Into the Future XDecember 11 & 12, 2018

Drought. We’ve been here before…

Tables and Feeds haven’t changed…..

Cattle haven’t changed (much)…..

Better technology and information, on demand..

Questions?

What needs to be asked?

Are we asking the right questions?

Feed Options 2018/19

https://www.google.ca/search?q=good+bad+ugly&num=20&rlz=1C2GCEB_enCA825CA825&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiW7ceJr4bfAhUBa60KHYqfD68Q_AUIDigB&biw=1920&bih=1058#imgrc=6VWKvYs8s_BaJM:

The Good

• Straw Seems “better” this year

• Drought = better quality hay

• Mild Winter (so far)

http://cinetropolis.net/scene-is-believing-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/

Straw

https://twitter.com/agriculturamex/status/1071601590786772993/photo/1

2018/19 – Straw Quality Varies

– Crude protein: 4-6%

– Energy (TDN): 44 – 54%

• 10 year Average: 46%

• 54 TDN%, straw “looks” similar to grass hay

– Neutral Detergent Fibre: 60-80%

• Fill & Impaction (NDF)

Straw Based Diets 2019

• Rule of Thumb– 1.25% of Body Weight

• (max 1.4%)

– 1,400 lb Cow • 17.5 - 20 lb

• Still need supplement energy & crude protein

• What about molasses?

• Canola Straw: – 0.55 – 0.75% Sulfur

Straw Feed Values

Protein TDN NDF

Cereal Straw 3-5 44-48 70-80

Chickpea / Pea Straw 4-6 44-46 60-75

Flax Straw 5-6 43-45 70-80

Lentil Straw 6-8 44-46 60-75

Canola Straw 4-8 44-50 58-68

Slough Hay 7-8 50-53 58-65

Grass/Alfalfa Hay 12-14 54-58 50-55

100 Percent Dry Matter

At 60% NDF, Feed Intake Begins to Decline

Feed DMD (%) % Body Wt

Excellent Quality Hay 65 3.00

Very Good Hay 60 2.50

Medium Quality Hay 55 2.00

Poor Hay, Barley Straw 45 1.50

Wheat Straw 35-40 1.00

Silage 60-65 2.5-3.0

Straw Diets: 1400 lb cow, 6 mo PregnantFeed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Cereal Straw 20 lb 20 lb 20 lb 20 lb 20 lb 20 lb 20 lb

Oats/Barley 9 lb 8 lb 8 lb

12% GSP 10 lb 11 lb 9 lb

14% GSP 10 lb

32% Protein Supp 1.2 lb 1.0 lb

Canola Meal (pellet) 1.5 lb 1.0 lb

Alfalfa Pellet 3.5 lb 3.0 lb

Limestone 3.0 oz 2.0 oz 5.0 oz 2.0 oz

18:18 mineral 1.0 oz 1.2 oz 1.2 oz 1.0 oz 1.0 oz 1.0 oz 1.0 oz

TM Salt 1.0 oz 1.3 oz 1.3 oz 1.0 oz 1.3 oz 1.3 oz 1.3 oz

Vit ADE 0.2 oz 0.2 oz 0.2 oz 0.2 oz

DMI 26.9 lb 26.6 lb 28.2 lb 27.9 lb 28.6 lb 28.8 lb 26.8 lb

ADG 0.3 lb 0.2 lb 0.4 lb 0.2 lb 0.3 lb 0.3 lb 0.2 lb

How to improve the protein in the straw

The Bad

• Short Supply Quality Feed

• Feed Prices - High

• Hay Alternatives

– Kochia

– Canola “feeds”

• January/February Weather

http://cinetropolis.net/scene-is-believing-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/

Kochia• Benefits

– Similar to alfalfa in protein and energy

– grows in low, saline areas

– high yielding, even in a dry year

– OXALATES – binds calcium

– NITRATES

• Ensure Supplement Calcium– 30-40% of Diet

– Limestone or 2:1

• Remove from Late Gestation/Lactation Diets

What about Canola

• Sample Canola Seed– Fat (40% DM)– Processing: mix 50:50 with cereal (fat gums up screens)– Ration: 10-15% of intake dry matter

• (1-3 lb per head per day)

• Canola Forage– Flower/Pod Development – normal quality parameters– Good for hay, baled silage, silage– Slow drying (waxy leaf)– High sulfur content (0.55-0.75% DM = POLIO)

• – additive effect with poor water quality

Nitrates

• Starting Limit: 0.5% dry matter

• Cattle will build up tolerance as rumen microbes adjust

• Grain supplementation

• Transition Diets – period of risk– Measure water quality parameters

Swath Grazing Downer Cows DCAB - Milk Fever

Nutrient Accumulation - Drought

The Ugly

• Mycotoxins

• Body Condition Score

• Manage Feed Transition

http://cinetropolis.net/scene-is-believing-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/

“The Ugly”

Ergot

Ergot Development in Rye2014-2016

University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture

Figure 6. Ergot body weight (Means ± SE; g, DM basis) in fall rye collected over 6

periods and averaged over 5 locations of the 2014 and 2016 growing season. Note:

a-cMeans within a year not having the same letter are significantly different (P <

0.05).

July 9

June 22

8 June, 2016 15 June, 2016

22 June, 2016 29 June, 2016

6 July, 2016 13 July, 2016

19 July, 2016 27 July, 2016

2 August, 2016

Figure 3. Ergot body development over the summer of 2016, Field #3,

Tisdale, Photo credit Murray Feist.

555 74

18 20

22 20

20

Consumption Limit

# Ergot Bodies AllowedDaily Intake

1400 Pound Cow

Toxin AnalysisThis is not a feed test!

www.pdsinc.ca

(306) 966-7316

Fusarium (Head Blight) = < 5 mg/kg (ppm) DON

https://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1C1GCEB_enCA825CA825&biw=1920&bih=1058&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=I6cGXIWlAqfgjwSXvLG4Cw&q=corn+fusarium&oq=corn+fusarium&gs_l=img.3..0i8i30l3j0i24.3105112.3106511..3106696...0.0..0.103.1245.11j2......1....1..gws-wiz-img.......0j0i67j35i39j0i10j0i10i24.7y1MI9nk324#imgrc=nmjQonumj-O7jM:

https://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1C1GCEB_enCA825CA825&biw=1920&bih=1058&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=gbMGXLvFMsDC0PEPls-ciAU&q=durum+fusarium+saskatchewan&oq=durum+fusarium+saskatchewan&gs_l=img.3...13768.15150..15302...0.0..0.101.1261.10j3......1....1..gws-wiz-img.pjbaotw1uZI#imgrc=5jBUFBB7NkeVGM:

Control Moisture at Baling

What innoculent should I use?

http://myhorseforum.com/attachments/img_20160214_131910777-jpg.546200/

What AboutMoldy Forages

African Swine Fever, Biosecurity and Feed

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=C2UZtgCP&id=675DCAE5D0590947616CF18D72AA252690CD90E2&thid=OIP.C2UZtgCPTgjPyFC2Ms_7RQHaE_&mediaurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.cfsph.iastate.edu%2fDiseaseInfo%2fImageDB%2fASF%2fASF_004.jpg&exph=513&expw=760&q=african+swine+fever&simid=607988731305984016&selectedIndex=16&ajaxhist=0

Looking Ahead

Quotes

• “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best”

• “I always like to keep 2 years of hay in inventory”

• “Hope for a better winter, 2 weeks of -40°C in February uses up reserve feed fast”

– Bad news if March calving

What is your objective?

1. Maintain herd size?

2. Reduce herd size?

The Ultimate Goal is to Maintain the Body Condition of the Cow

December 4, 2018

Skinny Cows are Expensive

• Thin cows cost money

• Winter Feed Cost

• Colostrum, milk production, health suffers

• Pasture Health-Recovery

Body condition score and first heat cycle

Houghton et.al., 1990.

35

Yaremcio, AbAg

Expensive to Lose Body ConditionBeef Cow, Mid Gestation

BCS 1.51300 lb

1.4 lb/d ADG

BCS 3.01400 lb

0.5 lb/d ADG Difference

TDN 58 48

$/hd/d$1.86 <-> $1.55

90 DOF$2,790 / 100 hd

Crude Protein 7 6

Dry Matter Intake 29 31

Actual Intake 34 36

Barley Grain, lb 8 0

Brome Alfalfa, lb 11 16.75

Cereal Straw, lb 14.75 18.3

1:1 Mineral, lb 0.13 0.17

$/ton $120 $95

Saskatchewan Agriculture Feed Grain Cost Calculator

Do you know the weight of your animals??

Questions

An enormous steer in Western Australia is making headlines. At 194cm 'Knickers' is the largest in his category in Australia. Story: http://bit.ly/2As99K3 #7News. Twitter: @ 7NewsCQ

https://msu.edu/~ritchieh/historical/black_peer_of_west_woodlawn.jpg

Selective Breeding

Angus: 1950’s

https://msu.edu/~ritchieh/historical/big_dry_ranchers_choice.jpg

Angus: 1994

Cow Size – Trending Bigger

Animal Weight Carcass Size Revenue

– Grain feeding, faster ADG, shorter lifespan, decreased carbon footprint, more beef less animals

– Legesse, 2015. Greenhouse gas emissions of Canadian Beef 1981 - 2011

Larger Cattle Eat More – Forage – Pasture, hay acres– Overgrazing risks, harder

recovery, dry season behind production curve already.

Bigger Cows?

1400 lb cow 1800 lb cow

Native acres per head(Light Brown, fair)

40 acre/hd 50 acre/hd

7 month grazing native pasture - 50% carryover

1,120 more acres

Green Feed Acres 3 bale/acre

32 more acres

Tame Hay Acres 1.5 bale/acre

64 more acres

Drought: 1/3 production 3,400 Native Acres

96 Green Feed Acres

194 Tame Hay Acres

Planning Ahead in Periods Uncertainty

1. Cereal Crops – grazing, grain, hay

2. Corn – high yield vs failure

3. Cocktail Crops (consider species)4. Creep Feed – Early Weaning5. Grazing Strategy (Grass/Legume Abuse)6. Use of Extended Grazing Systems7. Monitor BCS8. Use Technology

– herd management software

9. Smart use of information– Feed and water testing, weigh scales

10. Watch the 10 & 2’s

Internet - More Access than Ever

Google “beef cattle feeding”

http://www.bertellisliquormart.com/gallery/29.jpg

Argentina

Brazil

If you want local information….

https://www.cnbc.com/2013/09/13/infomercial-shamwow-guy-cleans-up-his-act.html

Webinars

Nutrition is nothing….... without proper feed intake

http://blol.me/918

Thank you for your time…

Agriculture Knowledge Centre1-866-457-2377