week 8 - Suckler cow nutrition Flashcards
2 strategies to improve cost efficiency
- increase output to dilute cow costs
- Reduce costs incurred by the suckler cow
factors which help increase output to dilute cow costs
(i) optimal herd fertility, targeted
(ii) calf growth rates and
(iii) high calf quality are the principal factors of importance
what is the most important factor which reduces costs incurred by the suckler cow
feed costs
what is profitability on irish suckler farms driven by
driven by striking the correct balance between maximising the output per cow while at the same time controlling costs per cow”
what costs may be incurred on a suckler farm
- feed
- Fertiliser
- Vet
- Breeding Costs
what do you need to balance with a suckler cow
balance between maximising the output per cow while at the same time controlling costs per cow
how much does it cost to maintain a suckler cow and calf to the weaning stage
€635
how mkcuh does it cost to maintain the suckler cow
€552
what is the largest expense and how much is it
feeding cost
- 420
what is the LARGEST variable cost in BEEF production
what % does it account for
Providing feed -particularly during the indoor winter period
65%
Cow herd accounts for approx. ___% and __% or greater of the annual feed cos
Cow herd accounts for approx.85% and 50% or greater of the annual feed cos
what is the Biological efficiency of producing beef from the suckler herd
relatively low
Feed budget for a beef cow herd
Grass = ~62%
Concentrate = ~8%
Silage= ~30%
what is a key objective in the annual feed budget of suckler beef system
to maximise the proportion of grazed gras
what has irish livestock farmers
a competitive advantage
how much cheaper is grass than silage and concentrates
Grass is two times the cost of silage and three times the cost of barley concentrate”
what sort of energy system is used
net energy system
hwo is energy value of feedstuff expressed
UFL or UFV
how many UFL = 1kg barley
1 UFL (or UFV) = NE content of 1 kg of air dry barley
Energy requirements of cattle are also expressed in (2)
UFL
–Suckler cows & slowly growing (0 -1.0 kg/day) animal
UFV
–Rapidly growing & fattening animal
how many UFL is
- grazed grass
- GS DMD 64
- GS DMD 70
- GS DMD 74
- grazed grass = 1
- GS DMD 64 = 0.71
- GS DMD 70 = 0.79
- GS DMD 74 = 0.84
why does the feed requirements of the sucker cow varies throughout the year
in accordance with the stage in production
what are the 3 most important stages
1.Mating/breeding
2.Calving
3.Weaning
when are reserved built up
when can theses reserves be utilised
Aim to build up body reserves when grass is plentiful.
These reserve can then be utilised in the winter when feed cost are higher
what should cow feed requirements be based on
body reserves
what is an important strategy in controlling feed costs
Manipulation of the cows body condition
what does BCS provide
Provides a measure of the level of body reserves which is independent of liveweight alone
what has Management of BCS has implications on for the cow
reproductive performance, milk yield, health and well being and, in extreme cases, calving difficulty.
what are the 2 BCS methods
*“Scottish”: Loin & Tail head
*“French”: Ribs + Tail head
three main areas of the cow to assess the level of fat cover
- The loin area: (i.e. between the hip bone and the last rib)
- Around the tail head.
- Ribs
Score 0
emaciated: spinous processes, hip bones, tail-head and ribs prominant
score 1
Individual spinous processes are sharp to the touch and easily distinguished
score 2
The spinous processes can be identified individually when
touched, but feel rounded rather than sharp
score 3
The spinous processes can only be felt with very firm pressure and the areas on either side of the tail head have
some fat cover
score 4
Fat cover around the tail head is easily seen as slight mounds, soft to the touch. The spinous processes cannot be felt even with firm pressure. Folds of fat developing
over ribs
score 5
The bone structure of the animal is no longer noticeable and the tail head is almost completely buried in fatty tissue.
what can charting body condition score be used to plan
feeding management through the year so
optimum cow reproductive performance is achieved at minimum feed cost”
target BSC FOR SPRING
Mid-Pregnancy - ~3.0 (Wean)
* Calving ~2.5
* Mating (minimum) >2.0
Target BCS for autumn
- Mid-Pregnancy - ~2.0 (turnout)
- Calving ~3
- Mating (minimum) - 2.5
The manipulation of the cows body condition between winter and summer is an important
strategy in controlling what
costs
Cow: ??% seasonal weight gain from grazed grass
100%
what does 0.70 BCS loss =
75kg
what do first calver cows have
1st Calvers (& young) cows have
additional growth requirements
Use of body reserves in winter (2)
(A) Loss of 1 unit of body condition score contributes 3200 MJ ME = ~ 280 UFL (11.4 MJME/UFL) – Usual BCS loss in winter = 0.70 BCS = ~200 UFL
(B) French data: Cow in good BCS (3.0) allow deficit of 1.5 UFL/day in pregnancy + 2.0 UFL/day in early lactation = (1.5 x 120) + (2 x 30 days) = ~ 240 UFL
what does 220 UFL =
~220 UFL = ~300 kg DM silage (DMD ~67% = 0.73 UFL/kg)
Feed cost saving of
~220 UFL = ~300 kg DM silage (DMD ~67% = 0.73 UFL/kg)
*~220 UFL = ~300 kg DM silage (DMD ~67% = 0.73 UFL/kg)
*300 kg DM silage= ~1.5t (fresh weight) saving per cow
* 0R 35-40 euro per cow!!!!!
silage requirements of spring calving cows
(600 kg) over a 5 month winter
slide 24
how should animals be grouped at weaning/housing
Group animal according to condition score and feed accordingly
how many groups should spring calvers be broken up into
spring Calvers: Break herd up into three groups
Group (1): Fat ~ BCS above 3.5
Group (2): Target = BSC between~2.25-3.5
Group (3): Lean = Thin cows BSC of 2 or less
how should first calf heifers be housed
First calf heifers should be housed either separately or with the lean group
what % of nutrient requirment should be from feed once a calf is 7 months old
once a calf is 7months old (>200d), 75% of its nutrient requirement should be
from feeds other than milk.
Feeding strategy is based on two stages:
- For the first three months of housing (stage 1), each group will have a different feeding requiem with the aim to have the fat and thin cows back on track 50 to 60 days pre-calving.
- For the final two month (stage 2) the entire herd can be penned together and fed the same diet up to calving.
when should change in BCS/liveweight happen and why?
change in condition score/liveweight should only take place in mid gestation as the last two months of pregnancy weight should be
stabilized as energy intake at this time is partitioned towards foetal growth
what can under or over feeding cows in late gestation lead to
calving difficulties in over condition cows
in the case of thin cows can lead to
weak calves with poor vigor at birth.
Energy Requirements – Pregnancy (UFL/day)
slide 29
what is the equation for maintenance UFL/.day
1.4 + 0.6 Wt/100
what % of calf weight is gained in the last 3 months of pregnancy
90%
Protein Reqs. - Pregnancy (g PDI / day)
slide 32
for spring calving cows how much UFL/day is provided
~ -1.5 UFL/day PROVIDED
followed by good grazing conditions
– i.e. adequate leafy grass
- +ve Energy Balance
what can cows with a good BCS be restricted to
cows in good BCS (~3.0) can be restricted to 75% of feed requirements to reduce winter feed cost
“Restricted” Feeding – Pregnancy
- Grass silage offered ad libitum
- 600 kg cow - Good BCS
- Intake capacity – DMD ~67% (0.75 UFL) @1.35% BW => 8.1 kg DM
Grass silage: Energy & Protein Intake
- Spring-calving
- 600 kg cow : good BCS : Late pregnancy
- Grass silage: DMD 67% – UFL= 0.75; PDIE = 66 g /kg DM
- Consumes ~1.35% LW => ~8.1 kg DM
- Energy Intake = ~6.1 UFL = sufficient
- Protein Intake = ~535 g PDI = sufficient
- Generally protein deficiency is not an issue with
grass silage
how much does a 600 kg cow : good BCS : Late pregnancy - grass silage
what is the energy intake
what is the protein intake
Consumes ~1.35% LW => ~8.1 kg DM
Energy Intake = ~6.1 UFL = sufficient
- Protein Intake = ~535 g PDI = sufficient
Feeding Straw : Energy & Protein Intake
Silage generally has adequate protein for dry cows but where Half the diet consists of straw there is shortage of protein
Balance for Protein!!!
how much does a 600 kg cow : good BCS : Late pregnancy - straw
- DMI = ~ 7.5 kg
- Energy Intake = ~3.5 UFL : Deficit => ~ -4.0 UFL
- Protein Intake = ~180 g PDI : Deficit => ~ -370 PDI
- Tolerate deficit ~1.5 UFL/day & < ~100 g PDI /day
supplement
– e.g. ~ 2.5 kg concentrate: Barley / Maize distillers mix (CP 18%) – In order to meet dietary protein requirement
for fat cows what should feed be
restricted
Relationship between condition
score and assisted calvings
*As BCS rises to high levels the number of difficult calvings increases
*Excessive feeding in late pregnancy increase calf birth weight
*This, combined with a reduction in cow pelvic size as a result of fat deposition increase the incidence of calving difficulty
what does calving difficulty reduce
reproductive performance
will Low levels of feeding during the last one-third of pregnancy will result in predictable effects on dystocia.
Low levels of feeding during the last one-third
of pregnancy will not result in predictable
effects on dystocia.
when is dystocia increaase
over fat cows
- fat-filled birth canal
thin cows
- insufficient strength withstand birth process +…. weak non-vigorous calves
what are the feeding options for pre calving thin cows
Grass silage: DMD 67% or DMD 72%
– Options :Ad-lib access to good quality silage (72% DMD)
– Moderate quality silage (67% DMD) and 2 kg of concentrate.
– Ensure thin cows have reached target condition score 6-8 wks before calving
how much longer can it take for a cow calving in poor bcs to come back in callf
3 weeks
what are the 5 of post calving diet for suckler cows based on
(1) Nutrition status of the cow estimated by the BCS at calving;
(2) Diet quality available;
(3) Timing of calving;
(4) Cow age;
(5) Cow type or milk production potential
how much UFL does a suckler cow require for every litre of milk produced
0.45 UFL
HOW MUCH MILK does beef breeds produce per day indoors
5-8 ltr
how much does a 600kg cow need while maintaining body condition
*600 kg cow needs 7.8 to 9.1 UFL per day while maintaining body condition.
Energy Requirements (UFL/day) of 600
kg Suckler Cows giving 5 & 8 ltrs milk/ d
slide 49
diet type for Early Calving: January to February
-Ad-lib access to moderate to high quality grass silage.
-Concentrates will need to be supplemented at 1.5kg to 2.5kg per day (depending on silage quality) up to mating, regardless of cow type.
when silage is poor how much extra feed allocation is needed
On farms where silage quality poor (<60% DMD) an extra 1kg to 2kg on top of the above feed allocations will be needed to meet the
cows’ requirements.
what is priority groups
(first calving heifers and thin cows)
what is the diet type of priority groups
Ad-lib access to moderate to high quality grass silage.
Concentrates will need to be supplemented at 1.5kg to 2.5kg per day (depending on silage quality) until turnout to grass
what category of cows should preferential feeding treatment be fed to
be given to first calvers and cows in a low body condition score (BCS = 2 or less).
First calvers: supplementation after calving
Conc. Supplement (kg/day) 0 2.5
Silage DMI (kg/day) 7.6 7.2 **
Total DMI (kg/day) 7.6 9.3 **
Live weight post-partum (kg) 481 474 ns
Live weight loss (kg) -40 -16 ***
Milk yield (kg/day) 7.8 9.0 *
Calf adg indoors (g) 865 1042 **
Spring-calving cows: early lactation for mature cows
- Moderate digestibility grass silage ad
libitum => okay – for limited time - Rationale: calving date match grass s
Spring-calving cows: early lactation for first calvers
- Need supplementation (1.5-2kg of
concentrate) until turnout to pasture
what does you ensure for good reproductive performance
To ensure good reproductive performance cannot tolerate any energy deficit pre-mating (until in-calf).
in good BSC Autumn-calving cows , what deficit of energy can they tolerate
If in good BCS (> ~ 3.0), can tolerate an energy
deficit of ~1.5 UFL per day post-mating.
in bad BSC Autumn-calving cows , what deficit of energy can they tolerate
If in poor BCS (~ 2.0), no deficit tolerated post
mating.
Outwintering Suckler Cows
– Objective (1)
- Options (5)
Objective: To reduce winter feed costs
1. Strip grazing kale
2. Strip grazing yellow turnips
3. Urea treated straw
4. Deferred grass
5. Stubble turnips
Alternative forage crops –
Pregnant suckler cows (~690 kg
LW
DAILY ADG
BCS
SLIDE 59
Whole-crop Barley
Suckler cows: Winter diet (preg. + early lact.)
slide 60
Whole-crop barley silage can be offered as
a sole feed to suckler cows
Minerals Mg/d* of beef cow
Cu - 150-400
Se - 3-5
I - 12-60
Co - 5-10
Mn - 335-415
Zn - 335-750
is requirement for mineral higher or lower in suckler cow vs dairy cow
Requirement for minerals in the suckler cow is significantly lower than that of the
dairy cow
what should be fed to calved cows on silage
Feed post-calver minerals to calved cows on silage.
how many weeks pre calving minerals should be fed
Feed pre-calver mineral/vitamin for 6 weeks pre-calving. Critical trace minerals are
Copper, Iodine, Selenium.
mineral inclusion rate
slide 62
Minimum Forage Diets to bridge the gap to grass: (5)
- Know the intake potential of cattle you are feeding:
– Lactating sucker cow 12-13kg/dm/day; young cattle 350 kg 7-8kg/dm; store cattle 8
9kg/dm. - Minimum amount of roughage:
– 40% of overall diet (>25% of NDF from forage) - Priorities the use of grass towards animals with greatest feed requirement
- Meal Specification
– Filling the gap to grass
– Simple low specification rations (CP14-16%; UFV>0.90)
– Exception when straw is used as forage - Managing restricted forage feeding:
– Build up concentrate slowly over 5-7 days
– Feeding 5-7kg split feed to avoid digestive upsets.
– Adequate feeding space for adult cattle 600mm/head
– Set up additional trough space in yard if it cant achieve target
– Regularly monitor BCS especially for Spring Calving Cows
Minimum Forage Diets
slide 64
what did Suckler Cows at Grange show
Suckler Cows at Grange showed that a calving interval of 367 days, pregnancy rate
of 94%
what is the main factor limiting the reproductive performance of
suckler cows.
dietary energy
when is critical time for cows nutrition
6 weeks before calving through to 6
weeks after service
how to optimising cow fertility(3)
- Depends on careful management of BSC throughout the year
- Through good feeding management, reduces calving difficulties and day
between calving and conception - Improves profitability when feed requirements are matched to available
cheap feeds
breeding calendar for beef cows
288 days approx gestation
28 days: cow suckling calf (non cycling)
50 days: 2-3 cycles to get cow back in calf
what is post partum anoestrus interval recognised as
the primary factor reducing reproductive efficiency in suckler production.
what are theTwo main factors that affect the length of post partum anoestrus interval
- Nutrition status of the cow ( pre and post partum; BCS)
- Maternal offspring bonding
what does pre calving BCS have a major effect on
the post calving interval (PPI) to first heat in suckler cows
for beef cows what is the critical measure of nutritional adequacy is the BCS at calving
*<BSC 2 at calving= 2-3wks slower going back in calf
what is the primary controller of the length of the PPI
PREPARTUM NUTRITION
Proportion of cows showing estrus at
different times after calving
SLIDE 71
At grass, what is done in order to maximise pregnancy rates,
the cows and heifers must
be offered a steady supply of high quality pasture. Ideally, swards should
have a pre-grazing herbage mass of 1,400 kg/DM/ha equivalent to a
herbage height of 10 to 12 cm.
when should Fluctuations in feed supply be avoided
first two weeks after breeding
what is protein needed for in beef cows
Protein requirements of beef cows for maintenance, milk production and
reproduction can be readily met from good quality grass.
Effects of concurrent nutrition on embryo
survival rate in heifers
level of nutrition
low-low 66(Heifers) 70% (embryo survival)
low high: 65 71%
high high:60 65%
high-low: 56 38%
what does The feed requirements of the sucker cow varies throughout the year with
stage of production
what can be used to manage feeding
levels
a series of target condition scores
what can optimise cow fertility
nutritional management
- thereby improving the economic efficiency of the enterprise
what % DM IS
PIT SILAGE
bALes (600kg)
Pit Silage is assumed to be 20% DM
Bales assumed to be 600 kg @ 30% DM
Ration Type
* Feeding restricted silage
– Dry cows & store cattle– protein 11-12%
– Cows with calves at foot, weanlings, in-calf heifers – protein
content 14%
feeding ad lib straw
Feeding ad lib straw (no silage) – protein content – 18-20%
Simple mix to do all classes of stock
60% barley – 25% soya hulls – 15% rapeseed meal – + Minerals
how to calculate fodder supply
silage pit
Silage in Pit:
length (M) x width (M) x Av. height (M)
Convert volume
M3. to kg/DM
Multiply by 154
= tons of silage
how to calculate fodder supply@
Baled Silage
weight varies with DM & density
(compaction) well packed at 25% DM are about 700kg
Accommodation: Suckler Cow
Straw bedded ~ 4 m2/head
Slatted shed ~ 3 m2/head
*Feed space required- (Suckler cow)
*Ad lid feeding~ 0.4 m/head
*Restricted roughage feeding~ 0.6m/head
*Concentrate/roots~ 0.6m/head
list of Diseases / disorders of suckler
cows
- Grass tetany
- Copper deficiency
- Mastitis
- Summer mastitis
- Bloat
- Abortion (infectious and non infectious)
- Bovine Viral diarrohea (BVD)
- Leptospirosis
- Liver fluke
- External parasites
- Lameness
- Johnes disease
