Winterize Your Cattle

Cattle in our area undergo a lot of stress in December, January and February when there is virtually no pasture and many only have poor quality hay to get them through the winter months. If the cattle are in poor or marginal condition going into winter, they are going to look pretty shabby coming out of winter. If they are pregnant, some of them may go down and not be able to get up due to negative energy balance (not enough good food). These individuals are poor patients and the owner is very unhappy that the animal does not respond to treatment. Some of them will die due to this negative balance.

Now, to prevent this, cattle need to be in good condition going into the Winter months AND fed a proper diet while no grass is available. Round bales of hay lose 25% of their value setting out in the weather therefore one out of four bales are wasted. If you must use this hay make sure plenty of it is available for consumption. Only those cows that are in top shape can endure the Winter on this hay and protein supplements, most will need grain supplement. To keep cattle in the best of condition they must be fed at the rate of at least 3-5 pounds of gain per day. If the hay is poor, more grain is required.

Following these guidelines will be rewarding through better looking cattle, better calves and better weight gains in the calves. Should you have questions regarding this article, please do not hesitate to call the doctor at (352) 669-3225.