In times of sky-high input costs, supplemental feeding strategies are at the top of the list of “sticker shock” items. As the cow herd moves into the winter months, how can we optimize our supplementation strategy? Despite the change in feed prices, some of the steps to help make this decision really haven’t changed. The first step is to conduct a forage analysis on hay or stored forage, such as baleage, that you plan to feed during the winter. A forage analysis provides key information on nutrient content of what animals are consuming. You might be surprised that, with this information, a lot of times producers are able to feed less supplemental feed than they anticipated. That is because the majority of our livestock nutritional needs can be met through forages.
What happens if forage nutritional value is lower than expected? One strategy is to match the best hay with the animals that have the highest nutrient needs first. This means feeding forage material with the greatest nutritional value (digestibility and crude protein value on a dry matter basis) to these animals. For example, in fall- and winter-calving operations, the greatest nutritional demand for the cow follows calving and into the early part of the breeding season. Strategizing use of the best resources during this period can help reduce the amount of supplemental feed required. Use lower-quality forage later in the season after cow nutritional demands begin to decrease.
A nontraditional approach to supplementation is to think about using grazed forage as a supplement for the cow herd. Many producers plant winter annuals or stockpile perennial grasses like tall fescue in the late fall/early winter. Winter annual forages provide high nutritional value to the cow herd. Rather than planting the whole farm, consider planting a “supplement patch” on just a few acres (less than 10). Allow cattle periodic access to winter annuals once established for a few days at a time or turn them onto/off pastures for a few hours a day followed by offering hay. This limit-grazing approach can help reduce hay needs, improve hay digestibility and acts as a feed supplement in the diet.
Finally, evaluate alternative feedstuffs with caution. During times of high costs, a low-cost alternative may really be too good to be true. Ask for a feed analysis and consult with your nutritionist to ensure ingredients are safe to use and will meet the needs of your operation.
Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet option to winter supplementation. However, using some of the tools at hand, like forage and feed testing and maximizing what we can get from our forages, can help us with decision-making.
