Designing a successful winter supplementation program is important for cow-calf producers. Deciding which supplement to use will vary depending on forage quality, animal requirements, body condition score, the ability to feed daily or not, product availability and cost per unit of needed nutrient.
One question many producers ask is whether they should feed a commodity, cube, textured feed, tub, liquid feed or something else. The answer to this question can vary by operation and more than one option might work well. All options have advantages and disadvantages.
The protein content of a product should be listed on the tag or guaranteed analysis. Unfortunately, the total digestible nutrient (TDN) content of a feed is not listed on the tag and is not available in most situations. However, the crude fiber level can be used to help indicate potential differences in TDN among feeds. As the crude fiber level of a feed increases, the TDN content decreases. Be aware that some feeds are too low in TDN to serve as useful energy supplements.
Commodities are just common feed ingredients like whole shell corn, soybean hull pellets, corn gluten feed, distillers grains, cottonseed meal, soybean meal, etc. One advantage of feeding a commodity or a mix of two or three commodities is that the typical protein and TDN content of each will be known. Additionally, commodities are generally lower in cost than other feed options. However, commodities need to be fed in bunks and some are only available for purchase in bulk.
Cubes are utilized by many producers because they can be fed on the ground or in feedbunks. If using 20% cubes for protein and energy supplementation, look for options with less than 11% crude fiber.
One advantage of tubs and liquid feeds is that they don’t require daily feeding and are always available to the animals. However, this convenience often comes with an increased cost per unit of nutrient, especially TDN. It is important to know that most tubs and liquid feeds are formulated for less than 1.5 pounds of dry matter intake per day. Because of this, they are not great options for cattle consuming low-quality forage or thin cattle.
Most feeds should be fed daily to maximize their benefit. Feeding less frequently results in bigger swings in rumen pH, which can reduce animal performance. Always select feeds based on the nutrients needed – protein, energy or both.
