There are several strategies that producers can use to help reduce the negative effects of winter weather on cattle and help ensure feed resources are used efficiently.

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.

Hay quality cannot be judged based on looks or if it was fertilized or not. Often, some of the best-looking hay will test out to be some of the lowest quality.

Weaning is part of cow-calf production, and it can occur at different times for numerous reasons. There is varying terminology associated with weaning depending on age of the calf, the weaning location (ranch of origin or trailer) and dictionary versus industry definitions.

How much hay do you need for this winter? The answer to this question depends on several factors. How long do you expect to feed hay? How big are the cows? Are the cows lactating or not? How much hay will be lost because of storage and feeding losses?

Forage for grazing, hay, baleage or silage production is critical for cow-calf operations. Producing quality forage and hay is also important to reduce or eliminate energy and protein supplementation for the cow herd.