Fully utilizing your forage resources is important. But let’s face it – cattle will graze the preferred plants first and leave the less desirable alone. Mineral tubs, because of the sweet taste of molasses, are very attractive to cattle. Move the tubs around your pastures and the cattle will follow. Studies have show using this strategy, cattle will tend to “clean up” more of the less desirable plants before leaving the area. This can help suppress less desirable plants and encourage growth of preferred plants.

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Colic refers to pain in the horse’s abdomen and is actually a symptom rather than a condition. Colic usually occurs when there is a disruption in the hindgut flora or gut motility, resulting in impaction or gas build up. Horses evolved to be grazers, consuming small amounts of forages throughout the day, much like cattle. However, over the years, in an attempt to maximize performance, particularly in athletic horses, horse owners have moved towards diets containing less fibre and more concentrates. Abrupt changes in diets, improper ratios of forages to grains, or spoiled feed can lead to colic.

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From the time of birth to the time of shipping, a calf experiences numerous stressors while on the farm that can be physiologically harmful to a calf’s well-being. These stressors come in many forms: environmental, social, physiological, and nutritional. They are heightened during conventional management practices. Weaning, castrating, dehorning, and transportation, to name a few, are practices commonly done on the farm that cause a great deal of stress to the calf.

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This week, we’re changing up the topic of our blog – a lot. Typically, we talk about livestock nutrition and how our diverse lineup of products can improve your operation with their simplicity and efficiency. But I thought it essential to offer a different kind of support this week. 2020 has been a weird year for all of us: no live music, no shopping, no sports, and worst of all, no agriculture conventions. What’s still unclear for many of us is coming upon us soon, going back to school. That’s right, I said the s-word.

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Reading and interpreting a feed analysis can be daunting with all the acronyms and abbreviations they use. But knowing how to read this document is important!

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Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It is arguably the most important mineral in the body because of its function in numerous body systems. Obviously, calcium plays a significant role in bone and teeth formation, but it also has a vital role in blood clotting, muscle contraction, milk secretion, hormone secretion, and numerous others.

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As we head into spring and think about turning cows and calves onto pasture, we should also think about how to help those calves develop their digestive system. As most know, calves are born without a functioning rumen. In fact, they are technically born as a functional monogastric (single stomach). As the calf ages and begins eating solid foods, the rumen begins to develop and becomes a functioning organ.

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When discussing conception or pregnancy rates, the cow is often the center of attention. Usually, we are too quick to judge the dam, which can lead to unnecessary culling. But what if we stopped to consider the bull? After all, he is half of the equation. Bull fertility is paramount to a successful breeding program since an individual bull services numerous females. Thus, a deficiency in the bull has a greater impact on herd productivity than a single female.

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Ranchers in the area have probably started their winter-feeding programs already. Just as they say in Game of Thrones, “winter is coming.” I’ve mentioned feed testing in passing quite often over these last few months, so I would like to take this opportunity to discuss the topic in greater depth. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ll say it again; feed testing is one of the most important management practices on the farm.

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Vitamin E has become increasingly popular among horse owners, probably because of its ability to help performance horses recover from exercise quicker. This vitamin is highly effective in combating numerous effects of free radical products that can harm membranes and cell components. Unlike vitamin C, the horse’s body cannot synthesize vitamin E, making it crucial to supplement it in the diet.

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