Magic Valley. Livestock Exchange. What to do with Low Quality Hay? Livestock information for producers in the Magic Valley.

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1 Magic Valley Livestock Exchange Livestock information for producers in the Magic Valley. Date 2015 Volume 1 Issue 1 What to do with Low Quality Hay? CARMEN J WILLMORE, U OF I EXTENSION EDUCATOR I recently watched an edition of Beef Roundtable where Keith Johnson, Extension Forage Specialist at Purdue University, and John Patterson of NCBA discussed what you can do with low quality hay. Here are the top points from the broadcast. Link to broadcast: What causes low quality hay? Hay that is cut at a later maturity, rained on after windrowing or not dried enough before baled. Low quality hays mean: Decreased intake, decreased digestibility, and decreased protein! Which means you have to feed MORE to get the cow to eat enough. How can a producer determine its feeding value? There are two main ways: Rules of Thumb: 1400 lbs. cow must consume 2% of her body weight (BW) per day = 28 lbs. of hay dry matter (DM) or 35 lbs. hay as fed Cow s diet should contain: 8% Protein % TDN (minimum) Consumption on as fed lbs.: Cow 35 lbs./day Bred Heifer lbs./day Weaned Heifer 15 lbs./day Remember these are averages and can depend on the breed type and size of cattle you have and the environment they are living in. Sensory analysis Sight - Look for different plant species: Are there a lot of weeds? mold? foreign objects? If so cows will sort this hay, trying to avoid weeds and other undesirables. Look for seed heads, this indicates the hay was mature when harvested vs being in a vegetative younger stage. Also look for foreign objects such as medal or dead matter for example snakes and other varmints which will cause cattle to not eat hay. Smell - Is there a musty smell? This can be indicative of mold. Touch - Are there weed spines (stickers)? This will cause cattle to sort as well causing decreased intake and refusal. Edited by Carmen Willmore and Cindy Kinder

2 Chemical analysis- Using a hay probe, sample each cutting of hay from each field, ensuring that the different cuttings are identified separately and put into separate bags. Submit your sample to the lab and request analysis for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), fiber and minerals. If you are concerned about toxicities you can request nitrate and mycotoxin tests. What is happening to hay quality when it is baled to wet or harvested too mature? When hay is harvested to mature it has reduced Crude Protein (CP) and increased fiber content. This causes hay to be less digestible. Using chemical analysis for NDF (Neutral Detergent Fiber) you can predict the intake/consumption of fiber. ADF (Acid Detergent Fiber) is used to predict digestibility. Pregnant cows need two pounds of protein a day, if hay does not provide enough protein you will have to supplement. Rain damaged hay leaches soluble minerals from the plant material into the soil. If hay is baled too wet, microorganisms will build up causing heat. This heating causes protein to bind fiber, making protein less available to the cow. Wet hay is also prone to mold formation which can produce mycotoxins. This is a respiratory concern for both the producer handling the hay and cattle eating it. Stacking wet hay can also cause spontaneous combustion which damages both the feedstuff and the building it is stored in. What animals are we trying to feed the low quality hay too? Think about what your herd looks like today and where you would like them to be by calving. Using Body Condition Scores (BCS) you can determine the state of your cows. John Patterson described this scenario on how to use BCS to advance your herd: If in the fall (November) a cows BCS is a 4 to achieve a 5 or 6 by calving (March), the cow would have to gain lbs. This would require an ADG of 1 lbs. per day. For replacement heifers this would be closer to 2 lbs. per day to get to a 5 or 6 BCS. After determining the condition of your animals you must consider what feed you have available. If you have both low and high quality hays, using the low quality hay first and feeding higher quality hay closer to calving and during early lactation would be beneficial. Due to the increased animal need of higher protein and energy. Providing a protein supplement when feeding low quality hay is important because it allows cattle to consume low quality hay without dropping off intake. Some ways to supplement protein are: alfalfa hay, soybean hulls, wheat mids and commercial supplements. Ask your local nutritionist for local protein supplements. Some things you may have to consider are the cost of labor to feed these protein sources. Research has shown that in ideal conditions supplementing once a week results in the same response at supplementing three times a week. So do what works for you! Triticale Hay Stack. Photo by Cindy A. Kinder Magic Valley Livestock Exchange University of Idaho Extension page 2

3 BQA? What is it? CINDY A. KINDER U OF I EXTENSION EDUCATOR Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a program designed to help producers raise animals that will provide a safe and wholesome beef product for the consumer. BQA is designed to increase food safety by preventing chemical and drug residues, pathogen contamination and defects such as injection site blemishes and bruises. BQA has many different parts and each is equally important. Topics in a broad sense include: Care and Husbandry Practices, Feedstuffs, Feed Additives and Medications, Processing/Treatment and Records, and Injectable Animal Health Products. Whether you are an owner, manager, employee, veterinarian, youth, or in the Tech Service or Allied Industry you can become Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certified. Once the training is complete, you have successfully passed an assessment, and agreed to follow the National BQA Guidelines, you are certified! Which is good for three years! In Idaho, training is offered through the University of Idaho, Extension. In the Magic Valley, this winter, UI Educators are conducting the Magic Valley Livestock Education Series, where individuals can attend workshops and receive newsletters about improved management practices and BQA. By attending classes participants can work towards becoming BQA certified. Quality Assurance is everyone s job, our future in the Livestock Industry depends on it. It is every producer s obligation to utilize management and judgment that ultimately lead to a positive buying and eating experience for the consumer. Know your Needles CINDY A. KINDER U OF I EXTENSION EDUCATOR When production animals are not performing well and you have determined they are in need of an injection, the correct equipment for administering is essential. Review the table below about needles. The original table can be found in the Idaho Beef Quality Assurance Manual. Gauge Diameter of the needle, adjust to match cattle weight and medicine viscosity. Length Fit the route of administration, adjust to cattle weight Change needles Immediately if the needle bends If the needle becomes contaminated with feces, dirt or irritating chemicals If the needle point is damaged/burr develops Before the needle becomes dull (every head) Between cattle with known blood-borne infectious disease Route of Administration Sub Q IV IM 1/2 to 3/4 inch needle 1 ½ inch needle 1 ½ inch needle Cattle Weight Viscosity < >700 < >700 < >700 Thin (Vaccine) Thick (oxytet) Magic Valley Livestock Exchange University of Idaho Extension page 3

4 Injection Management CINDY A. KINDER U OF I EXTENSION EDUCATOR I challenge you to talk to your help (kids, wife, employee, neighbor) about injection management no matter how simple the topic. It is amazing how as experienced producers we assume others know what we know. We also take for granted non livestock producer s lack of understanding the details of treating or vaccinating livestock. Here are some questions to help you start the conversation. Q. When do we treat or process our livestock? A. We treat or process when the animal shows signs of illness or when we follow a vaccination protocol which is typically spring, fall or when livestock are received. Q. Why do we treat or vaccinate? A. Treatment for illness is very important, if animals are left untreated loss of production occurs and maybe even death. Vaccination programs are used to prevent illness and death in livestock. Some treatments for such things as flies also helps control the spread of diseases in wildlife and reduces exposure in humans. Q. How do we know when an animal is sick? A. Sick animals just like sick people show signs of illness. Being able to read those signs is a mark of a good herdsman. Every illness is unique; droopy head and ears, scours, runny eyes and nose can be symptoms. Q. An animal is sick and we have medicine, now what? A. Always follow label requirements, the label or vet prescription is the legal contract to use. Q. A sick animal needs a shot, where do we give it? A.Products labeled for Subcutaneous (SQ) and Intramuscular (IM) administration should be given in the neck region regardless of the animals age. Q. Which pharmaceuticals do we choose? A. Obviously the one that treats the illness. However, products cleared for SQ, intravenous (IV), or oral administration are recommended because they limit the amount of possible lesions found in muscle tissue. Q. We need to give two different medications, can we give them in the same spot? A. Space injections at least 4 inches apart in the triangle zone of the neck. (see figure 1) Q. Where should we give the IM injection? A. Intramuscular injections are to be given in the neck region only. Figure 1. Injection zone of neck. Behind the ears and in front of the point of the shoulder. Q. The animal needs 24 cc, now what? A. No more than 10cc of product is to be administered per injection site. Move over 4 inches and give another injection. Q. We have a choice to administer injections as SQ or IM, which one do we choose? A. All products can cause tissue damage when injected. Therefore, all IM use should be avoided if possible. I also challenge you to ask your kids, young or adult, on the farm or off, the above questions. Do they know the answers? Are they just talking about correct injection management or are they actually doing it? Actions speak louder than words. Magic Valley Livestock Exchange University of Idaho Extension page 4

5 Using Body Condition Scoring in Beef Cattle Herds J. BENTON GLAZE, JR., PHD., EXTENSION BEEF CATTLE SPECIALIST, Most beef producers would agree that determining whether cows on pasture are receiving adequate nutrition is somewhat difficult. However, cow body condition can be used as an indicator. Body condition scoring is a tool that can be used by beef cattle producers to evaluate their cow herds. Body condition scores are an estimate of the amount of condition (degree of fatness) that is deposited on the body of a cow. The amount condition on a cow is a direct reflection of her nutritional status. Body condition scoring is a management practice all beef producers should perform. Body condition scores provide the information needed to monitor nutrition (pasture, drylot, etc.) programs. The most common system used to evaluate cow body condition (described in Table 1) involves the use of a numerical scoring scale based on the amount of fat cover over a cow s ribs, back, hooks, pins, and around the tail head. The numerical scale ranges from one to nine, with one representing extremely thin cows and nine representing extremely fat cows. Producers who use body condition scoring rely mainly on visual appraisal, but will often manually feel (palpate) for the amount of fat cover to keep from being deceived by variations in the hair coat. When evaluating body condition, it is important for producers to make sure they are evaluating condition and not hair coat, stage of pregnancy, gut fill, or muscle. Body condition influences the productivity of the cow herd, which ultimately will have an effect on the profitability of the cow-calf enterprise. Body condition impacts the reproductive efficiency of the cow herd during subsequent breeding seasons. In research trials conducted in Texas and Oklahoma, cows with body condition scores of 4 at calving had a 15-25% lower subsequent pregnancy rate than cows with body condition scores of 6 at calving. Results from other studies have shown that cows with body condition scores of 5 or higher at calving, had calving intervals of 360 days or less, while cows with body condition scores of 4 or lower at calving, had calving intervals over 375 days. In addition to body condition scoring at calving, producers might want to consider evaluating animals for condition at weaning. In a study using data from a Wyoming ranch, cows with body condition scores of 3 or less and 4 had pregnancy percentages in the subsequent breeding season of 76% and 85%, respectively. Cows with body condition scores of 5, 6, and 7 or greater had pregnancy percentages of 94%, 96%, and 96%, respectively. Numerous studies have shown that heifers should be in good (BCS 6) condition and cows should be in moderate (BCS 5) condition at calving, weaning, and at the beginning of the breeding season, to ensure high levels of reproductive performance. Now that weaning time has passed for most beef cattle herds, body condition could be evaluated before going into winter. This check of body condition allows beef producers to see how the females in the herd are bouncing back following weaning. If some females are lagging behind in adding body fat reserves, they can be separated and provided some additional nutrition. Body condition scoring of every animal in the herd is not required. Most cows in the herd will have similar condition scores. If a substantial number of cows fall outside the range of desirable condition scores, the herd may be split so the nutritional needs of various groups of cows can be met efficiently. When cows are too thin, additional or higher quality feed may be needed to increase body condition. Cows that are too fat may be fed less or lower quality feed. Overall, the goal is to have mature cows in a body condition score of five (5) at calving and breeding and heifers in a body condition score of six (6) at calving and breeding to ensure acceptable Magic Valley Livestock Exchange University of Idaho Extension page 5

6 reproductive performance. Table 2 provides guidelines that can be used during body condition scoring. Body condition of cows should be evaluated on a regular basis, and the scores should be used to make informed management (feeding, breeding, culling, etc.) decisions. It has been suggested that body condition scoring of beef females occur several times during the production cycle. These include: weaning, 45 days post-weaning, 90 days pre-calving, calving, and breeding. Observing body condition at these strategic times allows producers to monitor the progress their cows are making toward achieving the target body condition Score Description 1 Emaciated. Bone structure of shoulder, ribs, back, hooks, and pins is sharp to the touch and easily visible. Lit- 2 Very Thin. Little evidence of fat deposition but some muscling in the hindquarter. The spinous processes feel sharp to the touch and are easily seen with space between them. 3 Thin. Beginning of fat cover over the loin, back, and foreribs. Backbone is still highly visible. Spinous processes can be identified individually by touch and may still be visible. Spaces between the processes are less pronounced. 4 Borderline. Foreribs ore not noticeable but the 12th and 13th ribs are still visibly noticeable. Transverse spinous processes can be identified only by palpation (slight pressure) and feel rounded rather than sharp. Full but straight muscling in the hindquarters. 5 Moderate. The 12th and 13th ribs are not visible unless the animal has been shrunk. Spinous processes can only be felt with firm pressure and feel rounded but are not visibly noticeable. Spaces between the processes are not visible and are only distinguishable with firm pressure. Areas on each side of the tail head are well filled but not mounded. 6 Good. Ribs are fully covered and not visibly noticeable. Hindquarters are plump and full. Noticeable sponginess over the foreribs and on each side of the tail head. Firm pressure is now required to feel the transverse processes. 7 Very Good. Ends of spinous processes can only be felt with firm pressure. Spaces between the processes can barely be distinguished. There is abundant fat cover on either side of the tail head with evident patchiness. 8 Fat. Animal takes on smooth, blocky appearance. Bone structure disappears from sight. Fat cover is thick, 9 Extremely Fat. Bone structure is not seen of easily felt. The tail head is buried in fat. Animal s mobility may actually be impaired by excessive fat. Condition Score Trait Visible ribs all all most Visible spine Tail-head fat no no no no no no no no no no no Muscle loss no no no no no no (BCS 5 for cows and BCS 6 for heifers). Table 1. Description of Body Condition Scores (BCS) (Herd and Sprott, 1986). Table 2. Guidelines for Body Condition Scoring Magic Valley Livestock Exchange University of Idaho Extension page 6

7 Winter Feeding Strategies RON TORELL RETIRED UNR EXTENSION Question of the day: What a fantastic fall. Open fields, blue skies and plenty of dry standing feed. When should I start feeding my cows? The short answer - in generalities for each operation is different and has different resources available or unavailable. Do not let these clear, open, blue sky and very cold days cloud your vision. Remember you can not starve the profit out of a cow. Sort your cows into young, thin and mature cow groups. Sorting cows is not only for nutrient demand but also reduces competition on the feed ground. Hopefully your cow herd has a tight calving interval so you can manage them according to stage of production, age and body condition. Young cows, especially if they are thin, start feeding right away or at least provide a supplement. They need help. Old cows in good body condition are fine if they are in the mid tri-mester of pregnancy. Once the mature cows get into the last tri-mester of pregnancy they need more nutrition as well. Long answer - in generalities for each operation is different and has different resources available or unavailable. March and April calving cows are in their mid trimester of pregnancy and turning the corner on the last tri-mester. Mature cows in good body condition require approximately 7 % crude protein in their diet at this stage of production. This standing dry feed will run anywhere from 4 to 7 %. Our veteran employees in good body condition will do fine without feeding at this time although a little protein supplementation would not hurt. Every other day supplementation of protein could be considered. It is our young cows that need our attention. Holding off on supplementation or feeding of these young cows will bite you next year in breed back. Our young cows in mid tri-mester of pregnancy grazing this 4 to 7 % aftermath require 8 to 8.5 % crude protein in their diet at this stage of production. Do the math it does not add up. Consider protein supplementation and / or the start of hay feeding on your young cows. What you do or do not do today will affect production and breed back next spring. Management is a process of anticipation and action. Viewing your young cows for body condition can be deceiving for rumen fill of dry feed gives the impression of a higher body condition than is actual. Also young cows have less capacity, the fetus will extend the abdomen also deceiving the true body condition. Add on the colder temperatures and you can see the need to feed these young cows now even if you have plenty of standing old feed. Do not forget mineral supplementation. Fetal growth and immune system development of that fetus requires a good mineral supplementation program at this time. MINERAL MINERAL MINERAL is the minimum. IDAHO AG MARKET OUTLOOK SEMINAR DECEMBER 9TH BURLEY INN (8:30-4) Topics that will be covered: Weather Outlook Global & U.S Ag Outlook U.S Retail Outlook Input Cost Trends & Outlook Idaho Ag Outlook Grain Situation & Outlook Potato Situation & Outlook Beef & Cattle Outlook Alfalfa Situation & Outlook Dairy Situation & Outlook RSVP by Dec 4 by calling (208) or beborn@uidaho.edu Cost: $30 per person includes lunch and materials Magic Valley Livestock Exchange University of Idaho Extension page 7

8 To Keep, Not to Keep, or To Buy; Choosing Replacement Heifers CARMEN J. WILLMORE U OF I EXTENSION EDUCATOR With the grazing season coming to an end, many producers have already begun thinking about their winter feeding options. Whether or not to keep heifers through the winter to breed in the spring is a major economical choice. To keep There are many benefits of retaining heifers that should be considered. First off, these animals are familiar with the operation; they have followed their mothers through the pastures and know the ins and outs of the facilities. Making them easier to handle and reducing stress on animals, facilities, and people. Retaining heifers also minimizes the risk of introducing disease into the herd. Diseases such as bovine viral diarrhea, respiratory diseases and venereal diseases can all be introduced with new animals. Producers that have specific maternal traits they are selecting for may want to retain heifers, as comparable genetics would be difficult to find from other herds. Not to keep The cost of retaining heifers can be high, especially if you have to purchase more winter feed to keep them. Winter feed is the highest cost for most producers and procuring extra feed for the additional number of cattle can be difficult. It is important to consider that it will take 16 months before heifers produce a calf and another 6-8 months before that calf will be sold. Meaning that the heifer won t be paying for her feed and management for 2 years. Selling these heifers can free up feed resources for mature cows and bulls, reducing the amount of feed you have to raise or purchase and allowing extra feed to be sold. Producers should be aware that heifers will need to be fed higher quality feed than most mature cows. Heifers should receive feed that has a higher nutritive value to ensure that they reach 65% of their mature body weight by the start of the breeding season. For a mature body weight of 1200 lbs., that means the heifers should weigh 780 lbs. by breeding. Heifers weaned at 550 lbs. in November must gain a minimum of 1.5 lbs. /day to reach that targeted weight by April. To buy There are many benefits to buying replacement heifers. Purchasing heifers provides the opportunity to expand the herd rapidly and gain better genetics in a shorter period of time. If you are purchasing bred replacements you want to do so 2 months prior to their expected calving date to adjust them to your feeding program and reduce calf stress. Here are two Excel spreadsheets that analyze the costs of retaining vs buying replacement heifers. You can access these spreadsheets at: References: Schulz, L. and P. Gunn. Raising Versus Buying Heifers for Beef Cow Replacement. Ag Decision Maker. File B1-73. Commercial Bred Heifers. Photo by Cindy A. Kinder. Magic Valley Livestock Exchange University of Idaho Extension page 8

9 MAGIC VALLEY EXTENSION CALENDAR Cost Date Day Time NOVEMBER 26 Thur Thanksgiving Day (County Offices will be closed) $40 3 Thur 8:30-5 PM Free 5 Sat 9:30-2 PM $30 9 Wed 8:30 AM $15 15 Tues 8 4:30 PM $15 16 Wed 8 4:30 PM 17 Thur TBD $ Wed NA 25 F 6 Wed 7 Th 13 Wed 14 Th 20 Wed 21 Th DECEMBER NCAP Organic 101 Workshop (Canyon Crest Dining & Event Center, Twin Falls) (Contact: Minidoka Extension ) District Livestock Management Skill-a-thon (Gooding Fairgrounds) (Contact: Gooding Extension ) Idaho Ag Outlook Seminar (Best Western Burley Inn) (Contact: Cassia Extension ) Pesticide Recertification Seminar (Jerome Sawtooth Inn) (6 Credit) (Contact: Jerome Extension ) Pesticide Recertification Seminar (Burley Best Western Inn) (6 Credits) (Contact: Jerome Extension ) Magic Valley Livestock School (Jerome Fairgrounds Messersmith Building) (BQA certification training) (Contact: Lincoln Extension ) Farm Management Registration DUE (Cassia Extension ) Christmas Day (County Offices will be closed) JANUARY 21 Th TBD Magic Valley Livestock School (Gooding County Fairgrounds ) (BQA certification training) (Contact: Gooding Extension ) 23 Sat State 4-H Livestock Management Skill-a-thon Jerome Fairgrounds Teams must register by Jan 8 th contact Gooding Extension Sat Beginning Farmer Rancher Program (Contact: Blaine Extension ) 25 Mon 26 Tues 27 Wed 8 1 PM $25 2 Tues 8 AM 3 Wed 4 Th 5 F 9 4 PM 10 Wed 11 Th 13 Sat 9 am 18 Th Magic Valley Bean School (Red Lion, Twin Falls) (Contact: Extension ) FEBRUARY Cereal School (Morey s Steakhouse Event Center, 219 E. 3rd Street, Burley) (Contact: Cassia Extension ) WRSWCD Pesticide Applicator Training (Lincoln County Community Center, Shoshone) (Contact: Lincoln Extension ) Beef Cattle Judging Contest, CSI Expo Center Magic Valley Livestock Newsletter (Contact: Lincoln Extension ) Idaho Hay and Forage Conference, Burley Inn,

10 Magic Valley Livestock Exchange Educational publications provided for you by your local county U of I Extension Educators. IN THIS ISSUE... HOW TO BECOME BQA CERTIFIED IN THE MAGIC VALLEY Topic Page # Low Quality Hay 1 2 BQA 3 ATTEND 2 HOURS OF BQA TRAINING REVIEW MAGIC VALLEY LIVESTOCK NEWSLETTER BQA ARTICLES SUCCESSFULLY PASS ASSESSMENT AT YOUR LOCAL EXTENSION OFFICE AGREE TO FOLLOW NATIONAL BQA GUIDELINES Injections 3-4 BCS 5-6 Winter Feeding 7 Replacement Heifers 8 Calendar 9 The University of Idaho is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educational organization. We offer our programs to persons regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, or disability. Lincoln County Extension UP COMING MAGIC VALLEY LIVESTOCK SCHOOLS December 17 Location: Jerome Fairgrounds (Messersmith Building) Contact : Lincoln County Extension January 21 Location: Gooding County Fairgrounds Contact: Gooding County Extension