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Previous issues of the BEEF Cattle letter
Issue # 504
September 13, 2006
Preparing for Weaning - John B. Hall, Extension Animal Scientist, Beef, Virginia Tech
Many buyers are now requesting weaned and backgrounded calves. Most of these buyers are willing to pay for calves from a good health program that are weaned as indicated by the price advantage received by VQA calves. Whether you wean calves on your own farm or at a custom backgrounder, managing calves prior to weaning is crucial for healthy calves that gain weight during the backgrounding/weaning period. Even calves that are weaned "on the truck" will perform better in their new environment if pre-weaning practices are followed. Early September is the right time to ensure your calves are ready for weaning in October or November. Preparations include maximizing calf health and nutrition and inspecting and repairing facilities.
Maximizing Nutritional Status. In order for calves to respond to a health program or withstand the stress of weaning, they must have proper nutrition. The most important aspect is that calves continue to gain weight. Often in August and early September, limited amount of forage that is poor in quality severely reduces calf gains. If good quality grazing or hay is available, calves should be allowed access to it either with their dams or by creep grazing. If forage isn't available, then 3 to 5 lb. of a fiber based energy supplements like corn gluten or soy hulls are good choices.
Minerals during the pre-weaning phase are essential. Recent research indicates that the mineral status of calves entering the weaning phase or feedlot may be more important than the mineral program during weaning. In other words, even though a good mineral program during weaning is important it cannot fully overcome existing mineral deficiencies. Growing calves need calcium and phosphorus, which are usually provided in milk and grazing. A complete mineral containing calcium and phosphorus should be provided if soil phosphorus content is low and few legumes are in the pasture.
Zinc, copper and selenium all appear to be especially important in preparing calves for weaning. Zinc should be provided at 0.18% to 0.36% (1800-3600 ppm) in the mineral mix. Research from NC State indicates that 0.1% of copper will improve health status of calves. Current recommendations are for copper levels in minerals to be 1000 to 1800 ppm (0.1% to 0.18%). Selenium should be supplied at the maximum level allowed by the FDA - 52 ppm for free-choice mineral and higher levels (up to 120 ppm) if fed according label directions. Read the mineral feed tag and talk with your mineral supplier about the levels of these key "stress minerals".
Vitamins are also important. Vitamin A, D and E are usually provided in sufficient levels in grazing (A and E) or made by the animal from precursors in the diet (D). Limited information indicates there may be an advantage to supplementing vitamin E, but levels in the normal diet should be sufficient. Vitamin A, D and E should be supplemented if calves are not consuming fresh forage.
Maximizing Health Status. After a solid nutrition program, proper stimulation of the animal's immune system is essential for minimizing health problems during weaning. There are 6 key diseases to vaccinate calves against (See insert). Modified-live vaccines (MLV) provide the greatest level of immunity, but MLV Bovine Viral Diarrhea and IBR are not recommended for calves suckling pregnant cows. Several MLV products are approved for use on calves suckling pregnant cows if the cows were vaccinated pre-breeding with the same product. You should contact your veterinarian for assistance in choosing the right type of vaccine for your situation.
Timing of vaccination is crucial. If vaccinations require a booster, they should be given so the second (booster) injection is given 14 to 21 days before weaning. Regardless of type of vaccine the last dose should be given no later than 14 days before weaning. This will have calves at the maximum antibody levels at weaning. Remember to use clean sharp needles and give all injections in the neck. Also keep vaccines cool and out of sunlight.
Minimize stress by handling cattle quietly and calmly while vaccinating or performing other health procedures. Make sure all personnel have been instructed in proper cattle handling. Work cattle in the cool parts of the day. Another important aspect of minimizing stress at weaning is to accustom calves to close contact with people. Walking through the herd daily will "tame" cattle down considerably.
Review and repair of facilities. Proper well maintained facilities will not only make weaning easier on producers, but will reduce stress on the calves. Corral fences should be sturdy and 5 feet high. Working chutes should allow calves to flow through the system easily and be worked quickly. Repair corrals well ahead of weaning or working cattle. Early repairs will avoid "make do" patches that usually result in injuries to cattle and people. Contact you Extension Animal Science Agent for corral plans or a review of your facility.
Calves should be exposed to water troughs or commercial waterers and feed troughs before weaning. Making a water trough the only source of water for cow-calf pairs for 2 to 3 weeks before weaning will accustom calves to drinking out of sources other than a pond or creek. Limited grain feeding (2 lbs./ animal/ day) in a trough on pasture will get calves used to eating out of a bunk. If calves are fed alone, 2 feet of bunk space should be provided for each animal. If they are fed with their dams, then at least 3 feet of bunk space should be provided per animal. Remember a 10 ft long feeder provides 20 ft of bunk space if cattle can eat out of both sides!
Start your pre-weaning program this month. A little work now will result in less problems and better calf growth at weaning. Healthier calves will create a better reputation for your cattle.
Now Is the Time to Plan Ahead For Thin Cows - Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service
Now is the time to plan ahead for thin cows. When doing that, there are two very important points to consider. Cows that are thin at this time will be thin to thinner in the spring, if adequate nutrition is not increased now. Also, thin cows do not compete well with cows that are in better condition.
"Thin cows do not compete and need more feed" needs to be written on the barn wall, painted on pasture fences and noted on all your paperwork. Why now? The weather is nice and most cows are entering the second trimester of pregnancy, so their milk production is decreasing for the calf at their side.
Better yet, for thin cows pull or early wean their calves, thus shutting their milk production off. As a dry cow, weight gain will be easier to attain, especially with good fall weather. As a producer, what you do not want to do is get done celebrating Christmas and the New Year and then go out and try to develop a plan to put weight on cows in their third trimester. The cold nights and dry grass will fight you all the way. In the end, the cows at calving are thinner than they were at weaning - something you just cannot let happen.
So, let's look at additional feeding opportunities today, not tomorrow. It is well-known that thin cows (nutritionally deprived) do not breed well. Logic would say that thin cows potentially have more problems associated with pregnancy, adequate immune response, and subsequent colostrum and milk production following calving. Trying to add weight at calving also is difficult. While trying to calve the cows, the associated poor nutritional impacts of newborn calves can be manifested by increased health problems, such as scours.
What can we do? The solution is not very difficult, if one involves a good nutritionist and common sense. Yes, supplementation is an additional cost to the operation, but the right supplement can be very beneficial for production and financial reasons.
A big point - not all the cows are thin. Some are moderately conditioned and doing fine, while others are on the fat side, if not more than fat. These groups of cows need to be handled and fed differently. The most practical solution is to split the herd into at least two groups. Those cows that are thin, showing no fleshiness or even some obvious rib and bone structure, need to be sorted out. These cows are more than likely some of the more productive cows in the cow herd, having put their heart into raising a good calf.
Their milk production warrants the extra feed and the need to recoup is real. In addition to these thins cows, younger cows also may be added to this group or grouped by themselves simply because they are not very high in the pecking order, so older, bossier cows will dominate their portion of the supplement.
The same is true for the old cows, but frankly, sell them during a dry year. The other group should be the better-conditioned, mature cows and should be fed accordingly. This group of cows should not require the greater degree of supplementation the first sort needs.
There is a third group, which are fat cows. In herds that don't have good records, there can be a significant number of poor-producing cows that do not milk well and simply keep their calf company for the summer. Do not get me wrong, these cows are good mothers, but they tend to produce light calves.
Granted, this also is a function of frame. Some smaller-frame cows simply may flesh easily, but take a good look at their calves. If they are not what you think they should be, those fat cows will sell well.
After all this thinking, do something. The bottom line is, do not wait. Fall is the time to bring cows back into condition, and if you are going to buy some supplement, put it where it needs to go. Move the calves to the lot, feed them well and split the cow herd. Those needing extra, feed them well, and for those holding their own, just feed them. Sort, sort and then sort some more. Remember, thin cows will only be thinner at calving unless you do something now.
Forage Focus: Pastures Require Fall Management - Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator, Athens County
Often the focus of pasture management in the fall of the year shifts to preparation for winter grazing. We talk about things like stockpiling fescue, or planting annuals such as brassicas, cereal rye or oats. However, what about the rest of our pasture paddocks, those that will not be stockpiled, or that have not or will not be planted to an annual for-age? Fall is a time to pay some attention to these paddocks, and proper fall management sets the stage for next years grazing.
A review of grass growth and physiology will serve to guide the grazier in fall pasture management. During the growing season pasture management focuses around two principles; residual leaf area and rest periods, to ensure pasture pad-docks remain productive. The grass plant can produce a large amount of leaf growth and tolerate repeated defoliation under the favorable conditions (cooler temperatures and adequate soil moisture) generally found in the spring and early summer. Graziers that follow the take half, leave half rule of residual leaf area, combined with providing the plant with adequate rest periods to re-grow to a good grazing height produce plants that are vigorous with the capacity to replenish carbohydrate reserves. Now, as we enter the fall period, it is important to recognize that grass growth and production will slow as the plant prepares for dormancy. The fall period is a critical time to continue good pasture management and the grazier must avoid over-grazing during this period of slower grass growth. Severe defoliation in the fall of the year before dormancy can be more harmful to the grass plant than early season defoliation that is followed by an adequate rest period because the fall period may not provide the conditions needed for an overgrazed plant to recover. Carbohydrate reserves in the grass plant must be stored late in the fall period, not depleted. The reproductive tiller buds that lead to seed head formation in the spring are actually formed under the short day/long-night and low temperatures conditions of the late fall period. Energy reserves in the crown of the plant are needed for this development. Carbohydrate accumulation and bud development in the late fall period determine the winter survival of the plant, as well as how quick and vigorous spring growth will be. Once the grass plant enters dormancy during the winter period, it can once again be heavily grazed since the leaf material is now of little value to the plant and grazing it off will have little direct impact upon plant health.
One other management task that can be done in the fall of the year is to pull soil tests on pasture paddocks. Fall can often provide some good conditions to spread lime and fertilizer on paddocks. For most grass pastures, set a goal to maintain soil pH above 6.0, with 6.5 an optimal level. The OSU Extension Agronomy Guide recommends optimum soil P levels in the 15 to 40 ppm range (30 to 80 lbs/acre) and soil K in the 100-200 ppm range (200 to 400 lbs/acre).
Graziers should remain diligent in their pasture management practices throughout the fall period. Don't let a seasons worth of good management come undone by overgrazing in the critical fall period.
Weekly Roberts Agricultural Commodity Market Report - Mike Roberts, Commodity Marketing Agent, Virginia Tech
LIVE CATTLE in Chicago (CME) closed lower despite lower feed grains on Monday with the OCT'06LC at $91.850/cwt, off $0.450/cwt. The DEC'06LC closed at $91.750/cwt, down $0.425/cwt. Both months were pressured by general weakness in many commodity markets, including gold and crude oil, and a somewhat weaker-than-expected cash cattle market late last week. Cash cattle traded $90.00/cwt-$91.50/cwt late Friday with most sales in the $90.50/cwt-$91/cwt range. The USDA report late on Monday showed cash cattle trading in the 5-market average between $89.50/cwt-$90.50/cwt. This was down $0.50/cwt-$1.00/cwt from the week before. Several feedlot and trading floor sources said they were somewhat concerned that cash cattle may be topping out after cattle sold below expectations and some of last week's offerings went unsold. Packer margins were in the red and that will most likely encourage lower bidding. USDA put the average beef plant margin on Monday at a negative $9.65/head. This was $4.45/head lower than Friday's report, according to HedgersEdge.com. A firm boxed beef market and slowly growing exports continued to support prices. South Korea announced last Friday it would resume imports of U.S. boneless beef. USDA put the choice beef cutout at $148.97/cwt, up $0.15/cwt and the highest it's been in just over 3 weeks. Technical selling added to lack of support after the OCT'06LC closed under the 20-day MA last Friday. Active October/December spreading by locals and fund action (including the Goldman roll) accounted for most of the trading volume during the session on Monday. During the month prior to delivery, the Goldman Sachs Commodity Index fund's long positions are rolled forward from the fifth to the ninth business day. This is known as the Goldman/Sachs roll. Traders estimated there were 9,000 to 12,000 such spreads on Monday with about 5,000 of those coming near the close. Cash sellers should consider protecting a portion of 4th quarter '06 and 1st quarter '07 marketings at this point. Corn users may think about pricing a significant portion of corn supplies at this time as input prices may have established their lows. The USDA WASDE report issued on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 will give a good indication where corn prices are going.
FEEDER CATTLE at the CME ended mixed with the SEPT'06FC closing at $118.650/cwt, up $0.075/cwt and the OCT'06FC contract closing off $0.375/cwt at $117.850/cwt. The drop in some feeder cattle months came despite a recent record-high CME feeder cattle index and lower CBOT corn futures. The CME Feeder Cattle Index set a record high on September 7 at $120.10/cwt, up $0.88/cwt while CBOT corn futures on Monday were down from 2.5¢/bu - 5.5¢/bu in early trading. Lower live cattle pressured feeder cattle. In addition, November/October spreading via the Goldman Roll and late profit taking sank the October futures price at closing. Cattle feeders may want to watch these markets trying to catch an "up" day to sell. Corn users may think about pricing a significant portion of corn supplies at this time as input prices may have established their lows. The USDA WASDE report issued on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 will give a good indication where corn prices are going.
Visit the OSU Beef Team calendar of meetings and upcoming events
BEEF Cattle is a weekly publication of Ohio State University Extension in Fairfield County and the OSU Beef Team. Contributors include members of the Beef Team and other beef cattle specialists and economists from across the U.S.
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