Cattle require sufficient amounts of energy, protein, water and vitamins and minerals for optimal nutrition. Age, production stage and environmental conditions all play a role in how much of these essential nutrients they consume daily.
Grains and forages are the main energy sources for cattle. Unfortunately, a low quality forage ration may not provide enough essential nutrients to meet their energy and protein requirements.
Contents
Protein
Protein is essential to a cow’s growth and productive functions, yet protein deficiency is common in many herds. A lack of protein can result in decreased growth rates, milk production issues, as well as health issues for cows.
Dietary protein needs vary based on an animal’s age, stage of production and level of output. They also depend on how much energy is available for use by the creature.
For the first seven months of pregnancy, a cow’s protein needs are largely determined by placental development and growth. By the last two months of gestation, however, her needs become more closely linked to fetal development and other products of conception.
Calves require protein to produce high quality colostrum for their newborn calves and build healthy immune systems. During these critical times of the year, cows’ protein requirements are higher than usual.
Fiber
Protein and energy are the two primary dietary needs for beef cattle, but fiber also plays a significant role. It’s essential to provide ample amounts of high-fiber roughage in order to keep cattle’s digestive tracts healthy and prevent rumen acidosis.
Feeding sufficient amounts of fiber-rich roughage to cattle can help reduce the incidence of fatty liver disease (FLD) and hepatic abscesses. Roughage sources include soybean hulls, corn gluten feed, dried distillers grains, and other grain- and roughage-based feedstuffs.
Fiber content of forages and feedstuffs is divided into neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF). NDF refers to structural components of plants such as cell wall material, while ADF comprises less digestible parts of those cells.
NDF and ADF values are inversely proportional to digestibility, so forages with low NDF or ADF values provide more energy per mass of fiber than those with higher concentrations. As such, lower values for NDF and ADF should be preferred when evaluating ration quality or nutrient composition.
Vitamins
Vitamins and minerals are essential components of cattle nutrition. Vital vitamins include Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and selenium.
Beef cows, heifers and calves require a range of vitamins in their diets for good health, growth and reproduction. Vitamin A in particular is essential for normal bone development, eye vision and kidney function.
Calcium and phosphorus are essential nutrients for building strong bones and teeth. A lack of these elements can cause bowing of the leg bones (rickets), as well as weak bones that are easily fractured.
Supplementing young calves with a concentrate feed supplement or free-choice mineral that provides adequate calcium and phosphorus can prevent rickets. Furthermore, sodium selenite or other organic selenium supplements may be used to shield calves from nutritional muscular dystrophy, commonly referred to as white muscle disease.
The amount of supplemental minerals required by a herd depends on age, production status and the quality of feed. Typically, cattle diets contain potassium (K), sodium (Na), phosphorus (P), chlorine (Cl), sulphur (S) and calcium (Ca).
Minerals
Minerals are essential for beef cattle in several ways. They provide energy, promote muscle growth and development, as well as aiding with nutrient absorption.
Factors such as soil mineral concentration, fertilization, climate conditions and weathering can influence forage mineral content. Furthermore, factors like age and species of the forages also have an effect on quality and quantity.
Beef cows fed low-grade forage may require additional minerals to meet their dietary needs. Mineral supplements can be provided free-choice or added into a complete mixed ration.
Cattle should consume 60gm to 2 oz of loose mineral per head daily. Salt intake tends to be lower when feeding dry hay or silage, while voluntary intakes are lower when fed cereal greenfeed forages and when water has hardened (total dissolved solids above 2000 mg/l).
Some producers utilize chelated minerals and free-choice mineral supplements to increase trace mineral absorption, promote short-term growth and immune responses. They have reported higher weaning weights, increased average daily gain, improved calving outcomes, fewer health problems and reduced foot rot.
