Cattle need high protein diets to produce high-quality meat. In addition, they need specific amounts of calcium, iodine, and energy. The amount of protein and energy they get from their diet depends on what kind of beef they produce. Cattle protein requirements also include ensuring the health of pregnant cows.
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Beef cattle require high levels of protein
Protein is crucial to beef cattle’s health and growth, and the amount of protein a cow needs varies by age and stage of production. Pregnant cows need higher protein than non-pregnant cows. Their protein requirements are dependent on several factors, including body weight, climate, and how far they have to walk to reach water. They also need higher protein during lactation, and the amount of protein they consume during lactation will depend on how much milk they produce.
Protein in beef cattle diets is often expressed as crude protein. Crude protein is the nitrogen content of feed and consists of true protein and non-protein nitrogen (NPN). Protein is composed of 16 percent nitrogen and other nitrogen-containing compounds. Some of these nitrogen-containing compounds are not true proteins, such as urea. However, they do provide nitrogen to rumen microbes, which use nitrogen to build proteins.
In addition to protein, beef cattle need other nutrients in their diets. During the summer, forages can provide around 20 percent of the animal’s crude protein. In the winter, forage supplies only three to seven percent of the animal’s protein needs. In order to meet the animal’s needs during these periods, producers must provide quality feeds.
Cows require a certain amount of energy
Cows require a certain amount of energy to maintain their body and fertility. This demand increases during the last trimester of gestation because the placenta develops and fetus grows. The energy requirement also increases in the final months before calving, when the cows need to produce milk. During this time, the cows mobilize their energy reserves to meet these requirements. However, the excess energy consumed may result in health problems, delayed calving, and a longer postpartum interval.
The amount of energy required by cows depends on their body weight, stage of production, and the type of forages they eat. A cow with a body mass of 1,430 pounds needs 10.9 Mcal of NE for maintenance and 20.4 Mcal for production. Moreover, a milk-producing cow should also consume four to five liters of water daily.
Energy is a vital nutrient for cows. It is needed by the mammary glands to produce milk. It is essential for the synthesis of milk fat, protein, and lactose. The cow can mobilize its energy reserves for milk production, but it must not consume too much of it as this would be harmful to her health and reproduction. Besides being a key nutrient for the reproductive performance of cows, energy also controls the synthesis of reproductive hormones and the communication between the fetus and the dam during the initial stages of gestation.
Cows require a certain amount of iodine
The normal requirement for iodine in beef cattle is 0.5 ppm in their diet. Supplementing their diets with iodized salt blocks can ensure adequate iodine levels. Additional iodine may also be required for certain diets containing brassicas, as these produce compounds that block the absorption of iodine. Some trace minerals may also be added to their diets to prevent foot rot.
In New England, cows’ milk iodine levels vary seasonally, and may be attributed to iodine supplementation in cattle feed. In other regions, seasonal variations in iodine content in milk are not attributable to the dairy cow’s diet.
A large portion of iodine is absorbed by the thyroid gland in cows, while lesser amounts are excreted through milk. Nonetheless, dairy cows have a much higher iodine requirement than beef cattle, and milk is an important source of iodine for their diets. However, the amount of iodine in milk depends on the type of feed a cow is fed, as well as the use of iodine-containing disinfectants during milking.
Cows require a certain amount of calcium
Cows need certain amounts of calcium and phosphorus for their skeletal structure and metabolism. The minerals are also important for bone growth and microbial growth. These minerals are necessary for the proper growth and reproduction of beef cattle. The concentration of these minerals in forages varies with different soils, plants, and management factors. Therefore, it is important to regularly test the forages before feeding them to ensure adequate mineral levels. In addition, the minerals and vitamins in forages are often interacted with each other and their availability is not as high as stated in labels.
The protein requirements of cows are higher during the early pregnancy period, which starts at conception. After conception, the cow must support the calf and the fetus through lactation. During this phase, nutritional needs increase by an average of eight to thirteen percent. During this phase, the cow produces more milk and the fetus is small and therefore has higher protein needs.
