Supplementing Beef Cows: Minerals, Protein, Energy and Creep Feeding

A beef cow turns forage into calves, and in a good season grass and hay do most of the work. In a poor one, or at a hard point in her year such as late gestation or early lactation, forage alone may not meet her needs. Supplements fill the gap. Used well, they protect body condition and rebreeding. Used badly, they are an expensive habit that adds nothing, or a mistake that harms the cow.

This guide explains the main categories and the thinking behind them. It does not give rations, since the right supplement depends on your forage test, your cows and your goals. Work with your extension office, veterinarian or a nutritionist. If you want to find beef nutrition workshops near you, agriculture.directory can help you find agriculture events in your area.

Start With the Forage

The most important step is knowing what the cows are eating. Hay and pasture vary widely in protein and energy. A forage test gives numbers that a nutritionist or extension specialist can compare with the cow's requirements at her stage of production. Without a test you are guessing. University of Nebraska beef extension and other programs, including Nebraska's beef program and University of Minnesota Extension beef, publish nutrient requirement tables and feeding guidance.

Cow Needs Change Through the Year

• Mid-gestation. Needs are lowest. Good forage often covers them.
• Late gestation. The calf grows fastest and the cow's needs rise, so condition going into calving matters.
• Early lactation. This is the hardest time. Milk production drives high needs while the cow must rebreed.
• Weaning to mid-gestation. A chance to rebuild condition on cheaper feed.

Condition at calving strongly affects rebreeding, which is why guides like our piece on winter feeding Angus cows emphasize body condition scores.

Minerals

Forages are often short on certain minerals, and the pattern varies by region and season. Most operations offer a free-choice mineral mix formulated for their area and class of cattle. Ask your extension office or feed dealer about local deficiencies, such as copper, zinc, selenium, calcium or phosphorus balance. Some forages and soils contain high levels of minerals that block the absorption of others, which is why a mineral program should be built for your situation. Check the label for intake targets, and measure how much cattle actually eat. If they eat far less than the label suggests, they may not be getting enough, and if they eat far more, the mix may be too palatable or the salt level may be driving intake. Seasonal issues exist too. In spring, rapidly growing lush pasture can be low in magnesium, and grass tetany is a risk for lactating cows in some regions, so ask your veterinarian whether a high-magnesium mineral is advised in your area.

Protein

Rumen microbes need protein to digest low-quality forage. When hay or dormant pasture is low in protein, cattle eat less and digest it more slowly, and losing weight follows. A protein supplement, such as cake, cubes, tubs or other products, can improve forage intake and digestion. Choose products based on cost per unit of protein delivered and how you will feed them. Do not overfeed protein, which wastes money. A forage test tells you whether you need it.

Energy

When forage is both low in protein and short in energy, or when cows are thin, energy supplements such as grain, byproduct feeds or high-energy hay may be needed. Feeding grain to cattle on forage has a catch: large amounts of starch can depress fiber digestion, and sudden increases can cause acidosis. Increase gradually and feed in controlled amounts. Do not substitute feed for good grazing management, and see the guide on rotational grazing for ways to stretch pasture.

Creep Feeding

Creep feeding gives nursing calves access to supplemental feed in an area that cows cannot enter. It can increase weaning weights, but the extra gain is often costly, since calves convert creep feed to gain at a relatively poor rate, and fat calves can be discounted for heifers kept for breeding. It makes the most sense in specific situations: poor pasture or drought, calves from heavy milking cows that hit a nutrition gap, or when calves are being fed for show or a specific market. Run the numbers using the price of feed and calves. Our guide on developing replacement heifers explains why overfeeding heifer calves can hurt future milk production. Farm.fm's page on nutrition essentials for feeding programs for Angus herds and optimizing feed formulation for Angus beef cattle provide additional background.

How to Deliver Supplements

• Hand feeding or cubes. Controlled amounts, labor-intensive, and has the advantage of getting cattle used to people.
• Self-fed tubs and blocks. Convenient, with intake limited by hardness or other features, though cost per unit of nutrient is higher.
• Limit-fed or self-fed mixes. Use salt or another intake limiter to control how much cattle consume. Follow the product label.
• Liquid feeds. Used in some regions.

Make sure all cattle can reach the feed. Timid and young cows are pushed away from feeders, so consider feeding in multiple places and sorting groups. Keep feed dry and clean.

Safety Notes

• Never feed products labeled for other species. Some additives safe for one species are toxic to another, and a mineral mix made for cattle can poison sheep because of its copper content, so use species-specific products.
• Be careful with medicated feeds. Follow label directions and veterinarian guidance, including withdrawal times.
• Introduce feed changes slowly.
• Provide clean water. Intake of supplements depends on it.

The FDA regulates medicated feed use, and your veterinarian can explain what is required where you farm.

Count the Cost

Supplement costs vary a great deal, and the cheapest feed per ton is not necessarily the cheapest per unit of nutrient. Compare products on cost per pound of protein or energy delivered, and compare the cost with what you gain, such as higher conception rates or less hay waste. The cow-calf budget guide shows how feed fits into the year's costs.

Common Mistakes

• Supplementing without testing forage. You may feed what is not needed.
• Using the wrong mineral for your region. Needs vary.
• Ignoring body condition. The cow tells you whether the program works.
• Changing feed suddenly. Acidosis follows.
• Creep feeding by habit. Check the economics.

For a laugh, see farm.fm's piece on Texas drought that forces early hay feeding.