Neglecting the nutrition of mama cows after calving is a false economy, says Oklahoma State University Extension beef cow specialist Glenn Selk. In today's Beef Buzz, he says providing proper nutrition can make a tremendous difference in rebreeding rates, even though it may not always be convenient to do so.
“After a long, hard winter we’re beginning to run short of hay supplies. In many cases the pastures that the cows have been grazing have been grazed down to where there’s very little left. The quality of the warm season grasses that they are on, such as native or bermuda grass pastures, at this time of the year is extremely low. And the cows just can’t get much energy or, certainly, protein out of those grasses.”
He said ranchers may also be a little tired after feeding cattle all winter, but it pays to put out the extra effort to continue.
“This is a critical time from the standpoint of the physiology of these cows. We have to keep them in good body condition through the calving process and those 60 to 90 days between calving and the start of the breeding season.”
Selk said that research done at Oklahoma State University indicates that cows who are fed sufficiently to maintain a body condition of “5” throughout the winter, the calving season and on into the breeding season bred at a rate of 94 percent. Those cows allowed to drop one full point on the body condition index during the 60 to 90 days after calving had a breeding rate of only 73 percent.
“So that tells me that even though hay may be short, we have to purchase some. The energy-protein supplements we have to go to the store and buy here at the last minute to get some supplement into those cows, again, may be expensive, but it’s very, very important that we continue those cows on a solid plan of nutrition to where they don’t lose body condition and we get that good breed up as we go through breeding season.
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