Liquid Supplements Boost Performance

Your beef cows may not be getting all the nutrition they need from hay harvested last summer.

Your cows can't tell you the forage you're feeding them lacks feed value, but you'll find out sooner or later. If they don't have adequate nutrition, they either won't breed back or they'll take longer to rebreed.

That could be a major issue this winter, warns John Bargeloh, manager for ruminant nutrition at Southern States. He explains that because of extended rainy weather last summer, a lot of grass became overly mature before it was harvested.

"When grass gets too mature, protein drops quite drastically," he says. "Also, fiber content increases and forage digestibility is reduced."

Consequently, cattlemen should be prepared to supplement their cows this winter so that they have adequate energy and protein to rebreed at the same time they are nursing their calves. Southern States offers a wide array of supplement products in liquid, dry and block forms to meet the specific needs of individual producers.

The best way to ensure proper body condition is to feed a supplement, says Chet Fields, a nutritionist with U.S. Sugar, in Clewiston, Fla. U.S. Sugar is one of the manufacturers of the co-op's liquid supplements.

"Our supplements are molasses-based, a byproduct of the sugarcane industry," Fields reports. "They are high in protein and retain the energy ingredients that are commonly removed in products derived from ethanol or distilling processes."

Research shows that the sugars from molasses increase forage intake and improve digestibility. "Our supplements meets all nutrient requirements of a 1,000-pound beef cow at peak lactation," Fields adds.

Liquid supplements commonly are fed in self-feeders or lick wheels. Blocks offer another convenient way to provide supplementation. Dry supplements have to be hand-fed. Otherwise, intake limiters such as salt are necessary to keep animals from consuming too much.

Southern States offers liquid feed manufactured by U.S. Sugar or Mol-Mix. The specific manufacturer and product available varies by region, however both liquid feeds are manufactured similarly to meet the co-op's specifications.

The type of supplement and amount that is fed depends on the quality of the forage being supplemented. Forage quality varies based on the environmental conditions under which it was produced and the stage at which it was harvested.

Bargeloh recommends that producers have forages analyzed. You can take that information to any of the co-op's retailers, where they will be put in contact with a Southern States feed sales representative. They have computers and software to formulate recommendations of the right supplement to choose.