The Cattle Show & Ag Lifestyles

Solid nutrition starts with a sound forage program. To wean a healthy, viable calf every year, it is critical that your cow herd get proper nutrition. Forage research on a ranch is the backbone of a cow/calf operation. It gives the rancher something to build from and enables you to build supplemental programs to augment that forage.

A key factor for optimum forage and the most healthy calf production operation is to constantly fill gaps with good mineral programs. The nutrient requirements are different throughout the stages of production. Nutrient requirements are highest during the early stages of production. By matching up when your cow requires the highest nutritious forage to when the forage is at its highest nutrient content, will insure that your cow herd is in proper condition to ease through the production cycle.

Strategic supplementation, done correctly and when it is really needed, can be a cost effective way to add value to your cow herd. Managing the body condition of your cow herd will mean less supplemental maintenance when the cycle starts all over again.

Learn more about cow herd nutrition as Dr. Bryan McMurry, with Cargill Nutrition, guides us through production segments, nutrient requirements, production phases, and forage growth stages in The Cattle Show series on beef cow nutrition.

 Check out the show here: