Feed & Nutrition

One of the characteristics of a ruminant animal is that it can harvest large amounts of nutrients, store it, ruminate on it, endure short-term periods of deprivation and then go make a large harvest again.

Between fieldwork, cattle work and everything else happening on the farm or ranch, stress levels seem to increase during the fall. Calves may also experience stress during this time of the year, as well as at weaning – when they are adapting to big changes.

We often see ads promoting the benefits of probiotics in a variety of products targeted toward humans and animals. However, ads typically generalize the benefits of probiotics – intertwining nutrition and managing health as research shows how changing diet can have major health benefits.

Despite major differences in cattle production nationally, there’s one thing I’m comfortable generalizing: Cattle producers do not have an abundance of time, labor or resources.

Just as cattle genetics and management practices have advanced over the last few generations, nutritional knowledge and practices have also evolved. These developments have allowed calves to continually improve, meeting the increasing demands of cattle producers and consumers alike.

Historically, alfalfa growers have had to choose between high-quality or high-tonnage forage. They’ve had to make difficult choices between quality and quantity.