Rex Larsen, north region sales manager with Intermountain Farms Association, tells producers to keep the building blocks of immunity in place during this time.
"Trace elements are being stored in the fetus through the cow," he said. "A mother is doing all she can to protect the fetus. I believe more and more in the right supplementation."
Some building blocks from Larsen to consider:
- Open cows are going to cost you a lot more when you could have kept your mineral program up. Calves will respond better to vaccines if they have the proper minerals in their feed. Research suggests zinc, copper, selenium, manganese and cobalt are critical for growth.
- Adding a hydrolyzed yeast product to your feed will address gastrointestinal health and stability and promote efficient nutrient transfer from cow to calf. With high quality colostrum, newborn calves will be able to implement their own immunity sooner and stronger and fight off environmental exposures.
- Separate cows by body condition score so additional feed can go to cows with a score less than five; precondition cows in the last trimester as a way to stay ahead of the curve.
"It takes more when she is lactating; when feed costs are extremely high, it's good to have the reminder that you are investing in next year's program," Larsen said.
"It's the most critical three months of a cow's reproductive life. If she is going to return to estrous and start another cycle, then it's important to keep her healthy."
