Summer Protein Supplementation for stocker cattle and nursing calves on rangelands
Good spring rains, good spring grass, but… possibly lower nutritional value in summer and fall
Bottomline: Stocker cattle producers and cow/calf operators might consider protein supplementation as a management tool from July to marketing in the late summer and early fall.
The Panhandle and Plains regions have received welcome abundant rainfall this spring resulting in good to excellent forage production. However with these conditions, the greater tonnage of production is expected to have a lower protein concentration and lower energy value than in years when rainfall is not as abundant or distributed differently. A low rate of protein supplementation from July until marketing in September or October can improve market weights of stocker cattle and weaning calves.
Performance response of stocker cattle Summer protein supplementation of stocker cattle has been evaluated on shortgrass prairie in northeast NM and western Kansas, mixed grass prairie in northwestern and western Oklahoma, and tallgrass prairies in central Oklahoma – range types representing the varied rangelands of the Texas Panhandle and Plains. In these studies, stocker cattle gained an additional 0.25-0.45 lb/day when fed a high protein (38-41%) supplement at a rate equivalent to 1 lb/hd/day (7 lb/hd/wk). This is an additional 22-30 lb gain over a 75 day period.
The supplement does not have to be delivered daily. If an ionophore (monensin, lasalocid) is in the supplement, then the 7 lb of feed/wk should be delivered in no less than 3 feedings/wk of about 2.33 lb/hd. If no ionophore is fed, then the supplement can be delivered in as little as 2 feeding/wk of 3.5 lb/hd.
Performance response of nursing calves Studies have shown that nursing calves can also benefit from protein supplementation in the summer. Oklahoma research demonstrated that calves provided the equivalent of 1 lb/day of a high protein (38-41%) creep feed, in this case a salt-limited protein meal, responded similarly to the yearlings with increased gain and a supplement efficiency around 3:1.
Creep feeding requires a “creep area” be constructed that can only be accessed by the calves. Most often, the creep feed offered is a self-fed dry feed product placed in the creep area. Hand-fed products, such as range cubes, can also be used as a creep feed but will be delivered into troughs in the creep area on a schedule similar to that mentioned above for supplementing stockers. The calf creep feed can also contain ionophores. Again, ionophores can only be offered in self-fed products labelled for self-feeding. Cost:benefit To determine the economic benefit of either supplementing stocker cattle or creep-feeding calves, compare the marginal cost of the weight added by supplement to the marginal value of the weight added by the supplement.
With today’s market structure the marginal value of added weight is ranging from about $1.00 to $1.80 for 5 cwt calves and 7 cwt stockers. As seen in table 2, this varies and can change depending on the market slides/rollbacks that are set in play. Using costs reflecting today’s market for high protein cubes and feed commodities (table 1), cost of added weight is ranging from $0.35 to $0.90/lb depending on efficiency and feed price.
In light of the welcome rainfall this spring and hopefully into the summer, forage production should be greater than in normal years. But, the nutritional value of the forage may be lower than normal. Low rate protein supplementation can enhance gains in these conditions and today’s market structures for calves and stockers can provide incentive to put on more weight with supplements.
For more information contact Dale Dunlap Wheeler County Extension Agent at 806-826-5243 or Dr. Ted McCollum at ft-mccollum@tamu.edu or 806-336-3190.
