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OSU Extension BEEF Team

BEEF Cattle questions may be directed to the OSU Extension BEEF Team through Stephen Boyles or Stan Smith, Editor

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Previous issues of the BEEF Cattle letter

Issue # 620

January 21, 2009

Forage Focus: Is it Really Better Than Snow Balls? - Stan Smith, Fairfield County PA, OSU Extension

Last fall, as a service to their membership, our local cattlemen started a program where each member was entitled to a free forage analysis. One of the primary reasons was that we had a very wet spring in 2008, and not a lot of first cutting hay was made timely, or without being rained on after it was laid down.

Before I go any further, let me explain that I cringe every time I hear statements like "this winter when the snow flies, it'll be better than snow balls." Or, "there was lots of 'green' coming back up through it when I mowed . . . it'll make feed this winter." Of course, we've all heard those two, and they refer to hay that was made too late or after it had been washed off several times before baling.

Today, I don't have a feed analysis on snow balls to share with you. However, I can say that the majority of the first cutting hay analysis I've seen from our local cattlemen will not, alone, support a cow during the last two months of gestation, much less support her after she calves. The majority of the samples submitted locally are coming back with TDNs less than 50%. In fact, one sample of timothy hay made the first week of June, 2008, came back less than 40% TDN and 9% protein!

If you refer to Clif Little's OSU Extension publication, Forage Testing for Beef Cattle, you see quickly that any time TDN drops below 50%, it's cause for concern as mamma simply can't consume enough energy to maintain body condition. As calving approaches, or lactation begins, concern turns to alarm if a full feed of energy and perhaps protein deficient hay is all mamma gets to eat. If temperatures or wind chills remain in the lower digits very long, the situation becomes more critical as mamma demands about 1% more energy for every degree below 20 or 30 degrees.

Oh, and here's one more statement which raises cause for concern which we hear frequently when referring to late made, wet wrapped bales, or perhaps some of the residue feeds that are being utilized: "That must be good feed . . . look how full their bellies are . . . they're eating it all up." Rest assured, in many cases, this simply means mamma is hungry, and she knows she isn't consuming enough nutrients to maintain herself, or her fetus or calf.

If you know the quality of the forage you have to work with, you might find as little as 1 to 4 pounds per head per day of shelled corn, soyhulls or distillers grains might be the answer. Are you willing to bet the health of your 2009 calves and perhaps even the timeliness of birth of your 2010 calf crop against the cost of a $20 to $40 forage analysis to see if your feed is really "better than snowballs?"

Cold Snap Changes Cow Energy Requirements - Tyler Melroe, Extension Educator, South Dakota

I guess it really is winter now. Maybe it was the late corn harvest or a lot of the other fall projects that still haven't been completed, but it seems like it came too quick. As the temperature drops it is important that we realize the change in nutrient requirements for our beef cattle, principally when temperature drops below the average cow's critical temperature around 32° F.

When it comes to heat production and retention, cows are a lot like our houses. One obvious factor is the size, or more specifically the surface area of the object. The more total area exposed to cold conditions the greater the area available for heat loss.

Next are the insulation factors. Cattle have two primary types of insulation they depend on for heat retention and cold evasion. The first is external insulation, or hair coat. Hair's effectiveness is dependent on wind speed, precipitation, mud, and hide thickness. After that is internal or tissue insulation, and this primarily relates to subcutaneous (back)fat.

Consequently, a manager must decide how to manage these factors which affect the cow's predisposition to cold stress. Management will focus on two primary areas; 1) insulation and 2) nutrient input (feed).

Insulation:

* Thin cows will be more susceptible to cold; consequently cows with body condition scores less than 5 are the primary candidates for supplementation.

* Manage the hide. Keep cows dry and out of the wind by placing cows where there is shelter and provide bedding to keep cows as dry as possible. Minimizing wind and moisture can save up to 20% on maintenance requirements for cattle.

Nutrient Input (Feed):

* A good rule of thumb is that for each degree below the cow's critical temperature, increase energy by 1%. This can be accomplished by offering additional moderate to high quality roughage during cold spells, either free choice or in total mixed rations. If this quality hay is not available consider supplementing grain to compensate for energy deficiency.

* Because diets are primarily fiber-based, corn supplementation should be limited to 0.25% of body weight, or 3.5 pounds for a 1400 pound cow, to avoid negative associative effects on fiber digestion. High fiber alternative feeds like distiller's grains (when protein is needed) or beat pulp (when protein is sufficient) work well in this scenario.

* Grazing cows exposed to cold early in the season often reduce forage intake, consequently supplementation may be a necessity, even if it is troublesome.

* As cows approach calving, it is important to meet the additional nutrient demands of late gestation.

How Does Feeding The Cow Affect The Immune System Of The Calf? - Excerpted from Vet Views, Dr. John Maas, DVM, Extension Veterinarian, University of California,Davis

The immune system of the calf is developing during the time the cow is pregnant. Rapid development of the immune system begins about day 120 of gestation and continues until the calf is born. One of the most important nutrients for the development of the immune system is protein - all the various amino acids that are the building blocks of the enzymes, antibodies, and other functional proteins that make it possible for the immune system to work. So if the cow is short on protein in her diet, the immune system of the calf will not develop normally. The other important factor in feeding during pregnancy is involved with colostrum formation by the cow or heifer. Colostrum is the first milk produced and is rich (very thick) with antibodies that the cow has made to all the pathogens she has encountered (this includes vaccines). These antibodies are proteins and without adequate protein in her diet the quality and quantity of her colostrum will be decreased. This colostrum is vital to the calf's health for the first 2 months of life.

The antibodies in the colostrum are so important that the calf doesn't digest colostrum in the normal manner. Normally, protein in the calf's diet is broken down to individual amino acids in the low pH of the abomasum and intestine. This breakdown would destroy the function of the antibodies; however, when the calf ingests colostrum the entire protein antibody is absorbed through "holes" in the intestine. These "holes" close shortly after birth so the timing of the colostrum meal is also important. Thus, the protein fed to the cow or heifer before she calves is vital for the following to occur: (1) the calf must be strong enough to get up and suck soon after birth (the calf's muscles are made from protein), (2) the colostrum of the cow or heifer must be adequate in terms of quality and quantity, (3) the calf's own immune system must be working at maximum efficiency.

Feeding Colostrum to Beef Calves - W. Mark Hilton, DVM, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University

Ensuring adequate colostrum intake is one of the most important factors in getting a calf off to a good start. Since a calf is born essentially without any antibodies to disease causing organisms, it must rely totally on his dam for this immunoglobulin rich nourishment. Colostrum is sometimes referred to as "first milk", but this is actually a misnomer as colostrum is physiologically much more similar to blood than milk. Besides being very high in immunoglobulns that help prevent infection, colostrum is high in fat, energy, vitamins A & D, white blood cells and growth factors. It is easy to see why some veterinarians have referred to colostrum as the sustenance of life, or the most important meal the calf will ever have.

Quality and Quantity and Timing: If beef cows are in adequate body condition score (BCS) precalving, quality of colostrum is generally not a problem. Heifers should be in BCS 6.5 - 7.0 and cows in BCS 5.5 - 6.0 precalving. Colostrum quality can be assessed with commercial test kits available through your veterinarian or with use of a colostrometer.

Since a beef calf is left to nurse the dam, assessing quantity ingested can be challenging. Calves should be seen to be up and nursing within two hours of birth. If there is any concern that a calf has not ingested adequate colostrum, watch the pair to be sure the calf knows how to nurse or simply tube feed the calf. If the calf needs to be fed, it needs to have 2 quarts of colostrum by six hours of age and an additional 2 quarts by twelve hours of age. An easy way to remember the volume/time equation is 2 x 6 and 4 x 12. Observing a newborn calf and hoping that he has nursed is no way to treat a baby. If in doubt, milk the cow and feed the calf.

Factors that decrease the chance of adequate colostral intake include: cold and or wet calves, dystocia, unusually large calves and prolonged calving times. In any of these cases, it is best to simply tube feed the calf with colostrum so that the calf has the best chance of getting off to a good start. In a calf under 75#, give 2 - 3 quarts and for calves over 75#, give 3 - 4 quarts soon after birth.

What if quantity or quality is inadequate? If the dam has inadequate quantity or quality of colostrum, the first thing to do is to give the cow 1 ml of oxytocin to enhance "letdown" of additional colostrum. Massage the cow's udder and see how much more colostrum you can obtain. If you still have inadequate volume, there are two options. The best option is using frozen colostrum (see section on freezing colostrum) that you have stored previously and thaw it for this calf. The second option is to use a commercial colostrum supplement or replacement product. The high quality products on the market have a minimum of 60 grams of IgG per liter. There are many products on the market that do not have this level of IgG and they have not performed well in research trials. You can use the high quality products to supplement the colostrum already ingested from the dam or they can be used as a replacement if the calf is unable to ingest any colostrum from the dam.

Freezing Colostrum: It is always a good idea to have a quantity of frozen colostrum on hand for emergency situations. The problem is: how do you obtain this colostrum? The best ways are to: (1) milk out any cow or heifer that loses her calf for non-disease reasons in your herd or (2) take a small amount of colostrum (less than 500 ml) from numerous cows that have a more than adequate supply of colostrum for their calves. Freeze this colostrum in ice cube trays or small plastic bags so that thawing the product is fast and easy.

If you obtain colostrum from another farm, you could be at a risk of obtaining a new disease for your farm. Diseases like Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) and salmonella can be transmitted via colostrum and can be a disaster for your herd. Most veterinarians recommend you never use colostrum from another farm.

Thawing Frozen Colostrum: The best way to thaw frozen colostrum is to use a warm water bath of 102° F. Add more hot water to the bath as the frozen colostrum cools the water. You can also use the microwave, but it needs to be set on one of the lowest settings and stirred frequently to prevent over heating. Overheating destroys the antibodies in colostrum that are the main benefit to the calf.

Testing Calves for Passive Transfer: If you have significant calf sickness, testing a number of calves to assess their immunoglobulin level is a wise idea. Your veterinarian can take blood from calves 2 - 10 days of age and test for total protein or Immunoglobulin G.

We have known for years that calves that do not receive adequate colostrum have a much higher mortality rate in the neonatal period. Newer studies show that calves that do not ingest enough high quality colostrum soon after birth are three times more likely to get sick and five times more likely to die later in life as compared to calves that receive adequate colostrum.

Colostrum is truly a "magic" product with regard to calf health. Without question, it is one of the keys to the long term health of beef calves.

Cattle Outlook - Glenn Grimes & Ron Plain, University of Missouri, January 16, 2009

Calculations by the Livestock Marketing Information Center show the 2008 return to cattle feeders were the worst of record going back into the 70s; the losses were about $130 per head.

Theses returns are based on all costs of feeding out a 750-pound steer in a commercial feedlot. These losses surpassed the previous worst year (2006) by about $50 per steer. At the end of 2008, estimated cattle feeding returns had been negative for 19 consecutive months.

Due to the weakening feeder-calf prices and high costs, some cow-calf producers did not cover cash costs of production in late 2008. Some cow-calf operations sold cows for slaughter in order to pay expenses.

Due to these difficult times, producers continued to reduce the cattle herd during 2008. The herd will be reduced more during 2009 and likely to reduce through 2010.

Both pork and poultry production are expected to decline in 2009 from the record levels of 2008. U.S. pork production in the first quarter will be down 2-3 percent based on the December Hogs and Pigs Report. For the year of 2009, pork production is expected to be down about three percent. For 2009, chicken and turkey production is forecast for a three percent annual decline. Year-to-year declines in U.S. poultry production are unusual; the last time it happened was 1975.

These lower competing meat supplies will be positive for beef prices. However, foreign sales of beef and beef by-products are expected to remain stagnant through 2009.

Even with all of the cost problems, fed cattle prices are expected to average in the low 90s for 2009 and returns will be improved from 2008.

Beef and veal exports for January-November were up 33.2 percent from a year earlier. Beef imports for these 11 months were down 20 percent from 12 months earlier.

For January-November of 2007, net beef imports as a percent of production were at 6.3 percent. One year later, the net beef imports were down to 2.1 percent of production.

For November of 2009, beef imports were up 11.1 percent from a year earlier. For November 2009, beef exports were up 12.2 percent from 12 months earlier.

For January-November, live feeder cattle imports from Mexico were down 40.8 percent and up 18.2 percent from Canada. Total live cattle imports for the first 11 months of 2008 were down 7.7 percent from a year earlier.

Feeder cattle prices at Oklahoma City this week were steady to $1 per cwt lower, and steer and heifer calves were steady to $3 per cwt lower than a week earlier.

The prices for medium and large frame Number One steers this week at Oklahoma City by weight groups were: 400-500 pounds $107.25-116 per cwt, 500-600 pounds $102-114 per cwt, 600-700 pounds $95.50-111.25 per cwt, 700-800 pounds $94-98.25 per cwt and 800-1,000 pounds $88-96.75 per cwt.

Wholesale beef prices finally responded to the tighter supplies. Choice beef prices this Friday morning were up $6.18 per cwt from a week earlier at $151.43 per cwt. Select beef prices at $144.24 per cwt Friday morning were up $6.65 per cwt from seven days earlier.

The weighted average live fed cattle price for the five-market area through Thursday at $83.12 was down $0.85 per cwt from a week earlier. The weighted average carcass negotiated price for the five-market area through Thursday at $135.30 per cwt was up $1.68 per cwt from seven days earlier.

Slaughter this week under Federal Inspection was estimated at 608 thousand head, down 6.9 percent from a year earlier.

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BEEF Cattle is a weekly publication of Ohio State University Extension in Fairfield County and the OSU Beef Team. Contributors include members of the Beef Team and other beef cattle specialists and economists from across the U.S.

All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status. Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Admin. and Director, OSU Extension. TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868

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