29 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | March 2024 Drought remedies 1-800-665-0470 www.goodon.com Experience Built In. Pioneers in the Post-Frame Construction Industry Shops • Machine Sheds • Acreage Buildings • Riding Arenas • Commercial Feed options As farmers balance feed shortages with protecting recovering plants this spring, there are options for them to get by until pastures are ready. Cattle need a balanced ration of straw and grain with the right mineral mix that balances their calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and other essential minerals needs, Lindquist says. Cows close to calving will need more protein compared to when they are in their first or second trimester, she notes. “Hay must be saved for after-calving cows and younger calves simply because straw acts as a gut fill as opposed to necessary, available nutrients that are easier for the post-calving cow to digest and turn into milk for her calf,” Lindquist says. What straw to use can be tricky. Straw from cereals like barley, wheat, and oats is lower in calcium than pea straw, while canola straw, which has decent protein content, carries a risk of too much sulphur, which can cause polio, she points out. “The high fibre content and low digestibility of straw can hamper nutrient absorption and availability, so it’s very important to have feed tested and to work with a ruminant nutritionist to know what best options are available to keep animals in good condition and good health until it’s the right time to put them out to pasture,” Lindquist says. Lastiwka notes cattle resist eating straw in the spring: “It’s very bulky and they know the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, even if there’s hardly anything there.” In cold weather, however, they will eat straw, and he’ll take advantage of that, and keep the better-quality feedstuffs for when spring arrives. On a high straw diet, however, he significantly increases the grain in the ration: 10-plus pounds per head per day of 20 per cent crude protein and 80 per cent total digestible nutrients in the form of mill-run pellets or wheat midds. He also has his straw feed tested. Producers who stockpiled forages last fall will be able to take advantage of that when the snow melts. Manitoba Agriculture’s Iwanchysko explains these paddocks contain specific species that maintain their quality late in the fall and throughout the winter. “Typically, a lot of producers are moving toward the practice of putting cattle out on pastures that are stockpiled in the spring while they’re calving so they have lots of forage available to those cows when their nutritional needs are at their highest,” Iwanchysko says. Farmers can also supplement if necessary. BF RICHARD KAMCHEN Richard Kamchen is a veteran agricultural freelance writer based in Winnipeg, Man.
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