The importance of using balanced diets in a beef cattle feeding program is well documented, however convincing some cattle producers to go to the extra effort of providing a balanced diet to their animals can sometimes be quite challenging. Most beef producers are part time producers and are quite content to simply provide a roll of hay and a protein block and see no value in knowing the nutrient content of the forage they are feeding. By the same token, we as extension educators routinely offer feeding advice and balance numerous rations for our clientele and very seldom have and/or take the opportunity to follow up on results of our recommendations.

This project actually began in the winter of 2017-18 when a beef producer here in Christian county sought assistance with his winter feeding program. For several years this producer had been using a mixture of wet distiller’s grain, wheat straw and some corn silage, along with grass hay to winter his spring calving cows. His ration mix was based off of general advice received from a local feed dealer. The cow herd seemed to be performing adequately, but the producer did not have confidence that his ration was sufficient.

We started by having all of his feed ingredients analyzed for nutrient value and entered this information into the UK Ration Balancer program. The diet formulation was changed and some adjustments were made to the mineral program.

The winter of 2017-18 was a very hard winter but the cattle came through in good condition. Breeding rates in the spring of 2017 were improved as evidenced by the calving distribution of the 2018 calf crop. The first calf in 2018 was born on January 30th and by March 1st 89 of the 112 cows had calved. That means that 79% of the cows calved in the first 30 days. Compared to 2017 when only 58% of the cows calved in the first 30 days.

Research shows that cows that calve early tend to stay in the herd longer and raise calves that are bigger at weaning. More pounds at weaning results in more pounds to sell, but also the added uniformity will be a bonus this fall when he markets his calves.