Integrity
Integrity , specifically nutritional integrity , is important to evaluate . Let ’ s start with moisture level aka water . Inherently , liquid supplements are going to have more water in them , hence the nomenclature “ liquid supplement ”. There is no protein , energy , vitamin , or mineral content in water . Therefore , energy density decreases as water content increases in any supplement .
Moisture level is not the only influence on nutritional integrity . There are other components that can be added to improve nutrient content . For instance , fat inclusion in a liquid supplement can improve the energy level of a liquid supplement drastically . One unit of fat has 2.25 times more energy than a unit of carbohydrate . Fat can also have a direct effect on cow reproduction through positive manipulation of sex hormones responsible for return to estrus .
Another facet of nutritional integrity lies in the mineral package included in a liquid supplement . Yes , liquid supplements are primarily used to deliver protein and energy to cattle . However , the rumen microorganisms responsible for digesting forage and the cow herself also have daily requirements for essential minerals . One mineral that comes to mind immediately in supplementation programs is phosphorus . Phosphorus levels in forage tend to follow protein and energy levels in forage . Much of the time , when protein and energy supplementation is necessary , so is phosphorus supplementation .
Here is another interesting question . In a liquid solution , what happens to fat and what happens to minerals ? Well , fat moves upward in liquid and minerals move downward . Therefore , the nutritional integrity of any liquid supplement with fat and / or minerals needs reliable suspension technology to keep the product as homogeneous as possible , such that each lick of the wheel is the same .
There are many other factors that determine nutritional integrity . Those components mentioned are important and common to most liquid supplements of any value . Remember , our goal is to deliver as much nutrition as possible with each lick of the wheel . We don ’ t want the cow spending a lot time at the feeder to get much needed supplemental nutrients . We want her to get what she needs in a timely fashion , so that she will spend more time grazing or consuming your greatest resource , that being your forage .
It is important that your supplement actually has greater nutrient integrity than the forage you are supplementing . You are supplementing your forage . It ’ s not the other way around . Does it make any sense to use a supplement with less nutritive value than the forage you are supplementing ? Here is some perspective . Proper supplementation of low-quality forage allows for the “ best bang for your buck ” in supplementation or your greatest response . So , we typically supplement these types of forages . Low-quality forages typically have TDN values in the 40-50 % range . I would encourage you to use a supplement that exceeds that energy value . Again , does it make any sense to use a supplement with equal or less nutritive value than the forage you are supplementing ? Additionally , does it make any sense to use a supplement that doesn ’ t really improve your forage utilization ? This leads me to my next evaluation of liquid supplements .
Reliability
A self-fed supplement must effectively complement your forage conditions . Therefore , intake of a self-fed supplement must fluctuate with changes in cow requirement and forage quality . So , as cow requirements increase , liquid intake should increase . Additionally , as forage quality decreases , liquid intake should increase . You should not feed a liquid supplement if you have a forage availability issue . It is impossible to effectively / economically hand-feed brood cows without truly knowing your forage quality situation . Unfortunately , rarely does a producer have the time , ability , or resources to constantly sample their forage sources ( particularly pasture )? So , what is a producer supposed to do ? The cow / calf producer needs a reliable supplementation program that takes the guesswork out of 1 ) when and 2 ) how much to supplement . If your liquid supplement intake is not fluctuating with changes in cow requirement and changes in forage quality , it is not working .
Proper intake control of liquid supplements or any self-fed supplement is paramount to effectively complementing a forage base . Many things are used to control self-fed supplement intake : hardness of a supplement , pH of a supplement , salt level in a supplement … to name a few . However , do those characteristics of some self-fed supplements really provide proper supplement intake that complements a forage base ? Not well enough . Water intake , humidity and heat , adaptability of cows over time , etc . override supplement intake based on changes in forage quality . Furthermore , intake control characteristics should not diminish nutrient concentration in a supplement .
Reliability hinges on proper liquid supplement intake . If your forage base supports the cow ’ s requirements adequately , then your cows had better not be eating the liquid . That ’ s money spent in error . Vice versa , if the cow should eat 3 lb / day to meet her nutritional requirements , and she only eats 1 lb / day , performance will suffer . That ’ s money lost in performance later as reduced pregnancy rate or lower weaning weights . That leads me to the next evaluation of liquid supplements .
Productivity
At the end of the day , effective supplementation leads to productivity . Any chance at profitability hinges on your cows performing optimally . There is something to be said for good , old-fashioned Animal Husbandry . More importantly , there is scientific justification for well-conditioned beef cows that have year-long “ All Seasons Nutrition ”. Properly managed nutrition throughout the entire year can allow producers to wean more calves , wean heavier calves , and do that on less supplemental feed .
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