For the weaned calves on wheat or those placed in finishing yards , mineral nutrition helps ensure they never have a bad day .
Weaning , shipping and changes in environment are critical times , Hansen said . Calves in transit lose less and rebound faster if they ’ ve had adequate trace minerals .
Avoiding Roadblocks Sounds easy enough , but how can you tell if it ’ s all on track ? “ Measuring success or failure in mineral nutrition is often very challenging ,” Heldt said . “ Add protein to the ration and you ’ ll see an increase of gain , but you feed a hundred milligrams a day of copper , and there ’ s no obvious response or physical observation .” Planned programs can help . Knowing the amounts of mineral types in feedstuffs , requirements for cattle and absorption rates ensures cost effectiveness , Hansen said . All forages contain minerals , but content varies much by species , maturity , soils and climate .
“ If you ’ re thinking about developing your own supplementation program — a great way to be cost effective — testing your own forages can be really important ,” she said .
To get the full picture , test water sources for antagonists like sulfur or iron that disrupt mineral absorption in the rumen .
“ Half of the mineral in forage is actually available to the animal ,”
Hansen said , noting digestibility , maturity and antagonists . “ Find a baseline ,” Heldt suggested . Knowing average mineral content in forages and any antagonists present opens the gate to cost-effective supplementation .
Staying On Course It can be hard to invest in something without obvious or immediate results .
The need for minerals is plain enough , but figuring out what and how much to supplement seasonally ? Not so much , Heldt said . It ’ s an added cost that takes time to distribute and monitor . That ’ s why convenience comes first in creating a plan to follow . “ You can design a pretty in-depth , extensive mineral program and easily overcomplicate it ,” he said , advising to keep it easy and simple “ to make sure it gets done .” Worrying about the cost-benefit ratio can get in the way , too . You ’ re more likely to stick to a program if you know the importance of minerals at every level , even basic grazing , where they can improve fiber digestion .
“ Forage – pasture grass , hay , wheat – is the core feed base for any ranch , and the mineral source can positively affect fiber digestion , setting cattle up for future success ,” Heldt said .
Mineral supplementation requires a time and monetary commitment , but it ’ s worth it to keep what ’ s under the hide running smoothly .
Power & Progress
Power and progress have been central to our vision since the inception of our program . We relentlessly focus on gathering and propagating the most elite genetics this breed has to offer . Study these powerful genetics and determine how they best fit into your program .
1 / 18 / 18 HP • HB • 51 % LF
CJSL Creed 5042C x MAGS Bacall CE : 14 BW : 0.8 WW : 73 YW : 116 MK : 19 CM : 8 SC : 0.50 DC : 11 YG : -0.19 RE : 0.80 MB : 0.50 $ MI : 72 MAGS Fairy Dust , the top-selling lot at the 2020 Magness Mile High Elite Sale , quickly found her way into our donor program . Not only is she tremendously well balanced and powerful in her phenotype , she ranks in the top 20 % or better for CE , WW , YW , CM , MB , and $ MI .
Watch for select genetic opportunities at the Night On The Town Sale in Arlington , TX .
HP • HB • 81 % CE : 11 BW : 1.8 WW : 75 YW : 122 MK : 19 CM : 6 SC : 2.1 DC : 20 YG : -0.45
RE : 1.01 MB : -0.02 $ MI : 56 AHCC Earning Power 900E shows you can have big numbered , high percentage
Limousin that incorporate advanced marbling , strong growth and outstanding phenotype . If you are looking for a bull that will work on your purebred cows that need carcass , or add Limousin power to lower percentage Lim-Flex cows , Earning Power is the ticket . Owned with Magness Land & Cattle and Hager Cattle Co . Semen $ 40 through Grassroots Genetics , 515.965.1458
BUFF BEEF RANCH MIKE SMITH & MICHELLE McENTIRE 76412 Palmer Junction Rd ., Elgin , OR 97827 ( 801 ) 949-4408 or ( 541 ) 805-1007 • sales @ buffbeef . com www . buffbeef . com
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