By Christina Hayes

We focus on balancing cattle diets for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals, but we tend to overlook water. Every physiological process involves water, and it’s requirement for cattle performance.

Here are some quick water tips:

• Water quality and quantity can impact feed intake. Limited access to water or low-quality water typically results in reduced intakes.
• Water quality is affected by microbiological contaminants, nitrates, sulfates, and salinity (the amount of salt dissolved in water). Test your water quality by contacting your local extension agent for sampling instructions and information.
• Water needs increase as temperature increases. For example, a 900-pound lactating cow only needs 14.5 gallons of water per day when it’s 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but she needs as much as 18.2 gallons per day when the temperature hits 90 degrees.
• Cattle weight also influences water needs. As cattle gain weight, their daily water intake increases. For example, a 1,400-pound mature bull typically consumes 13.4 gallons of water per day when it’s 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but a 1600+ bull consumes just over a gallon more per day (14.5 gallons) at the same temperature.

Summer can get busy, but for your cattle things can heat up, which makes water even more important. Ensure cattle always have access to fresh, high-quality water. Also, ensure there are enough easily accessible waterers especially when temperatures spike.

Source: Purina Checkpoint

By Kent Tjardes

If you’re using a mineral form of fly control, like Wind and Rain Storm Fly Control Mineral, consistent intake is key. Calculate consumption to know if cattle are eating enough mineral to control the flies. Aim to hit the target intake listen on your feed tag. Target intake for loose mineral is two or four ounces per head per day if you are using either low salt or complete cattle mineral formula. Mineral tub target intake is six to eight ounces per head per day.

Remember, the active ingredient in Wind and Rain Storm Fly Control Mineral, Altosid IGR, only prevents hatching of new flies. It does not control existing flies. If you start using fly control mineral after flies are present, you’ll need other methods to combat adult flies. Work with your veterinarian or animal health supplier to find another method like spray or pour-on.

Source: Purina Checkpoint

Changes in dairy-ration formulation and feed management can help prevent reductions in dry matter intake during hot weather, advises Alvaro Garcia, South Dakota State University Extension dairy specialist.

“Heat stress occurs when cows cannot dissipate enough heat to maintain their core temperatures below 101.3°F,” says Garcia. “Internal heat production increases at higher dry-matter intakes, which makes high-producing cows more sensitive to heat stress. Body-temperature increases of just 2.7° have been shown to result in intake reductions of almost 13 lbs.”

When intake drops, nutritionists often formulate energy-dense rations with more concentrates and less forages. That’s a sound practice, says Garcia, if there’s sufficient effective fiber to stimulate rumination and maintain adequate rumen pH.

“Heat-stressed cows reduce rumination and tend to select finer feed particles. This combination of more concentrated rations, together with a reduced capacity to buffer rumen pH, increases the risk of acidosis during hot weather. These changes can be observed in farms by a reduction in milkfat and higher incidence of lameness.”

Here’s Garcia’s checklist of feeding strategies that help reduce excessive drops in intake:

1. Feed in early mornings or evenings so the highest metabolic heat production doesn’t coincide with maximum environmental temperatures.
2. Avoid feed shortages in the bunk. When offering fresh feed, there needs to be 0.5-5% refusals. Target refusals by pen as follows: fresh cows, 3-5%; high pen, 1-4%; low pen, 0.5-3%. Remove refusals at least once a day to minimize heating of the fresh feed.
3. Feeding a TMR is better than supplying feedstuffs individually.
4. Silages improve ration acceptability and have low pH, so they slow mold and yeast growth and reduce heating.
5. Including other high-moisture products such as sweet bran, beet pulp or wet distillers grains also helps increase ration acceptability.
6. Add water when ration dry matter exceeds 60% to bring it down to 50%. Water conditions the ration, reduces dust and increases its acceptability.
7. Feeding at least twice a day and mixing the TMR immediately prior to feeding helps reduce heat buildup in the feed bunk.
8. Push up feed 8-10 times a day. Make sure there’s feed available all along the feed bunk; cows tend to concentrate and eat close to fans or water troughs.
9. Manage the silo face to prevent secondary fermentations and heating. Defacer equipment minimizes air infiltration. Remove at least 1’ daily from all the exposed face, and use all removed silage as soon as possible.
10. Use feed additives to control mold growth and reduce secondary fermentations and excessive heating in the feed bunk. Most of these products contain propionic acid.
11. Feed high-quality, highly digestible forages. Target minimum effective NDF at 22% of the diet dry matter.
12. Avoid excessive particle breakdown during mixing. Most TMR mixers have three- to six-minute mixing times when they have been turning during loading. Check particle size with a Penn State forage particle separator. The top sieve of a three-sieve separator should retain 2-8% of the diet.
13. Feed additives such as yeasts, fungi and/or probiotics can improve rumen health.
14. Increase sodium bicarbonate to 1% of the diet; also supply it free choice.
15. Heat-stressed cows lose lots of minerals. Increase sodium, potassium and magnesium to at least 1.5, 0.45 and 0.35% of the diet dry matter, respectively. White salt (sodium chloride) is a source of sodium; however it’s important to maintain chlorine at 0.35% of the diet dry matter, and not exceed 0.5% white salt.
16. Use rumen-protected fat to increase the ration’s energy density, but avoid unprotected fats such as vegetable oils or tallow.
17. Maintain high levels of starches and sugars in the diet (26 and 8%, respectively). Cereal grains that contain starch with slower degradation rates, such as corn and milo, are better than wheat and barley, which have faster degradation rates.
18. Place water troughs in shade and clean them frequently. Cows prefer to drink water with a temperature between 63 and 82°F. If the water isn’t cool enough, it further adds to the heat load.

Source: Hay & Forage

By Kent Tjardes

If you’re a kid at the swimming pool, the heat of summer can be delightful. But for cattle, summer heat can be dangerous, even deadly. “Heat stress in cattle is not something to be taken lightly,” says Kent Tjardes, Ph.D. and cattle consultant with Purina Animal Nutrition. “A few precautionary steps are essential to help cattle through hot weather.”

Be Water Wise

The Most important essential is the availability of clean, fresh water for all cattle. “Cattle water intake can increase by up to 50 percent during extreme heat,” says Tjardes. “Water not only prevents dehydration, but many animals will place their tongue and nose in the water to help cool the body.” Here are some water Tips:

• Consider adding trough space when cattle are crowding existing water sources. The recommended standard linear waterer space is about .75 inches per head. But increasing linear area to two or more inches per head has been show to decrease heat stress.
• Monitor Calves carefully for water intake. Calves are small, and they get dehydrated quickly. Cows typically drink first, making calves second in line. Make sure there is enough water flow for the calves after the cows have been at the water source. After a few long hours in the heat, the last thing you want is calves to return to an empty waterer.
• Ensure water sources are at an appropriate height for calves to access. The height of some waterers makes it hard for calves to access, discouraging water intake.

 
Control Flies

Controlling flies is another essential strategy.”Biting, irritation, and blood loss caused by flies adds stress to the animal,” says Tjardes. “To protect themselves from flies, cattle often group together. But this behavior can cause animals at the center of the group to become overheated.” Use fly control methods to reduce irritation, grouping behavior, and help alleviate heat stress caused by grouping. Here are some go-to fly control methods:

• For pasture settings, offer Purina Wind and Rain Storm Fly Control Mineral with Altosid Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) to target horn flies.
• In feedyard settings, consider a custom Purina supplement with ClariFly to control house, stable, face, and horn flies.
• In any environment, cleanliness is critical. Scrape manure out of lots, remove excess feed along the outside of bunks and cut weeds to help reduce fly populations.

 
More Essentials

In addition to water management and fly control, here are a few more essential to help cattle beat the heat.

• Offer shade: shade can’t always be provided but, when available, it can help cattle avoid heat stress.
• Consider air flow: A five to ten mph wind helps to cool the animal’s body temperature. Avoid the use of pens with limited air flow (i.e., pens surrounded by tall cornfields or bales) or remove potential windbreaks. If you do use pens with limited airflow, build mounds within them to help raise cattle to an elevation of airflow.
• Don’t handle the cattle in the heat: If possible, consider waiting until a cooler day. If you must work animals, do so in the morning when the temperature tends to be the lowest.

A few small changes can help keep cattle comfortable when the summer temperature rises.

Source: Purina Poultry