Calving time is perhaps the most anticipated season on the farm or ranch. Producers now realize the breeding decisions they made months ago as the new calves hit the ground. Yet, researching and planning breeding decisions is only half the battle. When the calving season comes, it is time to plan all the important details that help deliver your calf crop and ensure they thrive from day one. Regardless of when you calve, fall or spring, we offer four tips to ensure you are prepared for the approaching calving season.
We realize that not every dealer has a cow-calf operation. However, we almost bet that most of you have customers who raise cattle. At BioZyme®, makers of VitaFerm®, we hope this resource will help you help your customers for one of the best times of the year.
Many of our own BioZyme family raise cattle. We wanted to share some of our suggestions on how to prepare for calving season.
Planning for Calving Season
Prepare Your Calving Kit
There is nothing like the first calf’s arrival. Most cows calve unassisted, however, a small percentage of cows and first-calf heifers require help, usually due to a breach delivery. Be sure you have a calving supply kit ready for new calves and the new mama before your first calf is due.
VitaFerm has prepared a calving supply and equipment list of items. Producers will find these items useful for assisting with deliveries, getting the calf up and going and properly treating calves. We’ve even included information about where to purchase these items.
Protect Cows & Calves from the Elements
Producers experience a variety of weather extremes across the country. Be prepared for all situations and understand the circumstances that apply to your herd.
First, consider if you are calving out primarily cows or first-calf heifers. First-timers aren’t always the best about finding the most ideal spot to calve in. With that in mind, evaluate your facilities and decide if you need to lock first-time calvers in or create new calving pens or corrals. If you do not have the facilities or equipment to do so, be sure to have a calving check schedule so that you can keep an eye on the herd frequently.
Next, consider the exact weather circumstances you may be up against. Create adequate winter cattle shelter for your expectant mama cows. If you encounter snow and cold winds, create sheltered areas where cows can bed down. Large windbreaks also provide strong wind and snow drift protection.
Take an inventory of available bedding options such as straw, stalks and shavings. Ensuring that you have plenty of dry areas in your pens with wind protection can make a difference in calf survival, especially when wind chills dip.
In contrast, if you calve in a warmer climate or later in the spring, provide shade or covered areas for the cows and calves to get out of the heat. If your mamas are in a pasture with a pond or flowing body of water, consider locking them up away from the pond to avoid calving situations near standing water.
Get That Calf Up & Going
Once the calf is on the ground, ensure it has the best start to life possible. You should always consult with your veterinarian about health protocols and your nutritionist about a feeding program. To reduce stress, look for ways to accomplish many processing tasks at once, such as tagging, vaccinations and navel care.
Ensure your calf gets the proper start by keeping fast-acting calf supplements available. It is also wise to always have a supply of colostrum in case of emergencies. We just launched VitaFerm® Sure Start Gel, a gel specifically formulated for calves to support immune function and overall health during the critical post-birth period.
You should administer this single-dose tube (30 mL) after colostrum. Now available to order, it:
- Contains AO-Biotics® Amaferm®, a prebiotic research-proven to support digestibility by stimulating beneficial microbes.
- Delivers IgY antibodies derived from Salmonella, E. coli, bovine rotavirus, bovine coronavirus, crypto and Clostridium and MOS for broad support of the immune system.
- Provides nutritional support to maximize calf vigor. For example, Vitamin B-12 stimulates appetite and calf energy metabolism, Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and organic zinc supports immune function in undeveloped calves.
“VitaFerm Sure Start Gel is research-proven to enhance the efficacy of the antibodies the cow naturally passes to her calf. This gives your calves every chance to develop their immune system and capitalize on healthy, efficient performance,” said Chris Cassady, Ph.D., BioZyme Director of Beef Technical Sales.
If you need more information about Sure Start Gel, use the sell sheet available in the SAMM Center. A training module is also available in the Online Training Center.
Help Cows Recover with Nutrition
Calving is stressful on the cow. Yes, calving season can be exciting for producers, but it puts a lot of stress on your females. They require additional nutrients to stay in good body condition score. Cattle raising a calf especially need extra protein since lactation is when their nutritional needs are at their highest.
You might not realize it, but cattle producers rely on their feed and supplement dealer as an educational resource. In addition to their veterinarian and county extension educator, you are likely the person they discuss their cow-calf operation with the most.
Nutritional Considerations for Calving
Here are a few nutritional considerations to keep top of mind:
- Feed higher quality hay (with more energy) and expect cows to increase intake during cold stress. Help your customers with a forage analysis since not knowing their hay’s nutrient content can lead to undernourishment. BioZyme® offers complimentary hay testing and nutrition analysis to its customers and potential customers. If you are not sure how to collect a hay sample, contact your ASM.
- Suggest one of the VitaFerm supplements that contains BioZyme’s prebiotic Amaferm® to improve digestibility of feed and help ensure that they are extracting all of the energy possible. Research shows that feeding a supplement that contains Amaferm has similar benefits to feeding at least 1lb. of grain.
- Consider moving cows to locations with protection from the wind and wet weather. The energy requirement of beef cattle increases about 3% for each degree that the wind chill is below 59 degrees F.
- Match animal nutrition requirements to the quality of your forage. Heifers and thin cows require a more energy-dense diet, compared to older or fleshy cows. Sorting animals into groups based on body condition allows you to feed the available forage more effectively. Start by targeting your higher quality, more immature forages toward heifers and thin cows. These earlier harvested forages will be the most energy-dense as energy declines considerably with maturity. The older and higher body condition cows can then be fed slightly more mature forage. This allows you to maximize the use of your forage supply while better targeting the nutritional needs of your entire herd.
- A good guideline during an extended cold or wet winter period is to feed 3-6 lbs. of energy supplements like soyhulls, corn gluten feed or corn to avoid weight loss during these stressful periods.
VitaFerm Provides Protein for Cattle
VitaFerm recognizes the importance of incorporating added protein into your vitamin and mineral supplements during calving. Additionally, our team knows that added protein for cattle is crucial at times like late gestation and lactation.
We have developed several protein supplements for the herd that combine essential nutrients, protein and our research-proven prebiotic AO-Biotics® Amaferm®. Here is a guide to those products that contain protein for cattle:
Four Sixes™ x VitaFerm® Legendary Nutrition Protein Tub
Four Sixes x VitaFerm Legendary Nutrition Protein Tub is our newest protein option that comes in a convenient tub. This research-proven, ranch-tested 20% all-natural protein tub with vitamins and minerals is designed to support beef cattle health and productivity when grazing moderate to low-quality forage.
- Carefully crafted specifically for the legendary Four Sixes Ranch, now available for operations of all sizes.
- Provides quality nutrition and industry-leading organic copper and zinc proven to deliver real-world results on the ranch.
VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® Protein Tub
The VitaFerm Concept•Aid Protein Tub is a premium protein tub with vitamins and minerals for beef cattle on grass pasture designed to support reproductive success on low-protein forage.
- Includes 20% natural protein along with organic copper, iodine and zinc for maximum bioavailability, innate immunity and hoof health.
- High levels of Vitamin E support reproductive tract repair and milk quality.
VitaFerm Conserve® 30-13% Protein Tub
The VitaFerm Conserve 30-13% Protein Tub is a protein tub for beef cattle with urea and natural protein designed to support herd health and performance while conserving cost.
- Includes 30% urea protein with no more than 13% equivalent crude protein from non-protein nitrogen.
- Features a complete, but economical vitamin and mineral package.
VitaFerm Conserve® Protein Tub
The VitaFerm Conserve Protein Tub is a natural protein tub for beef cattle designed to support herd health and performance while conserving cost.
- Includes 20% natural protein.
- Features a complete, but economical vitamin and mineral package.
Protein tubs are one way that allows cows to get their minerals and protein in one convenient option. However, VitaFerm also makes two protein meals that can also be fed free-choice or added to your mixed ration.
VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® Protein Meal
VitaFerm Concept•Aid Protein Meal is a premium free-choice 2% phosphorus vitamin and mineral supplement with protein for cattle on grass pasture designed to support reproductive success on low-protein forage.
- Includes 20% natural protein along with organic copper, iodine and zinc for maximum bioavailability, innate immunity and hoof health.
- High levels of Vitamin E support reproductive tract repair and milk quality.
VitaFerm Conserve® Protein Meal
The VitaFerm Conserve Protein Meal is a free-choice vitamin and mineral supplement with protein for beef cattle designed to support herd health and performance while conserving cost.
- Includes 20% natural protein.
- Features a complete, but economical vitamin and mineral package.
VitaFerm, Protein & Amaferm: The Trifecta
The VitaFerm line offers a protein supplement ideal for feeding cattle during calving. Amaferm is the key additive in all VitaFerm products. It has more than 150 published and/or presented research studies proving its increase in digestibility and, ultimately, its impact on the animal. Not only will you be supplementing your cows’ vitamin and mineral needs, but you will be providing them with Amaferm.
The key point of Amaferm is using it as a tool to get more energy metabolized by the cow. More forage digestibility leads to less physical fill, so she can eat more. More VFA production provides the extra energy needed for thermoregulation, which will also help keep her warm in the cold winter months.
“Amaferm can help unlock the nutritional value of all types of forages. Amaferm goes beyond stimulating the growth of beneficial rumen bacteria and can also promote rumen fungal growth and enzymatic activity. This increases fiber digestibility and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production by 17% and 16%, respectively. As such, more energy becomes available to your cows, leading to more performance,” Cassady said.
Amaferm also helps your feedstuffs and forages go further, helping decrease the overall cost.
The Science Behind Our Products
“Research proves that cattle fed Amaferm synthesize 143 more grams of microbial protein each day. That’s enough protein equivalent to a pound of supplemented soybean meal available for the cow or heifer,” Cassady said. “Additional protein from Amaferm in a year-round supplemental program helps producers reduce the need for additional protein up to 40% annually, a huge continuous savings on feed costs.”
At BioZyme, we give you and your customers options within the VitaFerm brand. Not sure what to feed cows when it comes to VitaFerm? Check out our Concept•Aid Product Navigator.