Winter Feeding Decisions in a Mid-Gestation Beef Herd
A 58-head commercial beef herd in western New York is in mid-gestation in late January, with calving due to begin March 20. Cows average 1,180 lb and score body condition 5. The producer holds 130 large round bales of first-cutting orchardgrass hay weighing about 1,050 lb each. A forage test on that hay reports 8.2% crude protein, 51% TDN, 62% NDF, and 0.22% phosphorus on a dry matter basis. Nighttime temperatures are forecast near 10 degrees F for the next ten days, with wind and four inches of snow now burying the corn residue the herd had been grazing. The producer can buy mixed alfalfa-grass hay at $285 per ton, corn gluten feed at $235 per ton, or shelled corn at $5.15 per bushel, and owns a feed wagon and bunks. Cows are currently fed once daily in the morning.
1. Using the forage analysis and the weather forecast, identify which nutrient is actually limiting this herd and state what you would feed, with the arithmetic that supports your choice.
Read the worked answer
Dry matter intake for a 1,180-lb cow in mid-gestation is about 2% of body weight, or roughly 23.6 lb DM per day. The hay supplies 23.6 x 0.082 = 1.94 lb of crude protein, well above the roughly 1.6 lb needed at this stage, so protein is not the problem. It supplies 23.6 x 0.51 = 12.0 lb of TDN, which is only about adequate in thermoneutral conditions. A cow in condition score 5 with a winter coat has a lower critical temperature near 19 degrees F; below that, energy needs rise roughly 1% per degree, so at 10 degrees F the requirement climbs 10-15% to about 13.2-13.8 lb TDN. Energy is first-limiting, and NDF at 62% leaves little room to push hay intake higher.
Cost per pound of TDN:
- Shelled corn: $5.15 / 56 lb = $0.092/lb as fed; at 90% TDN = $0.102 per lb TDN
- Corn gluten feed: $235 / 2,000 = $0.118/lb; at 80% TDN = $0.147
- Alfalfa-grass hay: $285 / 2,000 = $0.143/lb; at 55% TDN = $0.259
Corn is the cheapest energy and the hay already covers protein, so buy energy rather than alfalfa. Feed about 4-5 lb of corn per head per day with free-choice hay.
2. How would you introduce and deliver this supplement over the ten-day cold snap without causing digestive upset, and what else would you check in the herd?
Read the worked answer
Corn must be stepped up, not dumped in. Start at 1-2 lb per head per day and add roughly 1 lb every two to three days until reaching the target of 4-5 lb, which keeps any single feeding under about 0.3% of body weight (about 3.5 lb) and limits the risk of subacute acidosis and founder. Split the corn into two feedings, morning and evening, and always feed long hay first so the rumen has a fiber mat before starch arrives. Keep hay in front of the cows at all times; the goal is to raise energy density, not to cut forage.
Other checks:
- Water: snow is not an adequate water source. Confirm tank heaters work and intake is normal; restricted water cuts intake and worsens cold stress.
- Free-choice mineral with salt, and watch phosphorus, since the hay tests low at 0.22%.
- Observe for diarrhea, lameness, bloating, and cud chewing as early acidosis signals.
- Score body condition again in two weeks; if cows are slipping below score 5, the energy program is short.
- Bedding and windbreaks reduce the effective cold load, which is cheaper than more feed.
3. A neighbor offers $95 per bale for 40 bales. Calculate how many days of feed the herd actually has and evaluate whether the offer should be accepted.
Read the worked answer
Each bale carries about 1,050 x 0.88 = 924 lb of dry matter. Current herd demand is 58 x 23.6 = 1,369 lb DM per day, so the herd burns about 1.48 bales per day. At 130 bales, that is roughly 88 days of feed, carrying the herd to about mid-April, which is only about three weeks past the March 20 calving start.
That margin disappears once calving begins, because intake for a lactating cow rises to 2.3-2.5% of body weight, about 27-29 lb DM, or 1.8 bales per day. Selling 40 bales would leave 90 bales, about 60 days at post-calving intake, well short of spring pasture.
The offer works out to $95 / 1,050 lb = $0.090/lb, or $181 per ton. Replacement hay costs $285 per ton, so selling at $181 and buying back at $285 is a loss of over $100 per ton on a replacement basis. Decline the offer, buy the corn, and consider purchasing 20-30 additional bales as insurance for a late spring.