After World War II, scientists began noticing that malnourishment during human pregnancy had a negative impact on both the mother and baby's health for many years to come. Over the decades, those studies have led to many positive changes in prenatal health that have had a lasting impact for all of us.
In the last several years, scientists have been applying those same principles to cattle health and in a practice called fetal programming. They have discovered that undernourished cows:
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources said:
“recent research has shown maternal nutrition during late gestation can have lasting impacts on calf health, growth, and performance postnatally. These impacts can include improved weaning weights, yearling weights, and marbling scores of progeny.”
• Learn more from UNL’s in depth-research on fetal programming.
So how do we help gestating cows avoid these health problems, and produce a healthier and more productive next generation? Let’s start by looking at your calving calendar.
Not every cattle operation uses the same calving schedule. Make a note of what time of year your cows will enter their final trimester. If your schedule plans for calves in the spring, your cows will be in their 3rd trimester during the winter time. Remember that weather stress can lower a cow’s body condition score (BCS). That means, if their 3rd trimester aligns with harsher weather, you will need to build an adequate nutrition program and conduct BCS in the fall to ensure they get a healthy start to their last trimester.
Now let’s take a look at the nutritional categories that can help your herd during the 3rd trimester. Remember that not every cow will have the same nutritional requirements. It is very important to use BCS when building a 3rd trimester nutrition program. Some cattle operations even separate cows, and group them by BCS to make sure the right nutrition is being given to the right cows. Overall, nutrient, protein, and mineral content should ramp up during the last 90 days before calving.
Having your feed and forage tested for total digestible nutrients (TDN) is both crucial and affordable. In fact some local ag extension programs will even perform this testing for free if you properly collect your samples. Be sure to submit samples to a National Forage Testing Association (NFTA) certified lab to get the most accurate results.
Testing your forage and feed will give you a better idea of how much digestible fiber, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates are in your cow’s diet. Higher TDN values mean a healthier colony of ruminal microbes in your cows’ digestive system. And healthy ruminal colonies mean nutrients and energy are being properly shared between the cow and the developing fetus.
According to Beef Magazine, cattle nutritionists recommend the following TDN levels for the prenatal and postnatal stages:
Forage TDN values can decrease during the winter, so you may need to submit samples for testing multiple times a year. For this reason, some operations use nutritional supplements during the winter to help their cattle maintain a healthy BCS.
Gestating cows are hard at work building and assimilating an entire new body of tissues, so it makes sense that they need increased levels of protein. When eaten, crude protein (CP) is divided into 2 portions:
Beef Magazine also states that cattle nutritionists recommend the following CP levels for the prenatal and postnatal stages:
According to The University of Georgia Ag Extension, the following macro and microminerals are essential for cattle health:
Supplementing trace minerals during the last trimester is extremely beneficial for mother and calf, even if they do not test as mineral deficient. Reinaldo Cooke, PhD, at Oregon State University, conducted a study on the effects of organic trace mineral supplements during the 3rd trimester.
A herd of 84 pregnant cows, all sired by the same bull, were divided during their last trimester. Before the study, the entire herd was tested to show no mineral deficiencies and their feed rations were identical and tested. During their last trimester, trace mineral supplements were given, except to the control group.
Any operation that grass feeds or grass finishes their cows can enjoy the benefits of conditioning their soil with trace minerals. Plants need more than just the typical Nitrogen/Phosphorus/Potassium fertilizer in order to give grazing animals whole and complete mineral health. Multiple studies have proven that applying Redmond Minerals greatly increases brix scores and TDN values in a wide range of forage grains (corn, hay, grass, alfalfa, etc).
For both beef and dairy operations, starting your cows on a trace mineral supplement will be the easiest and best decision you can make for your cattle...especially your pregnant cows! Our supplements contain over 60 naturally occurring trace minerals that animals love. Our cattle mineral solutions will save you money over your current mineral program, produce healthier animals, and can be customized to your herd’s exact nutrition needs.
Take a look at these testimonials and see how Redmond Minerals has helped these customers and their herds:
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