burnt
Well-known member
The following was quite an eye-opener for me.
Published December 23, 2008 11:56 am - According to the 'Cattle Feed Index' a 10 MPH wind, combined with a wet hair coat at 20°F, would double the daily feed requirement. The next hurdle is the fact that animals are limited in the amount of daily feed they can consume.
Using cedar to knock the winter chill
by Robert L. Seay
The neighbors had suggested for years that he clear off that ugly mess of cedar on the small two-acre slope and sow it in pasture. However, every winter the small cedar glade paid for itself, hands down.
Over 130 hay analyses that crossed my desk from the 2008 harvest year illustrate a 34-percentage point spread between TDN levels. The average is 64 percent, which is superior hay for wintering virtually any animal in any stage of production. However, that 34-point spread suggests a number of animals will need help to keep warm, much less, productive.
TDN, the primary indicator of feed energy level, is a start, but weather patterns play an off-and-on role throughout winter.
Let's revisit the 'Cattle Feed Index' since it can serve to remind us that cold and wet are major factors in maintaining comfortable and productive animals.
It may sound crazy, but according to the index a 10 MPH wind, combined with a wet hair coat at 20°F, would double the daily feed requirement. The next hurdle is the fact that animals are limited in the amount of daily feed they can consume. It helps if the hay is digestible, meaning that it not only contains good TDN levels, but animals can actually eat more of a high quality hay in order to meet cold weather demands.
The flip side is that poor hay will have: lower TDN; lower consumption amounts, and; is slower to pass through the animal's digestive system. We've all joked about animals starving while having their head inside the hay feeder. Unfortunately, certain winter conditions, combined with poor quality hay, can create that type of scenario.
Years ago I completed a graduate study that substituted one heat source for another in raising broiler chicks. In that case we elevated feed energy and reduced brooding temperature, just to see if it could be done. The answer was "Yes", but it sure created some messy conditions.
Back to the cedar glade and the producer who habitually set a few hay bales around the area when an artic blast was predicted. At the end of the cold weather pattern he always noted, "My cattle would come bouncing out of them cedars just like they had just returned from a Florida vacation."
Providing the quality is known, hay continues to be the most practical and economical way to meet winter feed needs, but a cedar glade can help.
Published December 23, 2008 11:56 am - According to the 'Cattle Feed Index' a 10 MPH wind, combined with a wet hair coat at 20°F, would double the daily feed requirement. The next hurdle is the fact that animals are limited in the amount of daily feed they can consume.
Using cedar to knock the winter chill
by Robert L. Seay
The neighbors had suggested for years that he clear off that ugly mess of cedar on the small two-acre slope and sow it in pasture. However, every winter the small cedar glade paid for itself, hands down.
Over 130 hay analyses that crossed my desk from the 2008 harvest year illustrate a 34-percentage point spread between TDN levels. The average is 64 percent, which is superior hay for wintering virtually any animal in any stage of production. However, that 34-point spread suggests a number of animals will need help to keep warm, much less, productive.
TDN, the primary indicator of feed energy level, is a start, but weather patterns play an off-and-on role throughout winter.
Let's revisit the 'Cattle Feed Index' since it can serve to remind us that cold and wet are major factors in maintaining comfortable and productive animals.
It may sound crazy, but according to the index a 10 MPH wind, combined with a wet hair coat at 20°F, would double the daily feed requirement. The next hurdle is the fact that animals are limited in the amount of daily feed they can consume. It helps if the hay is digestible, meaning that it not only contains good TDN levels, but animals can actually eat more of a high quality hay in order to meet cold weather demands.
The flip side is that poor hay will have: lower TDN; lower consumption amounts, and; is slower to pass through the animal's digestive system. We've all joked about animals starving while having their head inside the hay feeder. Unfortunately, certain winter conditions, combined with poor quality hay, can create that type of scenario.
Years ago I completed a graduate study that substituted one heat source for another in raising broiler chicks. In that case we elevated feed energy and reduced brooding temperature, just to see if it could be done. The answer was "Yes", but it sure created some messy conditions.
Back to the cedar glade and the producer who habitually set a few hay bales around the area when an artic blast was predicted. At the end of the cold weather pattern he always noted, "My cattle would come bouncing out of them cedars just like they had just returned from a Florida vacation."
Providing the quality is known, hay continues to be the most practical and economical way to meet winter feed needs, but a cedar glade can help.
