Energy or protein, do you know what you need?

Oct 06, 2021


cattle in harvested field

October Prime Tips

Harvest is in full swing and soon mother nature will be presenting us with colder temperatures and the white stuff we all have grown to have a love-hate relationship with as livestock producers. With these changes also comes a change in how we manage our beef cattle, transitioning from stored pasture forage to perhaps grazing of corn fodder to feeding of stored feeds.
 
With many changes in front of us, I need to ask you two questions:

  1. Have you body conditioned scored cows?
  2. Do you know what quality your stored forage is?

Basic brood cow nutrition is based on crude protein and energy requirements of the cow. If there is a general understanding of the quality of the forage you will be feeding, you may determine whether or not supplementation will be necessary with the help of a Premier nutritionist.
 
Typically, poor quality stockpiled forage in pastures or corn fodder are lower in protein and will require some basic protein supplementation. This is usually done through the use of free choice protein tubs or other hand fed protein byproducts. Supplementation of protein during these times will provide nutrients for the rumen microbes to digest these poorer quality forages and maintain a healthy rumen environment. One quick assessment of the needs of protein is to do fecal scoring, if feces are “horse apple” appearing, cattle are lacking the necessary protein, and as forage quality (protein) increases the manure will become softer/ looser.
 
A secondary approach to supplementation is to offer energy in the form of Purina AR Hi-Fat tubs. These tubs contain 10% fat and regulate intake through the use of Purina Accuration technology. Utilization of these tubs can be a secondary factor in determining forage quality. As forage quality decreases, intake will increase and vice versa as the cow regulates her energy intake. Not only does this tub give the cows energy but also contains 20% protein to help feed the rumen microbiome when consuming lower quality forage. Producers have seen a 10-15% reduction in hay usage by utilizing Purina AR Hi-Fat tubs through the winter.
 
Now is the opportunity to reach out to your local Premier nutritionist to sample your stored forage and develop a program that will meet the needs of your cows to ensure a successful 2022 calving season. Supplementation through tubs can be done with minimal effort and produce a great return, and NOW is the time to book these great products!
 

 

Chris Blank

Purina Animal Nutrition

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Mar 03,2023
With spring just around the corner, your cooperative is gearing up for another one of our seasonal rushes…spring planting season. Not only will we see our total employee count peak for the year, but nearly every asset in the company will be in use. While many businesses have equipment and buildings that are in use all year long, our grain and agronomy divisions have millions of dollars invested in some assets that only get used for a few months out of the year. It is critical that these assets are fully operational and ready to go when the season starts. Our agronomy operations team has spent the winter months going through all the equipment to make sure it's in good working order, unwrapping and greasing up the new sprayers, trucks and other equipment we’ve purchased this year, updating technology and precision tools on existing equipment, and conducting hours of training on its use and safety. 

In addition, the crop advisors and admin staff have been putting the finishing touches on crop plans and seed orders, wrapping up input financing and nutrient management plans, hiring and training new staff including college interns to help scout fields, and maybe taking a little time away to get rested for what is sure to be long days and short nights ahead. If you’re still looking to finalize plans for this planting season, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our highly trained crop advisors.

Gearing up for spring is not only about the equipment, but also the additional staff needed to provide the products and services our members rely on to help feed the world. Each year we try to fill about 100 full and part time positions at our eleven agronomy locations. These positions can last from six weeks up to eight months. Most seasonal positions involve delivering product to our members or directly to fields to keep our custom application machines running smoothly. If you or someone you know is interested in seasonal or year-round employment, please contact Shayla at our Mt Horeb office or stop by one of the agronomy locations. The hours can be flexible and available up to seven days a week. If agronomy work isn’t for you, ask about openings at any of our other locations including retail associates, plant operations, truck drivers, administrative professionals and more. Premier is always looking to add quality people to our team.

Thank you for your continued support of Premier Cooperative and its staff. Have a great month and stay safe!
Mar 03,2023
Cattle nutrient requirements can vary by season and stage of production. Now is a great time to evaluate your cattle mineral programs and map out a plan to maximize impact.

While minerals are a relatively small portion of the diet, they control many vital functions in cattle and impact everything from cattle reproduction to feed efficiency and overall herd health. That's why it’s so important to make sure the mineral needs of your cattle are being met year-round.
Mar 03,2023
I know many of you have plans in place for a spring burndown herbicide application. If not, here are a few reasons for you to get in contact with your Premier agronomist to do so. Spring burndown applications typically target winter annuals and perennial grasses that overwinter and resume growing as soon as temperatures warm in the spring.  As they get going in the field they immediately begin stealing water and nutrients from the soil, and can create planting challenges. With the onset of resistant weeds like waterhemp, and standby challenges like giant ragweed, it is a best practice recommendation to add a strong residual herbicide to your preplant spring burndown application.  Doing so helps keep populations down and gets ahead of your first early post application. Here are some tips for establishing clean fields that give your crop a strong start.