• Effects of Fire & Drought
• Questions to Ask
• Several Options
• Water Considerations
• Supplementing Cattle
• Supplement Options
• General Supplement
  Recommendations
• Reducing Nutrient
  Requirements
• Feeding Management Options
• Ammoniated Straw
• Potential Problems
• Sources and Credits
• Interactive Exercises

Beef Cattle Management - General Recommendations

Minerals
Provide the same salt and mineral mixture during drought or after wildfire as you would during normal conditions. However, during drought, phosphorus supplementation is even more critical. A complete mineral supplement containing 12 percent calcium, 12 percent phosphorus, 5 percent magnesium, 0.4 percent zinc (4000 ppm), and 0.2 percent copper (2000 ppm) has worked well in many areas.

Vitamin A
Lack of vitamin A may become a problem during the fall and winter for cows that grazed drought-affected pastures during the summer. Vitamin A is lacking in forages that grow under drought conditions and hay produced from drought-affected forages. Cows should receive vitamin A and D booster shots approximately 30 days prior to calving if they have not been previously supplemented with vitamins.

Protein
Pastures dormant due to drought conditions are usually deficient in protein. If these conditions occur during the breeding season, reduc- tions in pregnancy rate can occur. Provide dry cows with approximately 0.5 - 0.75 pounds of supplemental crude protein and lactating cows with 0.9 - 1.2 pounds of supplemental crude protein per day. This can be fed as approximately 1.0 - 1.5 pounds of soybean meal for dry cows and 2.0 - 2.5 pounds of soybean meal for lactating cows. Feed 1 to 2 pounds per day of a high protein supplement to dry cows and as much as 2 to 3 pounds to lactating cows to maintain forage intake and efficient utilization of the forage.

You may need to supplement protein for optimum breeding rates. Protein based supplements (cotton- seed meal, soybean meal and canola meal), commercial protein blocks, liquids and tubs would also be appropriate. Alfalfa hay, sunflower meal, safflower meal and other protein meals may also be used as protein supplements.

Energy
During drought conditions, energy may be the most limiting nutrient for grazing cattle. Several options are available for supplying energy to cattle on drought stressed pasture. Hay, grain and crop processing byproducts can all be used to supply energy to grazing cattle. Low-quality forages can also be ammoniated to increase digestibility and protein content.

Supplementing grain on pasture can result in a “Catch 22” problem. Too much supplemental grain can reduce forage intake and digestibility, resulting in less energy available to the animal from available forage. The reduction in forage intake may not be undesirable during a drought. As a general rule of thumb, up to 0.2 percent of body weight of supplemen- tal grain per head per day will not result in large decreases in forage intake and digestion. For example, a 1,200-pound cow could receive 2.4 pounds of grain per day without drastically reducing forage utilization. For some grains, processing may be necessary for optimum use by cattle. Corn and oats can be fed whole but may be utilized better if coarsely rolled before feeding. However, barley and wheat should be coarsely rolled. Avoid fine grinding and rolling, which results in fines and dust. These can result in increased incidence of acidosis and founder. In addition, dusty supplements are unpalatable.

The producer must weigh the additional costs of processing vs. the value of the grain. Grain processing coproducts such as wheat midds, soybean hulls and corn gluten feed, which contain highly digestible fiber, provide energy while alleviating much of the negative impact that grain supplementation has on fiber digestibility. These byproducts also provide protein, which may be limited in drought stressed forages. When using by-product feedstuffs, make sure that the mineral program is balanced. These feeds are typically high in phosphorous and potentially high in sulfur, which may lead to mineral imbalances. The trace mineral levels may be somewhat low as well.

Drylot Feeding
If pasture conditions are extremely poor, producers may consider feeding cows in drylot. This may be more cost effective than supplementation on range if large amounts of supplement must be transported and fed to cows daily. In addition, it may allow pastures a much needed rest period to begin recovering from the drought or wildfire.