How much protein does a beef cow need?
“Most mature cows in mid-gestation will need about 1.5 pounds of protein per day. In late gestation they probably require closer to 2 pounds per day. When lactating, their requirements are even higher and will vary depending on the level of milk production,” she says. Cow size also makes a difference.
What protein does a cow need?
Young, growing cattle, in particular, need relatively high levels of crude protein in their diets to support muscle growth (Figure 3). Creep feeds or forages for nursing calves should contain at least 15 percent crude protein. High-protein creep feeds are best used when forage availability is abundant.
How much protein do beef calves need?
Calves will need 4 to 5 pounds of a grain-protein mixture per head daily to average 1.2 pounds daily on winter fescue pastures (Table 3).
What nutrients do beef cattle need?
Beef Cattle Nutrient Requirements Typically, the amount of nutrients needed is influenced by climate conditions, as well as the animal’s age, weight, and production stage (e.g. calves, young cattle, or lactating cows). A cow’s basic nutritional needs include protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.
What do you feed a beef cow?
Beef cattle can utilize roughages of both low and high quality, including pasture forage, hay, silage, corn (maize) fodder, straw, and grain by-products.
How much protein do cattle need in winter?
Generally speaking, if cows are in good condition then 1-1.5 pounds of a 40 percent protein cube or something similar is a good place to start for dry cows; 2-3 pounds per day would likely be needed for wet cows, Banta said. If cows also need energy, then something like a 20 percent protein cube could be a good option.
What is the most important nutrient for beef cattle?
Nutrients Required by Beef Cattle Physiological and environmental stressors, such as sickness and weather, can also impact nutritional requirements. Beef cattle need water, protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Of these nutrients, they require water in the greatest amounts daily.
How do you calculate protein in livestock feed?
Expressing Feed Composition Crude protein value on an as-fed basis divided by dry-matter content of the feed times 100 equals the crude-protein content on a dry-matter basis. If alfalfa hay is used as an example, the crude protein value is 17 percent on an as-fed basis.
How much protein does a mature cow need?
Thus, supplementation may be necessary to meet the cow’s nutritional needs. In late gestation the energy requirements of a mature, 1,200 lb cow are relatively low (9–11 lb total digestible nutrients or TDN per day, 2 lb crude protein per day).
How much protein is too much for cattle?
Soluble protein values are normally provided in a routine feed analysis and should not exceed 30% of crude protein in the complete diet.