From Field to Feeder
Beef Cattle
Organic cattle are raised primarily on pasture and hay, with access to trace mineral salt, minerals and often kelp. When they do receive grain, the certified organic feed is made from nutritious grains and oilseeds and fortified with kelp, vitamins and minerals. Beef cattle do not have the same need for protein as dairy cows do, and can be maintained on grass hay. Grass-fed cattle grow more slowly than grain-fed cattle, and are often marketed when 2-4 years old. Grain supplements can increase the growth rate, allowing cattle to be marketed earlier. Nevertheless, organic beef producers focus on forage and use grain sparingly. Grain is generally used by organic farmers to increase the growth rates of young calves, to initiate flushing, to provide nourishment during late gestation and early lactation, and for finishing. At all times, cattle need access to forage (hay, pasture or silage), salt and minerals.
Feeding beef calves
Ensure that the calf begins to nurse within a couple of hours after birth. If a cow dies during calving or does not have enough milk for multiple calves, try to graft the orphan calf onto a high-producing cow. If that isn’t possible, feed the calf following the recommendations for dairy calves.
Creep feeding, using calf starter or creep feed, is sometimes used to maximize weight gain of calves or to compensate for poor forage (for example after a drought). Creep feeding can add 11-22 kg (25-50 lb.) of weight to a calf at weaning. It takes 7-10 kg (15-22 lb.) of calf starter or creep feed for each additional kilogram (2.2 lb.) of weight gain. Creep feeding is most effective when the calf is 3-4 months old, particularly if the calves are eating poor quality forage. Up until that point, the cows’ milk yield is usually sufficient to nourish the growing calves. However, calves of cows with poor milk production may require creep feeding starting at three weeks of age.
If early creep feeding is desired, start providing 110 g (0.25 lb.) of calf starter or creep feed per calf per day, starting at 3-4 weeks of age. Creep feeders should be built around loafing areas; while in the feeder, calves should be able to see the cows. Entrances should be about 20 inches wide and 3 feet tall. Troughs should be large enough to allow for 5 inches of space per calf.
From one month old to weaning, calves will eat calf starter or creep feed (16% protein) at a rate of 1% of body weight. For example, a 200 kilogram calf would eat 2 kg of grain daily, along with forage. Calves are usually weaned when they are 6-9 months old. If heifers are to calve for the first time as two year olds, they should be at least 60% of mature body weight by the time they are 15 months old.
Cattle are often finished on grain; this gives the meat the fat content that consumers are accustomed to. Grass-fed cattle are finished by putting the cattle on high-quality forage before slaughter. This will help cattle gain weight, but the meat will not be as tender or as marbled as grain-finished meat.
Cattle finisher (13-15% protein) can be fed at a rate of 1-1.5% body weight per day until the desired market weight is reached. Ideally, the calves should be put onto good pasture during this time. The length of the finishing period depends on the age and size of calf or steer, and the desired market weight. Younger calves take less time to finish than older steers. The finishing period can be brief, or as long as several months.
Feeding beef cows during gestation
Throughout gestation, cows need forage, trace mineral salt, minerals and kelp. Grain is usually not necessary unless the cows are in poor condition or the forage is poor. The gestation period can be divided into three stages, each lasting approximately three months. During the first three months of gestation, heifers are simply putting energy into maintenance or growth, and mature cows are providing milk for the previous calves
Cows have their lowest nutritional needs during the middle three months of gestation. The previous calves have been weaned and the developing fetus does not require much energy. This is the time to improve the condition of thin cows by providing high quality forage.
During the last three months of gestation, the fetus grows rapidly and makes significant nutritional demands on the cow. Appropriate feeding is critical during this stage. If cows are thin at calving, they are more prone to calving problems, calves are more likely to be weak, and milk production may be reduced. Cows in poor condition may need up to 1 kg (2 lb.) of dairy ration per day.
Feeding beef cows during lactation
After birth, the cow’s energy goes into producing milk for her calf and rebuilding her own body condition. High quality pasture along with salt can provide all of the nutrients needed by the cows. However, grain and mineral supplements are needed if the cows are thin or if the pasture is of poor to moderate quality. Cows need 140-220 g (0.3-0.5 lb.) of protein each day. This can be provided by 2.7 kg (6 lb.) of alfalfa or clover hay, or the same amount of grass hay along with 2 kg (4 lb.) of dairy ration.
Feeding bulls
Young bulls should be fed cattle finisher at a rate of 1.5% of their body weight. Mature bulls need only forage, salt, minerals and kelp for most of the year. Two months before the breeding season, start providing ewe ration, gradually increasing the amount until the bull is eating 1.4-2.7 kg (3-6 lb.) per day.
Avoiding and treating health problems
Many health problems can be avoided through good management and nutrition. Clean housing, low density and good pasture management all lead to healthy herds. Healthy diets are essential for healthy animals; well-balanced nutritious feed strengthens the immune system and improves an animal’s ability to resist disease and parasitic infections.
The suggestions given here are for general purposes only. For specific advice, please contact your veterinarian.
Worms (internal parasites) are a major challenge for organic livestock producers. Worm problems can be reduced by rotating pastures, good manger design and using feed supplements such as diatomaceous earth and herbal dewormer. Both of these products are allowed to be used on certified organic farms, and there is no withdrawal period needed for either milk or meat. Hoegger’s Worm Compound for Goats is a mix of medicinal herbs which discourage worms in goats, sheep, cows and horses. The dose is 5 ml (1 tsp.) per 45 kg (100 lb.) of body weight. To help eradicate worms, give the dose twice a day for three consecutive days. To maintain worm control, provide one dose per week.
Scours (diarrhea) can indicate disease, poisoning, worms or an upset in the microbial community of the rumen. Bottle-fed animals can develop scours if the milk is fed at the wrong temperature. To treat scours, try to identify the underlying cause of the problem. To treat the symptoms, provide the animal with dry hay, clean water and no grain. The animal can be drenched with charcoal mixed in water. Some organic farmers treat cows with 15 ml (1 Tbsp.) of vitamin C and 15 ml (1 Tbsp.) of dolomite. Use half this rate for calves. Electrolytes can be given twice a day (follow the instructions on the package). Probiotics are often used to prevent scours, or used during and after an episode in order to help restore the microbial balance.
Ticks, lice and fleas can be controlled using sulphur (internally or externally) and/or diatomaceous earth (DE). The sulphur and/or DE can be rubbed onto the skin of the animal to control the pests. Adding sulphur to the feed at a rate of less than 2% of the feed can improve the animal’s resistance to external parasites.
Bloat is almost always caused by overeating grain or lush pasture, particularly legume pastures. Bloated animals should be kept on their feet and exercising. A common remedy is to drench with vegetable oil, 60 ml (¼ cup) for calves and as much as 1 litre (1 qt.) for cows and bulls. Before putting the animals out on new pasture, give them dry hay. Some farmers drench animals with dolomite mixed with water at a rate of 15 ml (1 Tbsp.) per cow. Baking soda can also be used. Some animals will eat it dry; others will need to be drenched with just small amounts, such as 10 ml (2 teaspoons) for calves.
Poisoning can occur from livestock eating poisonous plants, mouldy hay or other toxic substances. Activated charcoal can bind to the toxins and can also be used to treat frothy bloat. Mix the charcoal with water and drench the animal. Several hours later drench the animal with vegetable oil to coat the gut. There must be an interval of a few hours between the charcoal and oil drenches because if the oil drench immediately follows the charcoal drench, the oil will prevent the charcoal from working.
Copyright © 2003 by Homestead Organics Ltd
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