TIME TO WINTERIZE YOUR COWHERD

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX --Cooler weather is on its way, and just as ranchers
check the antifreeze levels in trucks and tractors, they should begin
preparing cowherds for the effects of winter. "Winterizing the cowherd" is
a set of simple steps to improve management during this season of change,
said Dr. Joe Paschal, livestock specialist with Texas Cooperative
Extension.

"The first thing you need to do when you wean your calves this fall is
palpate all the cows and bred heifers in your herd," he said.

"Open cows should be sold, but consider the spring market if you have
enough forage to overwinter them. The spring market is usually about 5
cents higher than the fall market due to fewer numbers of cows marketed at
that time.

"You might also consider selling late-breeding cows that will calve
outside your calving season. These calves will weigh less at weaning time
and will have lower body condition scores prior to breeding in the spring
due to their recent calving," Paschal said.

While the cows are gathered, ranchers should check them for "broken"
mouths, popcorn teeth, bad or cancerous eyes and sell those that have
problems.

"Cattle that can't eat or see can't produce calves as cheaply as those
that can," he said.

Ranchers also should check for soft ear ticks or Gulf Coast ticks and
spray for early lice, ticks and any flies one last time.

"Usually a good hard freeze takes care of these external parasites but
some parts of Texas never get one," he said.

It is a good time to tip horns if necessary and clip hair from ear
tags. Producers might want to re-tag cows that are missing ear tags and/or
brand cattle with the ranch brand of ownership or and numbers for easy
reading.

Cows and heifers that are pregnant or those that are going to be kept
until spring should be re-vaccinated for blackleg, leptospirosis, and the
IBR-PI3-BRSV-BVD complex. Ranchers usually don't re-vaccinate their cows
for the clostridial diseases or for the shipping fever complex, but
vaccination at this time boosts the immunity provided by the cow to her
calf through the colostrum, Paschal said.

If conditions have been dry or a freeze is expected, it is a good idea
to give a vitamin A (or A-D-E) injection. Vitamin A can be stored in the
liver for long periods of time and is an essential vitamin for cattle, he
said. Ranchers should always consult local veterinarian for specific
recommendations.

Begin supplemental feeding when pasture, cattle or weather conditions
indicate. Cows dropping from a body condition score 5 to 4 will need to
gain 8 percent of their original body weight to return to a BCS 5 prior to
breeding. Since this requires about 1,000 pounds of feed for a
medium-sized cow, it is cheaper to reduce stocking rate or begin
supplemental feeding before this occurs.

"Heifers should calve in a BCS of at least 6. Also, as temperature
decreases, the cow's energy requirements increase," he said.
Protein supplementation (1/2-1 pound of protein) will stimulate the
animal's appetite (10 percent to 15 percent) and increase the
digestibility (6 percent to12 percent) of poor quality forages. This will
allow for a good maintenance ration of most bred cows (BCS 5 or better)
until they calve and/or grass gets really short. Good protein sources
include (but are not limited to) cottonseed meal, whole cottonseed, other
oilseeds, range cubes or blocks, he said.

Liquid feed supplements can be a good source of protein (or nitrogen
for making protein if they contain urea), but not always a supply of
long-term energy. The cattle must be on a good energy source to supply the
minimum requirements.

"Check feeders daily and refill before they run dry. And make sure that
cattle have access to good, dependable water. Never put shrunk, hungry or
stressed cattle directly on liquid feed; fill them up with hay first,"
Paschal said.

Energy supplementation (1-2 pounds) will slightly stimulate
digestibility (1 percent to 3 percent) and intake (5 percent to10 percent)
of poor quality forages. If the levels of energy supplementation increase
above 10 percent to 12 percent (2-3 pounds), then forage digestibility
will be depressed causing a substitution rather than a supplementary
effect.

"Still, a pound of grain contains more energy than a pound of forage or
hay, but it will require more grain than forage to make much improvement,"
he said.

In some emergency feeding situations where forage is scarce, grain will
usually be a more economical source of supplementary energy than forage.
Remember that travel by the cow requires ∏ pound of energy (about 1 pound
of good quality hay) for every mile she travels to feed and water during
the day. So be sure to include some extra energy (but not protein) for
travel costs.

Paschal recommended keeping and maintaining throughout the year a good
12 percent calcium:12 percent phosphorus mineral that cattle will consume
(2-3 ounces/day).

"Place these in areas away from watering sources, preferably in
poorly-grazed areas to balance grazing pressures and encourage consumption
of ungrazed forages," he said.

Cattle will require a dependable supply of good water that contains
less than 3,000 ppm in total dissolved salts. Since cows can drink up to
20 gallons of water or more a day, actual consumption will depend on the
taste of the water, the air temperature and humidity, the cow's
physiological stage, the type of forage eaten and the distance traveled to
water. Water sources should be checked daily.