Take the guesswork out of winter feeding

Every fall, producers take stock of the feed they’ll be relying on through the winter.

In some years, there’s a fair bit of confidence in what’s sitting in the stack. Other years, not so much.

Growing conditions this year have varied across Alberta. Some areas received timely moisture while others stayed dry for much of the season. Forage yields, crop maturity and harvest conditions have also varied, which means feed quality could be very different from one operation to the next, and sometimes even from field to field.

That’s why feed testing is worth doing before cattle head into their winter feeding program.

A bale may look good, but it’s impossible to know what’s really in it without a feed test. Protein, energy, minerals, nitrates, and other factors can’t be measured by sight alone. Testing provides the information producers need to make informed feeding decisions.

After a growing season like this, assumptions can be costly.

Feed that doesn’t look like much may end up testing better than expected. On the other hand, feed that appears high quality, may not meet the nutritional requirements producers think it does. The only way to know for sure is to test it.

The results can help producers make the most of the feed they have on hand. Higher-quality feed can be targeted to bred heifers, young calves, and other cattle with greater nutritional requirements. Lower-quality forage can often still fit into the feed program when producers know its limitations and supplement accordingly.

Feed testing can also identify potential problems before they show up in the herd.

Dry conditions can increase the risk of nitrate accumulation in some feeds, while challenging harvest conditions can create issues with mould or spoilage. Finding those concerns early provides more options than discovering them once feed is already being fed.

For many cattle operations, winter feed is one of the largest expenses of the year. While feed testing won’t reduce feed costs, it can help producers avoid unnecessary supplementation, better allocate feed supplies and make decisions based on facts instead of guesswork.

Collecting a forage sample only takes a few minutes, but the results can be useful throughout the feeding season.

No two years are the same, and this growing season was a reminder of that. Before winter feeding begins, taking the time to test feed can provide a clearer picture of what’s in the stack and help producers make the most of the feed they have available.