Cattle are naturally adapted to cold weather, but their ability to stay warm depends on factors such as their winter coat, body condition score (BCS), nutrition, and staying dry.
While some parts of the U.S. remain in drought conditions and the soil moisture profile is in a deficit due to months of below normal precipitation, grass growth will likely be impacted this spring.
Early weaning can help reduce the pressure on drought-stressed pastures, but ranchers should evaluate feeding, management, and marketing options prior to weaning.
Many producers assume providing minimal protein supplementation to target approximately 1.0 pound/day gain during the winter is the most economical system. However, research data would suggest otherwise.
