For years, beef producers have learned to manage around summer challenges. Hot weather, changing forage conditions and fluctuating feed intake are simply parts of raising cattle.
But this year, the stakes feel different.
With cattle supplies remaining historically tight and the value of gain elevated, every pound matters more than it ever has. A few pounds of lost gain across a pen of cattle may not seem significant in the moment; but over the course of a summer, those losses can add up quickly.
The challenge is summer performance losses rarely come from one major event. More often, they result from several small inefficiencies that compound over time.
Here are four places producers commonly lose performance during the summer months.
1. Waiting until cattle go off feed
Most producers know cattle will eat differently during periods of heat stress. The problem is that performance often starts slipping before changes in intake become obvious.
When temperatures climb, cattle spend more time seeking shade and water and less time at the bunk. Even small reductions in feed intake can affect gain, particularly when hot weather persists for several days or weeks.
The impact isn’t limited to intake alone. Heat stress also requires energy. Cattle must devote more resources to maintaining normal body temperature, leaving fewer nutrients available for growth and performance. As heat stress increases, cattle begin to increase salivation production, which becomes drool as they pant to reduce heat. This reduction in saliva entering the rumen affects rumen pH and gastrointestinal health.
By the time cattle visibly back away from feed, some performance attributes already have been lost, and some of these attributes will not be gained back when the heat stress is reduced.
The operations that navigate summer most successfully are often the ones that stay ahead of heat stress rather than reacting to it after performance declines become noticeable.
2. Assuming summer forage is good enough
A pasture still can look green while delivering a very different nutritional package than it did a month earlier, so it can be easy to assume cattle are receiving the same nutritional value they have been receiving all season.
As grasses mature, digestibility often declines and fiber levels increase. Seed head production moves the energy stores in the plant to the seedhead and the stalks of the plant become lower in nutrients. Dry conditions, uneven rainfall and regional weather patterns can accelerate those changes even further.
That’s one reason performance may slide despite maintaining the same management practices.
The forage does not disappear, but the nutrients may. It is simply not delivering the same value it did earlier in the year.
3. Focusing on feed cost instead of feed value
Feed costs will always matter. But in today’s market, producers may benefit from considering more than cost alone.
The better question is: How much value is each pound of feed creating?
When cattle consume fewer pounds due to heat stress or forage quality challenges, every bite becomes more important. Maximizing the value of available feed resources can have a meaningful impact on overall performance.
That is why many producers continue to focus on feed processing, forage management and ration formulation. It also is an opportunity to evaluate technologies designed to support rumen fermentation and nutrient utilization.
Fortiva® EfficienZ® Fermentation Product is one example. Fortiva® EfficienZ® is designed to support rumen function and fermentation efficiency of corn. Fortiva® EfficienZ® supports volatile fatty acid production, greater dry matter intake and improved average daily gain, helping producers capture more value from corn.
In a market where every pound of gain carries a high value, helping cattle get more from the feed already in front of them can be an important part of the equation.
4. Letting small losses add up
No producer loses money because of one hot day.
The real challenge comes when small losses continue for weeks at a time.
A slight reduction in intake. A modest drop in forage quality. A little less gain than expected. Individually, those changes may seem manageable. Together, they can have a meaningful impact on performance by the end of the summer.
The most expensive performance losses are often the ones producers don’t notice right away because they occur gradually.
That’s why consistency remains one of the most valuable management tools available. Consistent nutrition, consistent feed delivery and consistent attention to performance trends can help prevent minor challenges from becoming larger problems.
Every pound counts
Summer has always tested cattle and the people who care for them.
The weather cannot be controlled, and forage conditions will continue to change throughout the season. What producers can influence is how effectively cattle convert available feed resources into performance.
In today’s market environment, protecting feed efficiency isn’t simply about reducing waste or improving feed conversion. It is about maximizing the value of every animal, every pound of feed and every opportunity for gain.
When cattle are worth more, every pound counts.
To learn more about how Fortiva can support your nutrition program, visit FortivaImpact.com.
