If you raise livestock, you know their diet plays a critical role in their growth and overall health. Particularly during the winter, their nutritional needs must be addressed through a complicated balance of grain, roughage, and feed supplements. If you’re not sure what your cattle will need this winter, here are a few advantages to incorporating supplements into their diet.

3 Reasons to Use Feed Supplements for Livestock

1. Address Dietary Deficiencies

Copper and selenium are two minerals that are vital for your cows, but deficiencies can easily develop unbeknownst to you. If a cow is running a copper deficiency, you may notice a coarse coat, slowed growth, and diarrhea. Selenium deficiencies manifest in awkward gaits and poor weight gains. To combat these issues, feed supplements are available as injections, pellets, and licks. You can also try top-dressing pastures, a method that involves dusting supplements across pasture so that cows absorb it as they graze.

2. Increase Energy

Particularly in older cows, a pasture diet may not provide the ideal energy levels. This can lead to lethargy, loss of body mass, and even death due to malnutrition. Even if the cows are consuming plenty of hay, this may not address their protein and energy needs. To address this shortcoming, you can find liquid supplements, licks, or grain feeds, all of which use molasses as a base. The sugars found in molasses break down quickly, giving cows the energy they need and balancing their diet with other feeds.

3. Improve Protein Assimilation

Because younger cows gain mass more quickly, they require more protein than mature cows. If the hay you’re feeding them has a low protein value, they may struggle to digest enough to sustain growth. Small amounts of urea can stimulate digestion and increase protein utilization. However, this feed supplement must be carefully limited, as too much can create health issues.

Farmers throughout the United States trust Vittetoe, Inc. in Keota, IA, for high-quality agricultural products and solutions. They offer a range of products, including feeders and waterers, that make it easier to deliver nutrition with feed supplements. To learn more about their products, visit their store online, or call (641) 636-2259 to speak with a friendly representative.