Do you have an animal nutrition management plan on your farm? It should be one of your main focuses. It is simple to implement and proper nutrition is vital for animal health and well-being. Check it out!
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Did you know that on large-scale corporate farms (like big diaries) the animals have nutritionists?! It's true. And it is serious business. Why is it so serious? Well there are a few reasons and a few reasons why you as a smaller-scale farmer should care about animal nutrition on your farm.
We will use the example of a dairy. On your small farm, in order to milk your cow, she needs to have a baby {just like humans}. If you haven't ever grown a baby yourself, let me tell you all about it. It ain't no walk in the park, alright? I'm pretty sure I needed a nutritionist! A pregnant cow is going to need more energy than a cow that isn't pregnant or milking. It's important you acknowledge this energy change in her diet somehow. A full belly does not equal enough energy. A cow is pregnant for 9 months {yep, just like humans} and the farther along she gets, the less she will be able to eat. Why? Because her calf is getting much larger and limiting how much food she can take in.
I got asked this question during my thesis defense while I was 8.5 months pregnant myself and I totally over thought it and couldn't answer right away. Can you say embarrassing?!
Because her intake is decreasing, you again need to acknowledge this with a nutrition change. Again, a full belly does not equal enough energy. Once she has the baby, you are going to need to adjust her nutrition yet again. If you've never experienced producing milk, let me tell you about it. The first little bit is the hardest. Then, it gets pretty routine and your body figures out what's going on. Cows are the same way. When they initially start milking, it is going to require a lot of energy and she is going to need different nutrients than she had before she was milking. This again will require an adjustment to her nutrition. Once again, a full belly does not equal enough energy!!
Do you see how crazy this can get? The same is true for growing and finishing steers, laying hens, pigs, performance horses, you name it. Livestock nutrition is a really awesome and specific science. So why should you as a small-scale farmer care?
I know you are going to say, "But Alli. I just turn my ol' Bessy out on the pasture and she milks fine." Alright, that may be true because she isn't a huge producer. But if you were interested in increasing how much milk she would give you, you could adjust her nutrition to accomplish that goal. Another important note is she seems fine. But do you track her body condition to make sure she really is maintaining a healthy weight? Or test her blood levels for BHBA, an indicator of ketosis? For the most part, livestock are tough. And they don't complain much. But if you aren't familiar with what can go wrong, you won't know what to look for so you can prevent it. Most problems on the farm come down to management and nutrition management is a huge part of that. If you are aware of the changes in nutrition your animals may need, you are going to be able to manage them much better and keep them much healthier.
Now, if you have sensitive feelings, maybe just skip this next part. But ya'll should know me by now and know that I don't beat around the bush. You should also know I don't care about what you believe, so long as you do right by your animals and don't bug everyone and their dog about believing the same thing as you. Live and let live, rarely does someone have to be "wrong". In this next part, we're going to talk a little bit about nutrition and how to do right by your animals with all the wheelbarrows full of lies and muck about it out on the interwebs. Are ya buckled in and hangin' on? Let's go.
If you want your animals to be "grass-fed" or "grain-free" that is fine {and I really mean that, cross my heart}. But you need to adjust your production goals and time frame accordingly. Grass is a lower energy feed and will take much longer to make any animal product {eggs, milk, meat, etc.}. Sometimes, longer isn't better when you look at it from a sustainability standpoint. Farming is looking at the whole picture and what is going to work best for your land and animals on your farm. There is also nothing wrong with feeding a high energy feed source like corn or some other grain according to your animal's nutrition requirements. You could supplement grains only at critical times, like during pregnancy or lactation if you want. Contrary to all the misinformation out there, livestock, especially ruminants, are able to digest and eat a wide variety of feedstuffs. The main way they digest their feed is via fermentation by microbes. {Check out this post for a more in-depth explanation of how this works.} It is our responsibility as stewards over our animals to make sure they get the nutrition they need and that is best for them. Not the nutrition we think is right or the nutrition we would prefer they receive. You can get a doctorate degree in animal nutrition, I think that should be a good indicator that it's a big deal and the agriculture industry as a whole puts a lot of time and effort into it, you should too! Of course, your time and effort will be less, but nutrition management should still be an important part of your farm. And yes, even large-scale grazing operations consult with nutritionists. Not all grass is created equal...but that's a post for another day.
The life of a farmer is putting your animals needs above your own wants. If your animal needs a higher energy feed source, you feed them that grain and get over your personal problems with corn. I can't tell you how many small-scale farmers have lost good animals because of poor nutrition management. It is heartbreaking! Not only that, much of the time it is totally preventable. Management is everything - so do it right and don't mess around. Lives matter, even animals ones. Don't bet your pride on 'em.
Are you offended? I hope not. Let me know your thoughts about this in the comments below!
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Randa
I LOVED this. 🙂 (married to a 4 th generation beef and dairy farmer)