WHY USE ULTRALIX BREEDER & GROWER SUPPLEMENTS
Ultralix Breeder and Grower supplements are designed for northern Australia using the latest innovative technology to manufacture production type supplements and feeds. We all know we need to supplement our livestock in Australia to correct seasonal and pasture deficiencies like protein and energy. With a lot of Australian soils being deficient in minerals especially phosphorus, supplementing is essential to get the best possible production from our livestock.
To maximise production, the three main limiting nutrients in northern Australia are energy, protein and phosphorus. Not to say we don’t need anything else but these three are generally the most limiting for optimum production. Breeder and Grower supplements contain a high molasses content which provides energy, urea (NPN / protein), phosphorus and a trace mineral pack to balance the supplement and correct any mineral deficiency.
ENERGY & PROTEIN – supplementing cattle with a high energy and protein supplement can increase fibre (grass) intake of your cattle by up to 30% more than non-supplemented cattle. We believe most cattle can average an increase of 25% more fibre intake per day providing the cattle have access to fibre and water. This also means the cattle will graze out paddocks 25% quicker than un-supplemented cattle. While the cattle receive a benefit from the energy, protein and minerals in the supplement, the real benefit comes from supplementing the rumen microbes. Supplementing with Breeder and Grower supplements could allow your cattle to digest an extra 25% fibre per day which will allow them to utilize 25% extra energy and protein from your grass each day. As a result of consuming this extra 25% energy and protein in their diet your cattle should maintain body condition.
Phosphorus is extremely important for cattle to maintain health and improve fertility and weight gain. Cattle don’t effectively absorb phosphorus during the dry season when grazing dry grass which is deficient in energy and protein. After rain and during the wet season, cattle get sufficient energy and protein from green grass, so then phosphorus becomes the limiting nutrient. This is when we should also supplement with phosphorus and rebuild the phosphorus reserves in your cattle.
PHOSPHORUS – the average cow has up to about 4.5kg of phosphorus stored in their body. Of this about 600 grams of the phosphorus can be mobilized. Cattle draw on this 600 grams of phosphorus when feed stock are low in phosphorus, ie during the dry season. Phosphorus is stored in organs, bones / skeleton, teeth and muscle etc. We know the average cow will lose about 5 grams per day for the last 90 days of pregnancy (foetus development). Once the cow calves, she will lose about 9 grams of phosphorus per day during the first 30 days after calving and another 5 grams per day from day 31 to day 90 after calving.
Last 90 days of pregnancy at 5 grams per day = 450 grams of Phosphorus.
First 30 days after calving at 9 gram/day = 270 grams of phosphorus
Day 31 to day 90 after calving is 60 days at 5 grams per day = another 300 grams of phosphorus.
The average cow will use about 1,020grams of phosphorus over this 180 day period or about 6 grams per day average. If you need to increase the cows bodyweight during this time she will need extra phosphorus above these requirements. Your cows will be getting some phosphorus from the pasture they are grazing but with most of northern Australia either classed as phosphorus deficient or acutely deficient your cows will run out of phosphorus reserve.
Where does the phosphorus go after calving? Each litre of milk a cow produces contains 1.1 grams of phosphorus. A northern beef cow should produce about 6 litres of milk per day for the first 30 days after calving. After 30 days, the cow’s milk production will slow down to average about 3 litres per day while feed permits. 6lt/day x 1.1 grams of phosphorus = 6.6 grams of phosphorus per day x 30days = 198 grams. Day 31 to 90 a cow averages about 3lt of milk/day which contains 1.1grams of phosphorus = 3.3 x 60 days = 198 grams. Cows also require phosphorus for other daily function other than milk production. So it doesn’t take long after your cow has calved before she has depleted all her phosphorus reserves. You will notice when this happens your breeders are probably losing body condition and their milk production will be dramatically reduced which will also effect the growth rate of their calf. Once all the phosphorus levels have been depleted she will not cycle to become pregnant until her body condition and phosphorus reserves are replenished. If you start to supplement your breeders with one kilogram per day of one of the Ultralix Breeder supplements prior to calving and as long as you did replenish her phosphorus levels during the wet season, then the breeder should go through the dry season without losing all her stored phosphorus which will improve her chances of cycling and allowing the breeders to become pregnant sooner after calving.
Supplementing with our BREEDER supplement could help improve fertility and general health of your cows.
1. The energy from the molasses will help the rumen microbes to utilize the urea in the supplement and allow the cow to consume more dry grass each day.
2. Every kilogram of our Breeder supplement contains 4.8 grams of phosphorus and if you start supplementing your cows with about 1kg/day of our Breeder supplements before they calf and continue until the wet season, cattle will have sufficient phosphorus at the end of the dry season.
3. Ultralix Breeder and Grower supplements contain essential minerals to help improve their health. By clicking onto “why do cattle need minerals and nutrients” you can see what each nutrient or mineral does for you animals.
4. Ultralix Breeder and Grower supplements contain intake limiter allowing you to budget your supplement cost at the start of the supplement program.
In an ideal year, your breeders will calf before the wet and you should be supplementing them on a wet season lick before the breeder runs out of mobile phosphorus so she will become pregnant again after calving. This does happen with some breeders but normally they run out of phosphorus, lose body condition and are too slow to rebuild the phosphorus reserve and body condition and miss the next calf. Using supplements prior to joining cows in certain times of the year can also help improve conception rates as well.
At Ultralix we believe we have the balance right in our Breeder and Grower Supplements. Your livestock will minimise weight loss and absorb and utilize the phosphorus in the supplement fed during the dry season, thus reducing the risk of running out of mobile phosphorus during the dry season. If your breeder still has mobile phosphorus in her system she should be able to regain body weight quickly and start to cycle after calving and become pregnant with her next calf quicker. This also helps with the calf being born in the most desirable part of the season allowing it to grow to its best genetic potential.
We believe one of the main reasons why most graziers in northern Australia have an average weaning of 60% is related to nutrition. A breeder is pregnant for 9 months and then normally has a calf suckling of them for another 9 months, the average northern breeder will not become pregnant while feeding a calf. Then it normally takes the breeder another 3 months after weaning to rebuild her body condition enough to become pregnant again. Allowing 9 months for pregnancy, 9 months for mothering the calf and 3 months to rebuild, it takes a northern breeder an average of 21 months to rear a calf and get pregnant again. 21 months out of 12 months is 57% calving at best. Yes, some cows will get pregnant quicker than some but some will need longer than 3 months to recover.
Does your current supplement provide sufficient energy, protein, phosphorus and essential minerals at an economic price improve your breeder’s health and profitability? Are your cattle efficiently utilizing all the dry forage they have available to them in your paddock? If not then give us a call.