Articles by Woody Lane
Crude protein is a useful metric in determining a feed’s nutritional value, but it doesn’t paint a complete picture. Understanding how your cattle metabolize different forms of protein will help you deliver the best formula to them.
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Olly olly oxalates
Oxalates are relatively common compounds in plants, but they can affect mineral availability and can potentially be toxic, as in forages such as fodder beets and Kikuyu grass.
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Rethinking ewe nutrition: Addressing concerns about alfalfa pellets
Pelleting may slightly affect rumen retention and fiber digestibility, but the overall nutritional loss is minimal and not biologically significant. Likewise, transitioning from late-gestation forage diets to alfalfa pellets is manageable with comparable fiber content.
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Filling the holes in your forage calendar
Stretching out grazing season with careful forage management strategies, thus shortening the time you have to feed stored forages, is the most direct way to reduce feed costs.
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It may not seem like much
By delaying grazing slightly in early spring so the grass grows taller and increases its DM percentage by a modest 20%, we boost the amount of energy available for lactation by 34%.
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Plants that practice the martial arts
Hairy vetch, poison ivy and poison oak can cause strong immunological responses in livestock. However, if producers keep a close eye on their animals, they can sleep soundly at night, even in these plants’ presence.
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Toxic algae that isn’t algae
Cyanobacteria (often called blue-green algae) can be a scary thing to see in your cattle’s water source and can be the cause of mysterious health issues. Here’s what to know about it to keep your cattle safe, especially in areas experiencing severe drought.
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Useful traits of sorghum
Summer pastures can offer a cornucopia of traits due to the three useful traits of sorghum that are present in the summer.
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