October 2025 Newsletter
- Claire Christensen
- Oct 1
- 4 min read
Starting Cattle
Mark Venner, Quality Liquid Feeds
While the first three weeks represent a fairly small percentage of the total days on feed for most fed cattle, it is critical in several aspects. It often represents the highest stress and therefore the highest likelihood of sickness. It is also the time frame when you have the ability to “teach” the cattle to eat efficiently and get them off to a good start. If, you choose to do that. We can’t always control the variables leading up to cattle pre-arrival. Their nutrition status, immune status, exposure to disease, etc. But focus on what you can control, and be ready and willing to adjust to the stresses that come their way.
Objectives to starting cattle:
Provide a well-balanced nutrient dense diet sufficient in energy, protein, minerals, trace minerals and vitamins. Sugars and degradable protein provide a jump start to rumen bugs and lend themselves to good rumen health. Starter diets may include drugs as well. Make sure medication levels are in line with intake expectations. Also included here is water, make sure the waterers function and are clean. If you wouldn’t drink out of the waterer, why should they?
Support the development of a strong healthy immune system. This is usually fueled by energy, degradable protein and increased trace mineral and vitamin levels.
Provide a comfortable pen, bunk space, clean adequate water, dry surface, etc. This is totally controllable from the management side.
Optimize feed consumption. This does not mean the maximum intake possible. The old adage that “sick cattle don’t eat and cattle that don’t eat get sick” comes to mind. But have you ever asked yourself, did I make them sick by allowing them to eat too much? I am all for maximizing intake for the entire feeding period but we at QLF use a lot of prescribed intake curves on the front end of cattle. This accomplishes several things:
It makes the pulls easier to find, When cattle are a little on the hungry side, it makes the sick ones easier to find. Not at the bunk = pull ‘em.
It potentially makes less of them sick, by not overfeeding and stressing the rumen. Overfeeding on the front end also lends itself to cyclical intake patterns later in the feeding period. Which a killer on efficiency.
It allows the rumen to “build” itself in an efficient manner which hopefully continues throughout the feeding period.
Lastly, and maybe the most important is that is allows them to have a good experience at the bunk. “teaching” or “training” them to eat and want to come to the bunk.
Pro Tip: QLF Ignite Stress Tubs assist in many of the objectives listed above. They provide a level of sugar, increased trace mineral and vitamin nutrition and when placed near the bunk (or even in the bunk) can provide a good eating experience.
If you want to learn more about the Starting Cattle Curve, which prescribes an intake curve on the front end or the QLF Ignite Stress Tubs, please visit with your Spencer Ag representative.
Southern Rust Impact—Testing Corn Silage
With the appearance of Southern Rust in fields, there is some cause for concern in relation to herd health. Southern rust has been shown to impact the nutritional value of silage by increasing the dry matter and fiber fractions, which can directly decrease digestibility of the silage product. Due to the increased dry matter, poor fermentation, and risk of mold growth can occur at the packing stage of storing silage.
“Prior to inclusion, test all potentially infected silage for mycotoxins. This will allows you to determine the safety of the feed and avoid potential health issues. If mycotoxins are high, the incorporation of a mycotoxin binding agent into the ration will help reduce toxin absorption in the animals digestive tract. Additionally, supplementation with antioxidants, such as vitamin E and selenium, could help animals countering oxidative stress caused by mycotoxins and supporting immune function.”(Bedford, AgNews)
Spencer Ag Center’s beef field marketers, Joel Thomsen and Lee Geerdes, agree that it’s important to take cautionary measures to ensure that the digestibility and nutritional values are met in your herd. We recommend two supporting steps that may mitigate the risk of mycotoxins. The first step is to submit your silage samples for testing. We can submit these samples on your behalf to get “Mold and Yeast Count and Identification” profile results through Dairyland—that way, you have an understanding of what you are working with, concentration-wise.
Another measure to consider is the inclusion of a Mycotoxin Binder. We have our own product, Sentry+, which can help bind toxins and allow them to pass through the animal without causing any issues. This product is intended for both cattle and swine. If this is something you are interested in including in your rations, please reach out to your field marketer.
Monitoring Medicator Concentrations via PigmentRX
—a Veterinary Pharmaceutical Solutions’ tool
Post Allen Leman conference, Harvey Williams brought back an exciting tool for our customer’s to utilize on farm to help check medicator’s calibration. PigmentRX is a pigment scale that allows producers to confirm levels ensuring that your swine are receiving the correct dosage of product. This scale is easy for farmers to utilize on farm, via QR code that links to an online PDF.
Below are the directions on how to use PigmentRX:
Scan the QR Code / Click on the Link below
Mix a stock solution a rate of 1 gal of water to 1 Reload Pack DT . Total volume should be based off desired length of time and pig water usage (Spencer Ag carries Reload Packs)
Run this stock solution through the medicator at a rate of 1:128
After 1-4 hours collect samples from various locations in 5ml snap tubes
Hold each sample against the pigment scale found on the QR code scan results to estimate the concentration dilution level. Do not print this webpage as printer ink varies and the mobile webpage will ensure vivid color to compare with.
Please note: this tool is “intended only as a relative indicator of dye concentration and does not guarantee precise medication concentrations”
Below is the Pigment RX research poster from the Allen Leiman conference for more information regarding background, research, and producer application in the industry.
Thank you, VPS, and all involved in this project for sharing your exciting research!
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