Supplementing the diet of your livestock with key missing nutrients can provide a remarkable return on investment. But how do you know you are providing your animals what they need and not more of what they already have?
Join Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Extension Officers Mick Sullivan and Kylie Hopkins in this three-part recorded webinar series when they discuss:
- Beef cattle nutrition principles
- Herd management and nutrition
- Choosing and managing supplements.
Supplementing the diet of your livestock with key missing nutrients can provide a remarkable return on investment. But how do you know you are providing your animals what they need and not more of what they already have?
Join Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Extension Officers Mick Sullivan and Kylie Hopkins in this 3-part (recorded) webinar series when they discuss:
- Sensible Supplementation 1 – beef cattle nutrition principles
- Sensible Supplementation 2 – herd management and nutrition
- Sensible Supplementation 3 – choosing and managing supplements
You can use the tabs below to select and watch a full recording or use the playlists (below each recording) to jump to the start of a particular section within the recording.
Additional resources:
- Dry season management of a beef business (FutureBeef)
- Protein and urea supplementation (FutureBeef)
- Improving beef business performance with phosphorus supplementation (FutureBeef)
- Supplement labels: what are they saying? (FutureBeef)
- Weaner supplements (FutureBeef)
- Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (Queensland Government)
- The Long Paddock (Queensland Government)
- FarmHub (National Farmers’ Federation)
- Rural Financial Counselling Service (Southern Queensland)
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Queensland Government)
Sensible Supplementation 3 – Choosing and managing supplements
In this webinar recording, Mick Sullivan (DPI Extension Officer, Rockhampton) discusses the types of supplements available and how to choose the most effective option for your situation.
Topics discussed include:
- Supplement types and their use
- Reading supplement labels
- Nutritional requirements and targets
- Assessing and choosing supplements
Download a copy of the presentation – Sensible supplementation 3 -Choosing & managing supplements (PDF, 2.60 MB)
Full recording
Playlist
Sensible Supplementation – Choosing and Managing supplements
Webinar series outline
Supplement types
a. Non protein nitrogen supplements
b. Protein and energy supplements
c. Energy supplements
Reading labels
Check units used in labels
Intake must be considered with analysis
Liquid supplements
d. Check specific gravity
e. Dry matter versus As Fed basis
Nutrition requirements and targets
Supplement selection
Which protein supplement?
Lick composition
Which energy supplement?
Managing supplements
Supplement versus substitution
Summary
Extra support
Sensible Supplementation 2 – Herd management and nutrition
In this webinar recording, Mick Sullivan (DPI Extension Officer, Rockhampton) discusses how herd management can better align animal requirements with diet quality and reduce the need for supplementation.
Topics discussed include:
- Managing seasonal variation in diet quality
- Importance of breeder body condition
- Choosing joining times
- Strategies to manage breeder body condition
Download a copy of the presentation – Sensible supplementation 2 – Herd management and nutrition (PDF; 2.71 MB)
Full recording
Playlist
- Sensible Supplementation 2 – herd management and nutrition
- Webinar series outline and recap
- Diet quality is closely related to the season
- Filling the dry season gap?
- Breeder body condition scores
- End of dry season body condition and expected pregnancy rates
- Forward store at calving is insurance against a late season break
- How much do management options reduce dry season breeder live weight loss?
- How long can your cows hang on for?
- Green date – when does the season break?
- Factors to consider in joining times
- Breeder segregation
- Summary
- Extra support