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Bull nutrition in winter months
Cattle farmers, and especially stud farmers, will want to ensure that their bull herd maintains condition and health throughout the winter months to ensure optimal body condition and fertility once the mating season starts again in spring and summer.
Feed requirements for bulls will vary depending on their physiological stages, as a weanling will require a different level of nutrition from a mature bull, and their winter feed requirements will be very much dependant on this stage.
Younger bulls will need a sufficient level of protein and energy, as they are still growing. You will need to take into account the amount of feed they require to maintain a good growth rate, as well as to maintain body condition and body heat throughout the colder months.
Older, more mature bulls will need to be monitored to ensure that they do not lose body condition leading up to the mating season in spring and summer. They should have enough of a fat covering to ensure that they are insulated against the lower temperatures, but not so fat that they develop fertility issues as a result of being obese.
Elements to take into account:
- Energy from fat or carbohydrate sources. This would be in the form of oilcakes (fat) or forages and cereals (carbohydrates). It is important to ensure that the level of energy in the diet is increased.
- Protein sources and supplements such as soybean or canola meal. Protein levels in winter should be at a sufficient enough level that rumen microbes are not affected and are able to produce heat from the feed.
- Minerals such as copper, manganese and zinc which are essential trace minerals that greatly influence fertility.
- Vitamins such as Vitamin A may be deficient winter grazing, and may lead to health and reproductive problems if they are not sufficiently supplemented for. Should a bull not receive enough Vitamin A in its diet, its ability for spermatogenesis is impaired, which leads to a reduced fertility.
- Water should be available to the bulls at all times, it should be clean, not contaminated, and at a temperature that is suitable for drinking. If a bull does not drink sufficient amounts of water, it will suppress the amount of feed that it ingests.
Body condition:
During winter, a farmer should aim to maintain or improve the body condition of his bull herd, and utilising the body condition score (BCS) method may be one of the most useful ways to determine this. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being under thin 5 being overfat, you would aim for you bulls to attain a BCS of 3 – 3.5. Allowing bulls to become overfat leads to a reduced semen quality and semen production, as well as fewer cows mated due to a lack of libido and therefore reduced conception rates.
The farmer may need to separate younger and older bulls during winter, as their nutritional requirements will differ, and they may need to be kept on separate feeding regimes or diets. He may also want to separate bulls with different body conditions, such as separating thin bulls from fat ones so that you can identify an improvement or lack thereof in their condition.
Molatek’s Winter Lick Promotion is currently running until 31 March. Benefit from lower pricing, beat inflation, and maintain your herd’s peak physical condition during the winter months by filling out our contact form here. One of our technical advisors will contact you.
25 Comments
Thank you for the valuable insight regarding bull nutrition in winter as this help me greatly in feeding my #Bonsmara bulls
We are so glad that you enjoy our content. Please let us know how it goes with your Bonsmara herd!
What’s the ideal multivitamin supplement for bulls during the winter? Any recommended feed supplements including leaks or rather a feeding program perhaps?
My head is in Ga-Modjadji near Tzaneen in Limpopo.
Hi Tshepo,
You can contact Pierre Marais on 082 413 4166 or via email: pierre.marais@rclfoods.com.
He is the Senior Technical Advisor in Limpopo, and will be able to advise you on which supplements to provide.
I am a young male n interested in farming. I want to buy 3/4 months calves, fatten them and sell them at auctions so that i can earn a living.
What feed should i use and what r the pros and cons of what i wanna do ??
Hi there Paledi,
Where are you located? We would love to put you in touch with a technical advisor near to your area.
Dankie, dit is waardevolle inligting, mag ek dit in die Braford nuusbrief gebruik met erkenning aan Molatek
Asseblief, dit sal wonderlik wees!
I like this
Hi Thero, we are so glad to hear this!
I like the information that I get here,it will help me a lot in taking care on my cattle farming. I’m still learning on how to grow in business farming.
Hi Geelbooi,
Thank you so much for this great comment! We hope that your cattle business is doing well.
I’m currently breeding Brahman bulls in the Feedlot and please advise me on the type of nutrition that I can feed them.
Hi Kwena,
Where are you located?
Feedi for pregnant cattle
Feed for cattle with calves
Hi Mongezi,
Where are you located?
Hi, thanks about teaching us. I would like to know what supplements you will suggest for feeding the heard of the cows in winter they are about 40 and all pregnant. During the day the graze the normally grass, just that I need to feed them everyday in the morning before they go out for grazing. Thanks
Hi there Mdu,
Where are you located? We would love to put you in touch with a technical advisor close to you to help out with your cow herd!
Hi, L. Malatji from Phalaborwa in Limpopo province.
Myself and my brother currently have +-70 cow’s surviving on feeds/grazing at an open veld ( not closed farm) located in rural area, after our father Left us with +170 cow’s in 2006 .
I would like your advice on how get a proper farm (closed) , feeds methods or any form of advice on cattle farming including med’s, there area is prone to feet and mouth disease.
I can be also contacted on 0785105895
Thank you
Hi, thank you for reaching out. One of our technical advisors will be able to assist. Where are you located?
Hi my name is mojela,can you please advise me how can I feed my ram lambs to breed my own Rams
I am in Heilbron in the free state
Kind regards
Mojeka
Hi I’m Johnny I need advice(detailed program) on what to feed my young ram so that they can be well built but not overweight and daily feed for my ewes. At the moment I’m using multi block for winter as a supplement Thanks @hammanskraal Pretoria
Very informative side, learnt alot. I am brahman farmer at Bethal. Recently bought in a Boran bull as I await my investment soon. Can you please kindly recommend what food an I give my heifers and my bulls to keep them in shape. I have recently separated my bulls now they are on camp
Hi, thank you for reaching out. One of our technical advisors will be able to assist. Please feel free to contact Tobie Alexander at 082 820 5858 or tobie.alexander@rclfoods.com.