Manage mud to manage cattle health.

                 

Manage mud to maintain cattle health.

    

  

Significant presence of mud can increase energy requirements by as much as 30%. Wading through mud burns more calories, resulting in reduced gain for developing breeding stock and fed cattle, as well as reduced milk production for cows. Confounding things, cattle tend to eat less to avoid the extra effort to get to feed. On top of reduced performance, mud can have negative impacts on health, especially young calves. 

Mud clings to hair coats and makes it more difficult for the animal to regulate body temperatures, especially if nighttime temperatures dip below freezing. Pathogens also thrive in these conditions, creating continual exposure to calves. 

This occurs both directly because of the poor environment and indirectly when nursing from contaminated udders. Left unmanaged, excessive mud can also cause foot injuries and outbreaks of foot rot. 

 Four ways to manage mud to ensure cattle health. 

 1) Provide bedding. Multiple sources are available. When managed appropriately, manure and liquids tend to settle to the bottom of cornstalk bedding allowing for a drier surface. For feedlots and yearling cattle, it's recommended to provide 1 pound of bedding per day per inch of mud per head, while 4 pounds of bedding per day per inch of mud is needed for cow-calf pairs, with heavy bred females somewhere in the middle.

 2)Consider building a feeding pad. While a more expensive option, building a pad from packed gravel or lime with geotextile fabric provides a longer-term solution to managing mud. A concrete feeding area allows for easier cleaning and captures more manure nutrients for crop production. Both can be beneficial for reducing feed waste as well. 

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