Spring forage growth can be quite rapid and the plants are utilizing carbohydrates for growth rather than storage.

Beef forage experts suggest that you keep in mind these three things to help keep your pastures productive:

• Match animal requirements with your forage supply.
• Rotate animals to different pastures frequently.
• Try to delay grazing of perennial pastures in the spring if possible.

Even with good management, forage quality naturally declines as the growing season progresses.

Feeding supplements

Feeding supplements are a proven method to improve production efficiency even when forage quality is declining. Among other things, supplementing can provide the needed nutrients that will enable cattle to perform more efficiently in digesting lower quality forage.

This, in turn, helps to increase forage intake and the nutrients available to the animals, resulting in more efficient use of available forage sources and enhanced forage digestibility.

The balanced mineral's, protein's and energy contained in a quality Land O'Lakes® Feed branded supplement, for example, can improve forage utilization, helping you to receive more value and profit potential from your beef-cattle enterprise.

Land O'Lakes offers a complete line of supplements, feeds and medicated products designed to optimize forage utilization and maximize your return per acre. These products can help you get the most from the forage you provide to your cattle.

Land O'Lakes also offers a range of powerful consulting programs that can help you remain competitive in the face of today’s economic challenges. These flexible programs offer services tailored to your specific needs whether you are a cow-calf producer, a calf backgrounder or feedlot operator.

The cattle nutrition consulting program, for example, includes beef ration balancer software, feedstuff analysis and a complete review of your nutrition and ration program.

Contact your local cooperative handling Land O'Lakes Feed products for complete information on any of these consulting services and Land O'Lakes beef cattle nutrition products.