Now is a good time for beef producers to assess their pastures and facilities and take care of some routine tasks to prepare their cattle operations for winter, suggests Ron Lemenager, a Purdue University Extension specialist.

Cattle are healthier, have more successful pregnancies and have better rates of gain when they have access to quality nutrition and facilities during the cold winter months, he adds.

Assess pastures and hay fields and have forages analyzed as soon as possible. Once producers know what they have in terms of forage, they can start to plan their supplemental feeding strategies based on animal protein and energy needs.

Common supplements include corn and grain byproducts, such as soybean hulls, corn gluten feed and distiller's grains.

To read more about preparing for winter, click here.

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