Grain Guide 2018

Management guidelines for beef cattle Guidelines for licks An example of a basic lick programme for the central Free State and North West (the eastern Highveld can start a month earlier). Month Type of lick Cows/bulls Replacement heifers (8 to 12 months) Steers (8 to 12 months) January Summer lick February Summer lick March Summer lick April Transition lick May Transition lick June Winter lick Production lick Production lick July Winter lick Production lick Production lick August Winter lick Production lick Production lick September Winter lick Production lick Production lick October Winter lick Production lick Production lick November Summer lick Production lick Production lick December Summer lick Production lick Production lick Typical lick intakes Summer salt-phosphate    100 g - 240 g/animal/day Transition lick    10% - 20% Crude protein (CP) 200 g - 800 g/animal/day Winter lick    40% - 50% CP 400 g - 600 g/animal/day Production lick   25% - 30% CP 1 000 g - 1 500 g/animal/day These remain guidelines. Talk to your livestock scientist to compile the right lick programme for your area. Carrying capacity and dry material intake LSU for cattle with different frame sizes (Meissner et al ., 1983). Class Small frame Medium frame Large frame Weight LSU Weight LSU Weight LSU Bull 600 1,36 600 1,38 650 1,63 Cow, dry (3 years) 400 1,01 450 1,13 500 1,27 Cow, dry (mature) 500 1,10 525 1,21 550 1,32 Cow, pregnant (3 years) 400 1,01 450 1,13 500 1,27 Cow, pregnant (mature) 500 1,10 525 1,21 550 1,32 Cow, with calf (3 years) 400 1,22 450 1,40 500 1,66 Cow, with calf (mature) 500 1,42 525 1,55 575 1,82 Weaner 180 0,44 200 0,53 225 0,64 Ox (18 months) 300 0,75 350 0,90 400 1,09 Ox (mature) 490 1,10 550 1,22 585 1,33 Basic norms for the number of cows that a farm with a carrying capacity of 100 LSU can carry with different production systems: Weaner system: 1 medium-frame cow = 1,7 LSU = 58 cows for the farm Steer system (18 months): 1 medium-frame cow = 2,2 LSU = 45 cows for the farm Ox system (30 months): 1 medium-frame cow = 3,1 LSU = 32 cows for the farm 128 GRAIN GUIDE 2018 Animals