Intake guidelines in Table III are also more appropriate when calculating or budgeting feed needs for a total winter feeding program. Estimated feed intakes in Tables II and III are the amount of feed consumed by the cattle and do not account for feed wasted during feeding. If hay is fed on the ground or if waste is a factor, consider feeding losses when calculating a balanced ration. Nutritional composition of harvested forages can be estimated by laboratory analysis from representative feed samples. However, it's difficult to estimate the quality of standing forages.
Cattle are selective and tend to consume the most nutritious plants or plant parts.
Past experience and careful attention to changes in cow condition are important factors to consider when estimating forage nutrient content. Clipped grass samples are often misleading and offer erroneous information on nutritive quality. Often forage quality analysis of clipped samples is lower in nutrient content than what is selected and consumed by the cow. Because most cow herds are managed so that strict control of the nutrition program is difficult, general guides can be developed based on an understanding of nutrient requirements, previous experience feeding the beef herd, and research results from similar feeding programs. The following principles can help you develop feeding programs.