Many producers do not creep feed because of low economic returns or practicality in range situations. Also, thin cows may be more apt to have difficult calvings or poor colostrum for the calves. Use of BCS was higher in larger herds compared to smaller herds. Nutrition is the single biggest cost of a cow-calf operation, accounting for over 50 percent of annual cow costs in most operations. Producers cannot ignore the significance or cost of keeping a cow in good nutrition.
Many producers have training or experience in nutritional management.
However, all operations could benefit from outside advice on forage condition or new nutrition technologies. Besides balancing the diet to meet the nutritional needs of the cow herd, calculated rations can also improve profitability. A producer can reduce feed costs if the ration is balanced and cows are not overeating or wasting valuable harvested feeds. A formulated ration will also improve operation productivity if the cows have not been getting adequate nutrition. Therefore, eyeballing forage or relying on book values may not be accurate enough for ration formulation.