Winter‑feeding of beef cattle represents the highest proportion of feeding costs of farms in extensive mountain systems. Therefore, an adequate management of the feeding strategies for cows and calves will be decisive in the final economic results obtained.
The objective of this study was to evaluate, from the economic point of view, several cow and calf feeding strategies during the lactation and fattening periods. Two cow‑feeding strategies (High ‑100% of requirements‑ or Low ‑66% of requirements‑) and two calf‑feeding strategies (With or Without concentrate) during lactation were analysed using Partial Budgeting.
Low cow‑feeding strategies had the lowest global costs. Considering both rearing periods altogether (lactation and fattening), calf‑feeding cost was similar between strategies, independently from the use of concentrates during lactation. This phenomenon revealed that there was not compensatory growth during the fattening period and that the global economic efficiency was similar. The analysis established a ranking of strategies according to their economic performance. The ranking varied for the different rearing periods, i.e. type of forms (calf‑production farms, fattening farms and farms with both rearing periods). The price of the calf at weaning was the factor that most influenced the economic results obtained in the different periods.