Traditions are better with Traeger, so add some wood-fired flavor to your holiday season with big savings on
Traeger grills and consumables. From 11/16 through 12/24, you can score up to $200 off some of Traeger’s biggest and baddest grills, plus score deals on other select grills and essentials. Shop J&N Feed, Texas BEST Traeger Dealer.

$150 Off Pro 780

$200 Off Pro 575

$100 Off Pro 22 & Pro 34

$2 Off Pellets, Rubs, & Sauces

Protein is a vital nutrient for maintenance, growth, health, reproduction and lactation in cattle. Protein supplies the microbes in the gut, or rumen bugs, the ammonia and nitrogen sources they need to function. These microbes ferment feed to make Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs) and Microbial Cell Protein (MCP), which are responsible for digestion.

When cattle aren’t getting enough protein, microbial activity decreases, causing a lower rate of digestion. Decreased digestion results in less nutrition available for absorption by the animal. While these effects are internal, you would observe the consequences of protein deficiency in the growth of your cattle.

Fat supports cow body condition and reproduction. Research suggests that the addition of limited fat supplements to beef cattle diets before breeding enhances reproduction by reducing the anestrus period after calving, as well as increasing the number of follicles formed on the ovary of the cow.1

How much is needed? Like with most cattle questions, it depends.

With protein, anything less than 8% crude protein in your forages is not enough to feed the rumen microbes for optimal performance. When forage quantity and quality begin to decline, you should start thinking about supplementation to bridge that gap. The amount of supplemental energy or fat provided will depend on current body condition, other feed resources available and target production goals for that animal or herd.

There are several factors to consider when determining the supplemental nutrition needs of your cattle:

• Forage quality & quantity: As pastures move from a vegetative state to a reproductive or dormant state, the nutritional value decreases. Vegetative forage will provide the most protein (10-18%), transitional forage will provide 6-9% crude protein and dormant forage will provide the poorest quality nutrition with typically less than 5% crude protein. Protein supplementation can help support rumen bug population and forage utilization in these transitional periods.
• Body Condition Score (BCS) and Production Phase: BCS can indicate how your nutrition program is working. You don’t want to wait until your herd’s average BCS drops and have to play catch up, especially in key production phases like breeding, late gestation and lactation. Consistent monitoring can tell you when supplementation is needed.
• Age: Younger, developing cattle that are still growing will have a higher maintenance requirement than mature cattle.

The goal of any protein and fat supplement like Purina® Accuration® Hi-Fat blocks and RangeLand® tubs is to support the returns of producers by enhancing forage intake and supporting better utilization of forages to meet needs of cows. Products like these are great options for protein and fat supplementation for your herd because they are designed to enhance the use of forages, not replace them.

The annual Graham Holiday Shopping Spree event is almost here!

Have you heard of this great program called the Holiday Shopping Spree right here in Graham?   Sponsored by the Graham Chamber of Commerce and Shop Graham First, Holiday Shopping Spree encourages patronage to local stores and businesses in Graham. This year the shopping spree kicks off on Friday, November 25th and runs through Friday,  December 16th at 5:00 pm.

. Lots of prizes are up for grabs, so fill out those cards!

J&N Feed & Seed is a participating retailer.  Stop by and pick up your shopping spree card today and start shopping locally in Graham, Texas!

For more than a century, Purina has built connections with producers based on the goal of bringing out the best in every animal. During that time, a wide range of tools and services have been put together to help customers identify challenges. This enables them to better find solutions in many different areas of their operations.

To be successful with these tools, our team aims to thoroughly understand the ins and outs of your operation and its goals. We’re invested in your well-being and take pride in helping you meet your goals. That’s why our partnership with producers goes far beyond what’s in the feed bag.

Something for everyone

Adding value to your herd starts with thorough management. Each operation is unique – what works for one might not work for another. Our tools and services can help identify areas to emphasize on the farm or ranch to push your herd further.

A few of our favorite tools and services include:

• Proof Pays: With the help of a local Purina expert, producers can conduct a feeding trial with Purina products on their own operation with their cattle to show the value of quality nutrition. Proof Pays trials are open to herds with 100 head or more. Trials can last between 28 to 90 days, depending on the trial type. The local Purina Team will oversee the trial, collecting pertinent information and helping producers analyze results.
• Feed Greatness® Challenge: Producers of all herd sizes can participate in a 90-day trial with Purina® Wind and Rain® mineral. Throughout this trial, the producer collects information on mineral consumption, pasture conditions, and other important factors. At the end, Purina will give you the tools to interpret your results so you can make the right choice for your herd.
• Purina® Plus value-added program: Purina® Plus is a marketing program for producers striving to raise low-risk, high-value cattle. Utilizing industry-leading and research-proven health practices and Purina’s line of starter feeds, producers can work with their local team to position their cattle to buyers interested in investing in quality cattle.
• Purina Fly Monitor™ App: Launched this year. Your local Purina® representative can use this app to estimate the number of flies impacting a cow herd. Then they can accurately sort cows into fly count categories. Producers can work with their local expert to design an integrated pest management plan, utilizing the consistent consumption of Wind and Rain® mineral with Altosid®, to minimize the impact of fly populations.

As with our feeds, each of our tools and services are strengthened by our continuous research at the Purina Animal Nutrition Center in Gray Summit, Missouri. The commercial cow herd and Ph.D. researchers and nutritionists at Purina stand behind everything that we do.

Gate side advice

These are just a few examples of some of the tools that Purina representatives utilize when working with producers. Among these, there are many other services that they can offer an operation through an on-farm consultation.

One of the simplest, yet most impactful, ways a Purina representative can help you is by conducting body condition scores (BCS) of your herd. This can be done three to four times per year. Having an accurate assessment of the herd’s average BCS can be critical to accomplishing goals. Once a baseline is established, recommendations can be made. Then strategies implemented to ensure cows are set up for future success.

The relationship between producers and Purina is more than products. We’re invested in helping make improvements with producers to meet you where your herd needs are and help you reach your goals. When you succeed, we succeed.

Traditions are better with Traeger, so add some wood-fired flavor to your holiday season with big savings on Traeger grills and essentials, including savings on Traeger Pro Series and Ironwood grills. Just be sure to hurry because these deals go up in smoke on 12/24.

$200 Ironwood 885 & 650

$150 Off Pro 780

$200 Off Pro 575

$100 Off Pro 22 & Pro 34

$2 Off Pellets, Rubs, & Sauces

J&N Feed offers Queen Bedding Products. Queen provides clean, consistent quality products. We offer two types, Easy Sift pine bedding, and Pine Pellets.

Easy Sift shavings are virtually dust-free, absorbent shavings that allow you to clean your stalls quickly. Easy Sift bag size: expanded 5.51 cu ft, 2.2 cu ft compressed.

Pine Pellets are 100% pine packed into dense pellets. High absorbency and naturally odor-neutralizing. Just wet the product to create a soft, virtually dust-free footing. Pellet bag size: 40lbs.

Shop J&N Feed & Seed in Graham, Texas for quality Queen bedding products.

Quality mineral supplements are an investment in the overall performance of your herd.

Balance and bioavailability

Balance is key when it comes to minerals; more is not always better when choosing a supplement. Minerals compete for absorption when digested in the small intestine. If cattle consume too much of one mineral, it could prevent absorption of other minerals, eliminating benefits to the animal and wasting the money you invested in a mineral supplement.

When selecting a mineral supplement, be sure to consider the ingredients’ bioavailability. Bioavailability refers to the percentage of mineral cattle can absorb or use. Some mineral supplements may contain sufficient levels of the required minerals, but not in a form capable of being utilized by cattle. In many situations, these ingredients are used because they are cheaper, even if they provide little or no nutrition to your herd. Generally speaking, organic minerals are more bioavailable and provide enhanced gut absorption

Not all minerals are created equal

With input costs rising, you may be looking for a lower-cost alternative to a complete mineral program by choosing a trace mineral block. While trace mineral blocks have a lower price tag than a complete mineral supplement, it’s important to be aware of the tradeoff you might be taking with this type of product.

First, trace mineral blocks don’t contain the macro minerals essential to cattle production, like phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Additionally, trace mineral blocks are often virtually all salt. A block may be 96-99% salt, depending on the product. Due to the high salt content, cattle can’t consume enough of the block to meet their trace mineral requirements.

Aside from intake, trace mineral blocks tend to utilize less bioavailable ingredients to keep cost low. Meaning, not only is mineral content diluted by salt, but the form of the mineral is virtually unavailable for absorption, both of which can compromise animal performance.

Often, a simple snapshot of your herd doesn’t reveal how much a cheap mineral supplement can really cost you. Minerals are the precursors to cattle performance, facilitating every process in the body. High-quality mineral influences high-quality performance. Production traits such as fertility, disease resistance, feed intake and muscle development depend on proper minerals in cattle’s diet.

Get the most bang for your buck

Getting the most impact from your investment is a top priority for any cattle operation. One way to ensure your mineral supplement is working efficiently and effectively for your herd is to track consumption rates. Your Purina® representative can walk you through how to track consumption in your herd. Most Purina® minerals are formulated for four ounces of consumption per cow per day.

Once you know consumption rate, you can help alter mineral intake levels by moving mineral feeders. When feeders sit close to areas where cattle spend most of their time, they can consume more than the target amount out of boredom. If cattle consume too much of a mineral supplement, move feeders away from water sources and loafing areas. If consumption is below target, move feeders closer to these areas, or provide additional feeders to allow more access for cattle.

The domino effect

Poor mineral nutrition can contribute to poor cattle performance. Mineral deficiencies can lead to a cascade of events such as more open cows, higher sickness rates, more spread-out calving season and lower weaning weights. If these conditions are allowed to domino and compound, they can lead to a loss of profit on your operation.

Talk to us about what a complete mineral program should look like for your herd.