In this episode of Field Notes: East Texas Agriculture, hosts Dr. Byron Housewright and Ryan Doerner sit down with Mike Block of Mix 30 to tackle one of the most important—and often misunderstood—topics in cattle production: nutrient requirements and feeding efficiency. The conversation explores how producers can use tools like the NRC Beef Cattle Nutrient Requirements guide and modern ration modeling software to better understand what their cattle actually need.
Mike explains why many cow-calf operations mistakenly focus on protein when energy is often the real limiting factor, and how producers can evaluate supplements based on dry matter, cost per unit of nutrient, and cost per head per day. The discussion highlights practical ways ranchers can use forage testing, nutrition models, and local expertise to improve herd performance while controlling feed costs—an increasingly critical challenge in today’s beef industry.
Guests:
Mike Block is the regional sales manager for Mix 30 covering Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. With a degree in animal science and extensive field experience working directly with producers, Mike specializes in practical cattle nutrition strategies that help ranchers improve herd efficiency and profitability through better feed management.
