Feeding and Management of Feeder Cattle

1. Feeding and Management of Feeder Cattle Chapter 16

2. Objectives • Describe systems of cattle feeding and kinds of cattle that may be fed • Identify grades of feeder cattle • Describe the economics of buying feeder cattle • Select feeds and develop feeding programs for various kinds of feeder cattle

3. Objectives (cont.) • List approved practices for managing various feeder cattle operations

4. Systems of Cattle Feeding • Most located in central and western parts of the United States • Most fed high rates of grains, though there is a fast-growing demand for grass-fed beef • Both have advantages and disadvantages

5. Systems of Cattle Feeding (cont.) • Types of Feeding Operations • Commercial cattle feedlots • Capacity of 1,000 cattle or more • Many cattle in feedlot at same time • Farmer-feeders • Capacity usually less than 1,000 • Feed cattle mainly to market feed raised on farm

6. Systems of Cattle Feeding (cont.) • Types of Finishing • Finishing type depends on • Kind of cattle • How long they are fed • Feed used • Market demand

7. Systems of Cattle Feeding (cont.) • Types of Finishing (cont.) • Finishing Immediately • Feeder cattle are brought to a full feed of grain • Fed until ready for harvest • Deferred Finishing Systems • Use more roughage and less grain • Fed roughage during winter, pastured next summer • Placed in feedlot for 90-120 days in fall

8. Kinds of Cattle to Feed • There are many choices • Selection is based on • Sex • Age and weight • Grade of cattle

9. Kinds of Cattle to Feed (cont.) • Sex • Heifers • Some kept for replacement • Can be fed for slaughter • Steers • Available for feeding • Steers have higher efficiency in gain than heifers • Prices fluctuate based on many factors

10. Kinds of Cattle to Feed (cont.) • Age and Weight • Feeders are divided into three groups based on age and weight • Calves • Yearlings • Older feeders

11. Kinds of Cattle to Feed (cont.) • Age and Weight (cont.) • Calves • Feeders that are less than 1 year old • Weigh between 350-450 pounds • Gaining in calves is slower • Death losses are higher with calves • Success in feeding depends on feeding skill

12. Kinds of Cattle to Feed (cont.) • Age and Weight (cont.) • Yearlings • Feeders that are between 1 and 2 years old • Weigh between 550-700 pounds • Well adapted to feeding programs • Often clean up crop residues • Fewer health problems

13. Kinds of Cattle to Feed (cont.) • Age and Weight (cont.) • Older feeders • Cattle that are 2 years old or older • Weigh about 800-1,000 pounds • Fed for only a short period of time • More skill in buying and selling is needed for this type of feeder

14. Kinds of Cattle to Feed (cont.) • Grade • Used by USDA as basis for market prices • Apply to cattle less than 36 months of age • Three factors determine the grade • Thriftiness • Frame size • Thickness

15. Kinds of Cattle to Feed (cont.) • Grade (cont.) • Thriftiness • Apparent health, ability to grow and fatten normally • Frame size • Size of the animal’s skeleton in relation to its age • Thickness • Development of muscles in relation to skeleton size

16. Kinds of Cattle to Feed (cont.)

17. Kinds of Cattle to Feed (cont.)

18. Buying Feeder Cattle • Auction markets • Main source for buying cattle • Buying directly from farms or ranches is a second source • Price trends for different cattle vary • Price should not be the only factor when selecting cattle

19. Selection of Feeds • Roughages • Limited use of roughages in finishing rations • Amount of roughage varies in the ration • Roughage has little effect on gain • Hay • Most commonly used roughage • Legumes make the best kind of hay

20. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Roughages (cont.) • Corn silage • One of the best roughages to use for finishing cattle • One ton of corn silage = 100 pounds produced • Cattle gain slower on corn silage

21. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Roughages (cont.) • Sorghum silage • Have 60-90% of the feeding value as corn silage • Low in protein • Protein and mineral supplement must be added to the ration

22. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Roughages (cont.) • Grass silage • Made from grass, legume, or grass-legume mix • Lower in energy content than other silages • Haylage is low-moisture grass silage, more palatable than grass, contains more energy, protein

23. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Roughages (cont.) • Small grains • Can be used for silage for finishing cattle • Protein content is high and silage palatable • Quality and nutrient value can be increasedby the addition of a carbohydrate source

24. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Roughages (cont.) • Lower-quality by-product roughages • Examples: corncobs, cottonseed hulls, beet tops, straw, etc. • Low in protein, minerals, and vitamins • Must be carefully supplemented if used

25. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Pasture • Good quality pasture lowers the cost of gain • Rotation grazing and continuous grazing can be considered • Bloating can occur on pasture • Prevent with poloxalene • Use of a protein supplement may be needed for poor-quality pastures

26. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Concentrates • Grains fed for finishing cattle • Corn, milo, barley, oats, and wheat • Corn and milo are the most commonly used • All grain compared to corn for feeding value • Each grain added depends on value

27. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Methods of Processing Feeds • Grinding • Processing feed through a hammer mill • Improves the value of grains fed, feed intake • High-moisture storage • Harvesting the grain at a high moisture content and storing it in a silo

28. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Methods of Processing Feeds (cont.) • Rolling • Processing grain through a set of smooth rollers • Flaking: feed rolled then pressed into flakes • Steam flaking: grain heated with steam, then rolled, broken into flakes • Dry-rolled grain: grain that is dry

29. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Methods of Processing Feeds (cont.) • Crimping • Same as rolling, except rolling surface is corrugated • Pelleting • Grinding feed, forming into pellets • Gives an increase in feed efficiency of 5% • Cubing • Grinding feed into larger cubes

30. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Protein Supplements • Natural sources often used are • Soybean • Linseed • Cottonseed meal • Urea Fermentation Potential • Measures amount of fermentable energy

31. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Feeding Raw Soybeans to Beef Cattle • Can be profitable when soybean price is low • Beans dried to 13 percent moisture for storage • Beans should be coarsely crushed when fed • Feeding Wheat Middlings to Beef Cattle • By-product of flour milling industry • Cattle need to be acclimated to this feed

32. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Distiller’s Grains as a Protein Source • By-product of grain alcohol fermentation • Good source of protein, energy, phosphorus • Equal to soybean meal or corn gluten meal in meeting total supplementary protein requirement for growing, finishing beef cattle

33. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Minerals • Salt, calcium, and phosphorus are the main minerals needed for finishing • Salt to provide sodium and chlorine • Calcium from limestone or oyster shell flour • Phosphorus supplied by bonemeal or dicalciumphosphate

34. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Vitamins • Most commonly added are A, D, and E • Vitamin A most important to add to the ration • In certain circumstances, more or less of each vitamin is needed

35. Selection of Feeds (cont.) • Additives and Implants • Number of feed additives and hormone implants available for finishing cattle • Can result in significant improvement in growth rate and efficiency

36. Feeding Cattle • Feed Intake • Cattle with high feed intake typically have higher feed efficiency • Feeding Management • Time of year cattle placed on feed affects feed efficiency and rate of gain

37. Feeding Cattle (cont.) • Starting Cattle on Feed • Cattle should be moved to a full feed of grain as rapidly as possible without going off feed • Rations for Finishing Cattle • Quality and price of available feeds may make it necessary for variable rations

38. Feeding Cattle (cont.) • Sorting Cattle into Feeding Groups • Technology available to aid in sorting • Calculating Total Feed Needed • Exact amounts vary according to age, cattle’s condition, feed used, weather, other factors • Care of New Feeder Cattle • First 2 to 3 weeks in feedlot are critical