Transcript Supplementation to Grazing Cattle

1
Supplementation of Low Quality Forages
Norman Suverly
WSU Okanogan County Extension Educator
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Introduction
• Forage = Beef
• The ideal supplement should enhance, not
inhibit the animal’s ability to digest forage
• Supplement should complement forage quality
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Basic Beef Nutrition
Rumen
Stomach
(abomasum)
Intestines
4
Rumen Function
Feed
Protein
Energy
Stomach
and
Intestines
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Considerations when supplementing ruminants
• Rumen microbes have nutrient requirements
– If not met, rumen efficiency is decreased
• Feed affects rumen microbes before it affects
the animal
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Examples of low-quality forage
• Forages that fall below nutritional levels to
provide the necessary animal requirements
(<7% CP)
– Wheat straw 3.6% CP
– Barley straw 4.7%
– Grass seed straws 4-12%
– Dormant range 2-6%
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Nutrient content of range forage
80
70
Percent
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Digestibility
June
NDF
September
November
Influence of season on forage quality, Johnson et al., 1998, NDSU
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Ruminal Protein Digestibility
June
September
November
15
10
5
0
Protein
% of Protein
80
60
40
20
0
Available
Bypass
Influence of season on forage quality, Johnson et al., 1998, NDSU
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Crude Protein (%)
Nutrient content of range forages – northern Great Basin
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1992
1993
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Ganskopp and Bohnert 2001, OSU
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Forage nutrient content varies with season
Fiber portion of forage (NDF)
Digestibility (TDN)
Protein content and protein degradability
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Energy vs. protein supplements
Energy
• Corn
• Wheat
• Oats
• Fat
• Molasses
Protein
• Soybean meal
• Cottonseed meal
• Corn gluten meal
• Feather and blood meal
• Alfalfa
• Canola meal
• Distiller grains
• Non-protein nitrogen
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Type of Protein Supplement
Natural
•
•
•
•

Soybean meal
Cottonseed meal
Corn Gluten meal
Canola meal
Slowly digested
 Provide VFA’s
Non-Protein Nitrogen
• Urea (48% nitrogen)
• Biuret

Quickly
digested/dissolved
 Provides only nitrogen
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DIP and UIP of common protein sources
Supplement
CP%
UIP
DIP
Alfalfa hay
18
14
86
Wheat midds
18
23
77
Canola meal
39
30
70
Corn gluten
meal
47
62
38
Dry distiller
grains
30
50-60
40-50
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Tips for successful protein supplementation
• Begin your supplementation before weight loss
and body condition loss
• Time supplements to facilitate grazing
• Supplement form – consider what it is
supplying and the cost
• Self-feeding vs. hand-feeding
• Mineral considerations
– Ca, Mg, P, K, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Na
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Price
SBM supplement costs $290/ton and provides
40% CP
Canola meal costs $160/ton and provides 35%
CP
SBM is $.15/ton (290/2000) and will cost $.38/lb of
protein
CM is $.08/ton (160/2000) and will cost $.25/lb of
protein
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Effect of Degradable Protein Supplements
on Intake and Digestion of Low-Quality
Forage by Beef Cows
H. H. Koster et al. (1996)
Kansas State University
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Methods
• Cows fed a diet of:
– Low-quality forage
– 5 levels of ruminally degradable
protein
• Measured diet digestion parameters
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Forage Intake (g/kg BW.75)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
180
360
540
Degradable Protein (grams/day)
720
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Forage Digestion (%)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
180
360
540
Degradable Protein (grams/day)
720
20
Total Diet Digestion (%)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
180
360
540
Degradable Protein (grams/day)
720
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Implications
• Supplementing ruminally degradable protein:
– Improved digestion of low-quality forage by
15%
– Increased forage intake by 55%
• This represents an improvement of forage
utilization by the animal
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Performance of Cows on Native Range
When Fed Protein or Corn Supplements
D. W. Sanson, D. C. Clanton and I. G. Rush
(1990)
University of Nebraska
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Methods
• 135 cows grazing native Sandhills winter
range
• Supplement treatments:
– Ear corn
– Ear corn + protein supplement
– Protein supplement
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Weight Changes of Cows
10
0
-10
-20
-30
-40
-50
-60
Ear Corn
EC+Protein
Protein
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Implications
• Corn supplemented cows lost more weight
than protein supplemented cows
• Corn supplement decreased forage digestion
and intake
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Using TDN/CP Ratio for Supplement
Selection
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Considerations for using energy supplements
•
•
•
•
Grain vs. fermentable fiber
Supplementation with grain at 0.4% of BW
Fermentable fiber at .2 to .8 percent
If utilizing low quality forages, no more than
0.5% of body weight (5.5 lbs for 1100 lb cow)
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Protein to energy ration
CP, %
TDN, %
Cattle need
TDN/CP
4.0-6.0
Dead grass
4
50
12.5
Med quality grass hay
11
52
4.7
Annual pasture
21
65
3.1
Cottonseed meal
46
76
1.6
Range cube
22
80
3.6
Corn
10
88
8.8
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Using TDN/CP Ratios for Supplement Selection
Forage
TDN/CP
Supplement
>7
Protein
<4
Energy
30
Nutrient requirements of cattle
Season
CP%
TDN%
Dry-cow, mid-tri 1100 lbs
Fall
7%
49%
Cow nursing, post-partum
Winter
9%
56%
Heifer, mid-tri 800 lbs,1.5 lb
gain
Fall
9%
60%
Heifer, post-partum, 950 lbs
Winter
10%
62%
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Situation 1
• Forage supply is abundant and protein content
of the native range is 5% or less
• Should select adequate diet (6.5-7 percent)
• Supplement with protein
– .5 to 1 lbs/day; >30%
– 55 to 70% DIP
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Situation 2
• Forage supply is limited and protein content
below 5 percent
• Combination supplement of 20 to 30% CP
– Should provide supplemental energy in form
of fermentable fiber.
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Situation 3
• Forage supply is unlimited and protein content
of range is above 5 percent
• Should select adequate diet (7% or greater)
• No intervention needed for a dry cow.
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Conclusion
• Proper supplementation can improve forage
digestion and animal performance
• Provide supplements that complement forage
• Use resources to help determine proper
supplementation
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References
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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DelCurto, T. and D. Bohnert. Fundamentals of Supplementing Low-Quality Forage. Cattle
Producer’s Library. CL317.
Ganskopp D. and D. Bohnert. 2003. Mineral concentration dynamics of 7 northern Great Basin
grasses. J. Range Manage. 56: 174-184.
Ganskopp, D. and D. Bohnert. 2001. Nutritional Dynamics of 7 northern Great Basin grasses.
J. Range Manage 54:640-647.
Herd, D.B. 2003. Tips on Winter Supplementation of Beef Cattle.
http://thecattlemanmagazine.com/issues/2003/1103/winterSupp.asp
Johnson et al. 1998. Influence of season on forage quality. North Dakota State University.
Koster, H.H. et al. 1996. Effect of Degradable Protein Supplements on Intake and Digestion
of Low-Quality Forage by Beef Cows. Kansas State University.
Mathis, C.P. 2003. Protein and Energy Supplementation to Beef Cows Grazing New Mexico
Rangelands. New Mexico State University, Circular 564.
Mount, D. Supplementing Feed to Grazing Cattle. PowerPoint presentation.
http://www.wyorange.net/resources/mount/MountBasicsofSupplementationtoGrazingCattle.pp
t
Sanson, D.W., D. C. Clanton and I. G. Rush. 1990. Performance of Cows on Native Range
When Fed Protein or Corn Supplements. University of Nebraska.