Kansas custom cattle feeding practices

Common Practices in Infant Feeding Common Practices in Infant Feeding

Limit Feeding Beef Cattle

(allowed to eat according to appetite). Generally, this allows for maximum performance because energy consumed above the maintenance requirement is available for gain. However, recent work suggests that limit-fed animals may have better feed efficiency. This has economic importance in that changes in feed efficiency have three times the impact on cost of gain as an equal change in rate of gain....

Feeding Barley to Cattle

Barley is a cereal grain that has demonstrated world-wide importance. Although generally considered an energy source, barley has more protein than other cereals commonly used in ruminant diets. Nutritional composition of barley can be affected by geographic location and climatic conditions. Varietal differences account for some of the differences observed in nutrient composition. However, it is...

Feeding cotton products to cattle.

Despite the potential for gossypol toxicosis (particularly in pre-ruminants) and risk factors associated with impaired fertility in bulls, cottonseed products offer a safe alternative feed for cattle producers when fed at recommended levels. Beef producers seeking to lower production costs should consider using cotton byproducts in their feeding programs. If carefully incorporated, cotton bypro...

Feeding Rice Straw to Cattle

Feed is the largest single cost of producing beef. Producers who have access to alternative feeds often have economic advantages due to the lower costs of production. However, alternative feeds can present challenges due to variable consistency, variable supply, potential toxicants, and unusual composition. Rice straw, a by-product of the rice grain industry in Northern California, is a potenti...