Anyone who is at least somewhat familiar with the cattle industry knows there is a long list of products and product types that can be used for providing supplemental nutrients to cattle.

When it comes to growing calves, the crude protein system doesn’t work well for cattle feeders. That’s the message Dr. Mary Drewnoski, University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) professor and beef systems extension specialist, hopes beef producers understand.

Dried distillers grains are not just industrial residues. Their unique composition, low in starch but rich in fiber, protein and yeast-derived bioactive, positions them as promising candidates for functional postbiotic foods.

Wowk Ranch near Beauvallon, Alberta, specializes in breeding, training and selling high-quality horses of various breeds and runs 200 commercial cattle that they feed with a team in the winter.

While understanding the impact of feedstuff dry matter is critical for making informed management decisions, we also must consider how differences in nutrient composition, in addition to dry matter, influence feedstuff cost scenarios.

For many dairies, use of premixes is nothing new and they have been used in some fashion since dairying began. In many cases, however, because the practice is so common, we may tend to forget these are tools in our feeding programs that need to be reevaluated from time to time.