Feedstuffs

Feeding calves

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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.

South Central: Distillers grains – know what you are getting

jason.banta@ag.tamu.edu — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Some distillers grains are excellent feed supplements, while others are often not worth the hassle. To understand the differences, it is important to know where and how the distillers grains were produced and the terminology the industry typically uses to describe each source.

Southeast: Make hay testing easy for you

kmason21@utk.edu — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The only way to truly know the nutrient content of hay is to submit a sample to a forage testing lab and have it analyzed. This information can assist you in making feeding decisions for various stages of production and potentially marketing your hay at a greater price.

South Central: Pick the right hay test for your needs

jason.banta@ag.tamu.edu — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Hay represents a major component of most winter feeding programs for cow-calf producers. To develop a successful, cost-effective supplementation program, it is critical to test hay.

Silage pile top layer: Silage or compost?

kebr@novonesis.com — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 23:00:00 -0400

We’ve all seen it. Top-layer spoilage – a rind of discolored, decomposing feed often laden with yeasts, molds and mycotoxins on the top of your silage bunker or pile.

Rice-based feeds offer alternative options for cattle producers in the Rice Belt

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Producers across the varying sectors of agriculture have been forced to find ways to generate revenue and cut costs. In the heart of the Gulf Coast Rice Belt, innovation took the form of rice-based feeds.

Hydroponic forages: A potential resource for beef cattle

carrie.veselka@agproud.com — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 11:08:30 -0400

Hydroponic forages, or forages grown using a specially formulated combination of water and light – no soil required – are not a new technology. Increased pressures to find sources of quality feed through several years of persistent drought, along with the appeal of a land- and water-efficient, environmentally friendly source of high-quality forages has spurred a growing interest in using hydroponic forages in the U.S.

Estrogen and the single plant

woody@woodylane.com — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 17:25:09 -0400

Fifty years ago in Australia, soon after subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) became a popular forage there, farmers and scientists observed a dramatic decline in the fertility of ewes grazing subclover pastures

South Central: Testing hay and crop residues

jason.banta@ag.tamu.edu — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 10:51:36 -0400

Hay testing is always valuable, but it is especially helpful when using crop residues and developing diets to stretch limited hay supplies. Before sending a sample in for analysis, it is always good to visit with a nutritionist to see what labs they recommend and what tests would be most appropriate for the sample being analyzed.

Could small-cereal silage fit your operation?

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 14:00:01 -0400

When I was pursuing my undergraduate degree, microeconomics was my least favorite class – but if I recall one thing about the class, it’s incentives.

Finding balance: Adapting rations when corn price fluctuates

cmzehnder@landolakes.com — Sun, 25 Jul 2021 14:00:01 -0400

Corn prices have a big impact on supplemental feed costs. It’s typically difficult to find alternative ingredients which offer as much energy as corn does at a cheaper price.

Feeding cattle without distillers grains

dan.herold@hubbardfeeds.com — Fri, 14 May 2021 20:25:56 -0400

Since the advent of the ethanol boom in the Upper Midwest, distillers grains (also known simply as distillers) have become a staple ingredient in cattle rations. Known to enhance both ration palatability and animal performance, distillers are a natural fit for all classes of cattle, from feedlot to cow-calf production.

The importance of managing rumen pH

mcorrigan@axiota.com — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 15:00:01 -0500

There are more microbes in the rumen of a single feedlot animal than there are humans on earth. If you think it’s challenging for all of those people to work together, imagine what’s going on in the rumen.

Mycotoxins in feedstuffs: Effects on cattle health and performance

erin.schwandt@biomin.net — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 15:00:01 -0500

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites that pose a significant threat to animal health and productivity and are found in a variety of feedstuffs, including cereal grains, grain byproducts, harvested forages and pasture grasses.

Make sure your feed doesn’t add to the freeze

woody@woodylane.com — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 15:00:01 -0500

Although cold stress may look different in different places, the principles of dealing with it are the same.

Phytogenic compounds in feedlot cattle diets

erin.schwandt@biomin.net — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 14:00:01 -0400

Phytogenic feed additives (PFA) are a combination of the bioactive and flavoring components of plant-derived substances including essential oils, herbs, spices and plant extracts.

Limit feeding cows corn as an alternative to hay

erin.laborie@unl.edu — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 14:00:01 -0400

Feed costs make up the largest expense in a cow-calf operation. While hay is often used to feed cows through the winter, current prices make corn a competitive option to feeding hay.

5 tips for choosing probiotics and prebiotics

kkarges@lallemand.com — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 14:00:01 -0400

Many producers I’ve talked to seem interested – and exhausted – by the number of probiotic and prebiotic feed options. Yeasts, yeast derivatives, yeast cultures and dead yeast products often are called probiotics and prebiotics.

Assessing nutritional protein needs during a pandemic

HeidiDoering-Resch@formafeed.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 14:00:01 -0400

When faced with a pandemic in the feedlot sector, we are forced to turn to utilizing feedstuffs that are available.

3 factors affecting 2020 corn prices

mlangeme@purdue.edu — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 20:36:45 -0400

The U.S. marketing year average corn price for 2019-20 is projected to be $3.60 per bushel. In contrast, the forecast for the 2000-21 marketing year is only $3.20 per bushel. This large decline in corn prices leads to several questions: Why have corn prices declined so sharply? What factors could keep corn prices at their current levels? And, what is the impact of lower corn prices on feed costs?

Managing feedlot rations without ethanol co-products

Tue, 12 May 2020 22:16:47 -0400

A webinar hosted by the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Iowa Beef Center informed cattle producers about feedlot considerations amid the pandemic focused on managing feedlot rations without using ethanol co-products.

Are mycotoxins limiting cow-calf success?

paige.gott@dsm.com — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 15:00:01 -0500

Successfully raising healthy calves to market or retain on farm is essential to the livelihood of cow-calf operations.

Hemp is not (yet) an approved feed ingredient

jason.smith@ag.tamu.edu — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 17:03:12 -0400

It goes without saying that hemp production is currently a hot topic in agriculture. As is the case with almost all other agricultural or food industries where harvest, refinement or processing results in a residue or byproduct, there is also considerable interest in potential uses for hemp and its byproducts as animal feed ingredients – particularly for cattle.

Feeding elevated levels of corn silage in finishing diets

erin.laborie@unl.edu — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 14:00:01 -0400

Corn silage can be an economical feedstuff in finishing diets, especially when corn prices are high.

Energy and balance: The value of processed corn

HeidiDoering-Resch@formafeed.com — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 14:00:01 -0400

Correctly identifying the right corn product for use with your feed inventory, within your cattle feeding region, and utilizing the right cost to assist in formulation is not an easy task given the market variation we as cattle feeders are currently subject to.

Investigating silage spoilage in summer

rschmidt@lallemand.com — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 14:00:01 -0400

Despite producers’ best efforts, sometimes silage will succumb to yeasts, molds and other microbes that can cause spoilage. Heating, mold growth or mustiness are all signs the silage is aerobically unstable. The losses due to unstable silage can be huge: The most highly digestible nutrients go first, and then the tonnage of feed available starts to really drop.

Creep feeding: Do I really need to?

HeidiDoering-Resch@formafeed.com — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 14:00:01 -0400

It’s late summer, we’ve experienced a wet spring and moderate rainfall in the summer, grass finally seems to be adequate, and we have plenty of pasture space available for our pairs. I’ll be taking my pairs to stalks late fall based on how this weather pattern looks, and I’m sitting horseback wondering if I really need to creep feed this year.

Demand high tonnage and high quality from alfalfa

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 14:00:01 -0400

Historically, alfalfa growers have had to choose between high-quality or high-tonnage forage. They’ve had to make difficult choices between quality and quantity.

Making corn silage work for stockers and backgrounders

rschmidt@lallemand.com — Fri, 24 May 2019 14:00:01 -0400

Stockers and backgrounders are growing cattle in the truest sense. Here, the animal uses much of its energy to gain weight and strengthen its immune system against disease challenges.

Is sorghum the best-kept secret for feeding cattle right now?

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 14:00:01 -0400

For farmers looking for cost-effective ways to produce forage in dry environments, sorghum offers some exceptional opportunities.