Sample Beef Cattle Feeding Plan
- Grain: two to four pounds
- Hay: 10 to 14 pounds per day (half of the hay should be legume hay)
- Mineral block: as much as needed
What is the best cow to raise for beef?
Texas Longhorn
- Profit. Their horns sell for $200 to $1200. The hides sell for $400 to $700. ...
- Pros:
- Cons: While the Red Angus is not as popular as the Black Angus, it possesses the same great marbling and taste as the Black Angus.
What is the best feed for cows?
Why Rotational Grazing:
- It takes pressure off the land.
- It allows fields to regrow and thrive.
- It helps control the amount of damage you allow your animals to have on a field.
- It helps you control how much pasture your cows eat (we have cows who would probably eat themselves to death if given unlimited, green pasture).
What is the best food for cows?
What Do Cows Like to Eat: 8 Different Types of Cow Food
- Hay. It’s no secret that cows like to eat hay. ...
- Barley. Barley is one of the most popular foods that cows like to eat. ...
- Grass. If you have a huge farm with a lot of grass on it, this could be the key to keeping your cows well-fed.
- Dry feed. ...
- Grains. ...
- Oats. ...
- Salt licks. ...
- Wet feed. ...
What is the best cow feed?
Like people, cattle do best when they have a balanced diet ... Yet in the wintertime, we are almost always delivering some sort of feed to cows. In eastern South Dakota, typically, this is silage and ground hay mixed. Even on small operations where ...
What do farmers feed beef cows?
Commercial gains farmers feed to cows are often composed of corn, oats, barley or a mixture. While barley is the least expensive, oats are often the preferred grains because they are easily digested by cattle due to the high fiber content.
What do most beef cows eat?
Cows eat grass and hay. On a dry matter basis a cow will eat 4 to 5 tons of forage per year. As long as there is pasture for the cows to eat it is most economical to let them graze.
What grain is best for beef cattle?
Corn, oats, and barley are the primary grains fed to cattle. Oats, which has a lower energy value due to its high fiber content, is considered the "safest" grain in regards to potential digestive disturbances.
What is the most common feed for cows?
Grains serve as the base of most commercially produced and homemade cattle feed. The most commonly used grain in cattle feed is corn, due to its low cost and relatively high nutritional content. Soy and barley are also used to supplement corn and provide a greater variety of nutrients.
How much grain should I feed my beef cow per day?
Cows will voluntarily consume about 2 percent of their body weight or 24 pounds per day. The 24 pounds is based on 100 percent dry matter.
Do beef cows eat hay?
As an example, if it were determined the daily dry matter intake of a group of 1,200 pound cow eating an average quality hay is 24 pounds per head and the hay that they are consuming is 88% dry matter, these cows would consume about 27 (24 pounds/. 88) pounds per head per day on an as-fed basis.
What feed makes beef taste best?
In terms of flavor profiles, corn is the most popular grain used by beef farmers. Grain fed cattle tends to be more fatty and this is what produces marbling and that beefy flavor.
Do cows need grain everyday?
The grain finished cattle need to be checked regularly and fed daily. They live in the pasture their entire lives and also receive natural grain during the last 6 months of their life. It's up to them on if they eat the grass or grain.
What do you feed slaughter steers?
Feed a free choice mixture of 80 percent ground sorghum grain, 10 per- cent protein supplement and 10 percent salt as cattle are placed on pasture and continue until slaughter weight is reached. Cattle will consume this mixture at approximately 1 percent of their body weight daily.
Is alfalfa hay good for beef cattle?
Alfalfa-grass hay is a good feed for producing beef cows. First cutting hay that is more mature or has been weather damaged can be well utilized by these cows; the best hay can be fed 30 days period to calving until about 60 days after calving.
Ration Formulation for Growing Cattle
Fact sheet providing guidelines as hypothetical scenarios that illustrate dietary comparisons across a singular system for growing beef cattle.
Integrating Grazing into Cropping Systems
Benefits of integrating livestock grazing into cropping systems are becoming clearer. There are many challenges that need to be addressed to increase the chance of success with both enterprises.
Preparing for Calving Season
Spring calving season is here for some and around the corner for others. As a beef producer, what do you need to know to be prepared for calving season?
Ration Formulations for Growing Cattle
Formulating a diet for beef cattle and feeding a balanced ration are keys to having a successful beef operation. Learn how to combine various feed ingredients to meet beef cattle daily requirements.
Cattle Feeders Day
Learn up to date information on the cattle feeding industry and production with this informative webinar!
Transitioning Calves: From Pasture to Feedlot
Transitioning newly weaned calves to the feedlot can be highly successful, or it can be a disaster. In order to avoid the disaster, follow these tips for success.
Gut Health in Cattle
Poor gut health can negatively affect overall cattle health status and performance. By maintaining ideal gut health, animal health and performance will be bettered.
Feeding Beef Cattle
Between 24 and 27 billion pounds of beef are produced in the United States annually. Though domestic consumption has been decreasing, foreign demand remains high. Typically farmers raise weaned calves to a slaughter weight of 1,000 to 1,400 pounds. The cost of feeding beef cattle drops as the number of animals increases in operation.
Nutritional Needs of Feed
Cattle that weighs 700 pounds or more should be given a ration that contains 11% protein in a mix composed of grain. More extensive framed beef cattle will require a higher grain ratio to achieve the same quality as smaller framed cattle. Thus ration can depend upon the type of livestock raised and the market grade.
Facilities
Material for facilities includes fencing, boards, wire panels, and steel cables. Housing does not have to be expensive. Both open-sided sheds and enclosed structures are appropriate. It is essential because it is designed for the number of cattle and has a good manure management program.
Purchasing Beef Cattle
Graded feeder calf sales typically happen in the Spring and Fall. Farmers can use cattle brokers or auctions to obtain feeding beef cattle. Prices can fluctuate significantly, but higher-grade feeder cattle sell at a greater rate than lower grades. Cattle in better shape are generally given a higher grade, regardless of weight in pounds.
Environmental Implications
Farmers have much to consider in regards to their operation and how it may impact the environment. They handle pesticides, have manure to handle, and use equipment to manage their stock. All of these can influence soil, water, or air.
Insurance
All facilities and equipment must be insured when raising and feeding beef cattle. Obtaining insurance can best be accomplished by connecting with a local insurance agent or broker. Property, liability, and vehicle insurance coverage should all be in place. A good option is to obtain multi-peril crop insurance.
Budget Considerations
It is essential to consider all costs and budget so you may have a successful operation. Allocating price to nutritional feed with the correct protein to grain ratio will ensure you are feeding beef cattle adequately to make them competitive.
What do cows eat?
Most of a cow’s life is spent eating grasses and hay. During the spring and summer, when the grass grows plentifully, beef cattle eat more pasture grasses. During the late fall and through the winter cattle are fed hay. In a perfect world, this rotation—grass in the growing season and hay through the fall and winter—would be enough.
Why do cattle need supplemental feed?
Protein and nutrient deficiencies are the other main reasons your herd may need supplemental feed. Low-quality forage is defined as forage that contains less than 7% crude protein (CP) and has lower than 50% total digestible nutrients (TDN).
What happens when cattle eat less forage?
In short, when the forage is depleted and they eat less of it, the need to give your cattle supplemental feed increases dramatically.
Why do cows need cubes?
Cattle Cubes. Cattle cubes help your herd maintain both their weight and condition because they are formulated to supplement fair and low-quality forage. Cattle cubes provide the protein, minerals, and vitamins a cow’s forage sometimes lacks. Cattle cubes come in several different sizes, making them easier for your cattle to eat.
What to do if cattle have insufficient forage?
With insufficient forage, cattle need feed. You should take action right away if you know that your herd’s grazing will be limited. You could simply reduce the number of cows in your herd, which would immediately reduce the amount of supplemental feeding the remaining cows require.
What is textured feed?
Textured cattle feed is made from flaked corn, molasses, protein pellets, and several other energy sources. It is also fortified with macro and micronutrients, vitamins, and other natural ingredients. Because it contains molasses, textured cattle feed is often referred to as “sweet feed.” Today’s textured cattle feed, which uses less molasses than in the past, still provides an advantage; it makes the feed more palatable, which is good news for your cattle.
What are cattle cubes?
Cattle cubes come in several different sizes, making them easier for your cattle to eat. Most cattle cubes contain 20% crude protein but also can be found in higher protein percentages. TIP: To reduce competition among your herd, your best choice is to feed them with ground, free-choice cattle cubes.
Why is it important to take inventory of feeds?
Even through hay will make up a small portion of the ration, it is important to know the quality and the nutrients it will be contributing to the overall diet.
How long does it take to finish cattle?
This time can range from 80-300 days.
Do ranchers sell beef?
A trend that has become more prominent in recent years is for ranchers to finish a few animals and sell beef directly to the consumer. Consumers have a desire to know where their beef comes from, value the story and are seeking ranchers to purchase beef from. At the same time, ranchers have been seeking opportunities to add value to their cattle and reduce their exposure to market swings.
What is the best feed for cattle?
Feed Composition Sources. In general, your cattle feed will be made up of three different sources: roughage, concentrates, and supplements. Roughage is relatively low in most nutrients, but high in fiber. Concentrates provide most of the calories, protein, and other nutrients for your cattle, but are relatively low in fiber.
What are the supplements that cattle need?
The most common supplement is salt, but others include oils, phosphate, and limestone.
What is roughage for cattle?
Roughage should make up the bulk of your cattle's feed in volume and weight. The least expensive roughage option is usually forage. Basically, this means that your cattle are pasturing and consuming the plants they find. It's important to make sure you have a good supply of forage, rotate animals regularly, and periodically assess the quality of forage in your pastures.
What are concentrates for cattle?
Concentrates provide most of the calories, protein, and other nutrients for your cattle, but are relatively low in fiber. Ideally, your concentrates should also include most of the nutrients your cattle need, but that isn't always the case. Supplements are food sources added to your cattle's diet specifically to make up for nutritional shortages in ...
Why do cattle need energy?
Cattle need to have enough energy to supply their basic metabolic needs (known as maintenance energy), and enough to help them increase their weight. You also have to make sure cattle get enough fiber. Cattle are ruminants. Their digestive systems are designed to deal with foods that have a high degree of fiber.
How much protein do stressed animals need?
Stressed animals may require more than 20% more protein than unstressed animals, and about 15% more calories. Other nutrient requirements also increase, with many doubling. Check individual nutrients to determine whether you need to add seasonal supplements or change the balance between concentrates and roughage.
What are the main causes of stress in cattle?
Some sources of stress for beef cattle include: Heat. Cold. Mud. Sun. Pests. Illness. Imbalanced and/or unpalatable diet. In hot temperatures, animals may eat less, but need more to maintain their weight, which can lead to weight loss.
What do cows eat when they graze?
When cows graze, they selectively eat leaves and husks, the best parts of corn residue. Baled stalks don’t give them that choice. 5. Baled stalks make good combo feed. If you have a mixer wagon, a mixed ration of baled corn residue and distillers’ grains can make a very good cow ration.
How much waste do cows feed?
Cows fed dried distillers’ grains on the ground waste up to 40% of it. But in a bunk, it’s usually about 5% waste. “Bunk feeding always makes sense if you can do it,” Drewnoski says.
How much grazing does 200 bushels of corn provide?
Graze according to corn yield. Generally, the higher the yield, the more carrying capacity of stalks. “200-bushel corn will provide twice as much grazing as 100-bushel corn,” Drewnoski says. She adds that when cows are grazing a stalk field, she keeps an eye on the corn husks. When they’re gone, it’s time to move.
Do cows like confined spaces?
Most cows don’t like them anyway. 7. Feed less in confinement. If your cows spend the winter in confined spaces, you can be even more stingy with their feed. “We often find that confined cows need less feed than we calculated,” says Drewnoski.
Does Nebraska have a cow Q lator?
Nebraska has an online tool called the Feed Cost Cow-Q-Lator. You can enter numbers for the hay you are considering, and it will give you the best value hay, not just the lowest cost hay. “If you price it based on its crude protein and total digestible nutrients (TDN), you ensure you’re getting the best deal,” says Drewnoski. “Frankly, this is one area where people waste a lot of money.”
Can you use ammonia to add protein to corn stalks?
Ammoniate corn residue bales. If you bale corn stalks after harvest for cow feed, you can add significantly to its protein and TDN by ammoniating it with anhydrous ammonia. Cover the stalk bales with a tarp, then inject the gas to permeate the bales.
What is the key nutrient for a cow?
Except for small additions of protein for heavy-milking cows and young cows still growing, the key nutrient is energy . Most beef cows will be able to meet lactation needs with reasonable intake of grass, hay, and stored forages of good quality that will usually supply 1-1.2 Mcal/lb of metabolizable energy. Table 1.
What is beef cattle?
Beef cattle are the scavengers of the livestock business. They can turn high fiber forages and food by-product residuals into protein food at a very effective rate. For the cow herd there is seldom a period during the year when the cow cannot meet her nutritional needs with reasonable quality grass, hay, or stored forages. The exception for these nutritional needs is for the 60 days prior to calving and immediately after calving.
Why is beef cow milk wasted?
Studies have shown there is a point of diminishing returns and additional milk production in beef cows is probably wasted because calves will not be able to efficiently utilize large quantities of milk. When we compare this result to the typical dairy cow that may produce 6-10 gallons of milk daily, the divergent nutritional needs are apparent. ...
How long does it take for a cow to gain weight after calving?
(2003) for cows fed to gain either 1 lb/day or 2 lbs./day for 71 days after calving.
How much milk does a cow produce during lactation?
Lactation. There is considerable variation from genetics and breed type, but the average beef cow produces about 1 1/2 gallons of milk per day during a lactation. Approximately 60-75% of the total milk produced will be in the first 60 days after calving.
What is the difference between a dairy cow and a beef cow?
The dairy cow has a large outflow of protein, minerals, and water that must be replaced. The beef cow has very little loss of these nutrients from milk production. Data in Table 1. show an 1100-lb. cow eating 22 lbs. of grass hay with 11% crude protein will need to be a pretty exceptional milk producer to require additional protein in the diet.
Can pre-calving feed affect nursing behavior?
Restricted pre-calving feed intake may also influence calf nursing behavior. Lardy and Stolenow (2001) have reported on Australian data which showed calves born to dams on a low plane of nutrition took significantly longer to nurse than calves born to dams on a maintenance or high plane of nutrition.
What to feed cows to digest?
You might want to feed more fibrous grains such as oats to help the cows digest them more easily. Grains such as wheat contain little fiber and thus may make it more difficult for the cow’s digestive system to cope. To help the cows digest grain, you can add chemicals that balance acidity during the introductory phase.
How to help cattle digest grain?
To help the cattle enjoy better grain digestion, you can process the grains by crushing, milling, or rolling them. However, great attention should be paid as, in some cases, processed grains might cause acidosis. There are some things to commit to memory in order to avoid unpleasant events.
How to prevent overfeeding of cattle?
Separate polled cattle from horned cattle and draft off shy-feeders. By doing so, you will reduce the risk of overfeeding. Some cows may eat grain readily while others may refuse it when being fed in groups. It is recommended to hand-feed the cattle with hay before you introduce grain.
Should you hand feed cattle before introducing grain?
It is recommended to hand-feed the cattle with hay before you introduce grain. By doing so, you will help your cattle get accustomed to a feed trough. When all the cows in a group eat hay readily, you can start to feed them grain. You can place the grain on top of the hay at first, then gradually replace the hay with grain.
Can you feed whole grain on the ground?
Whole grain can be easily fed on the ground as it won’t get wasted. In case you want to separate grain from roughage, then make sure to go for whole grains as they are considered to be safer this way. If you mix roughage with grain, it is safe to crush the grain.
Is barley easier to digest than wheat?
Processed barley and wheat are significantly easier to digest whereas the digestibility of grains like oats is only slightly increased through processing. If you decide to use processed grains, then feed them in troughs. Whole grain can be easily fed on the ground as it won’t get wasted.
Can you feed grain to cattle?
Grain can be fed as a supplement to grazing, a drought ration, or in lot feeding. No matter your case, utmost attention should be paid to this step in cattle feeding in order to avoid unwanted effects. If you’re just starting to feed grain, you need to allow your cow’s digestive system to gradually adapt to this new food; therefore, ...
Starting A Beef Feeding Enterprise
- Thorough planning and preparation are essential for you to have a successful beef-feeding operation. Operators should determine where they will obtain feeder calves, which feeds will be required to finish the cattle to desired market weights and grades, and what type of shelter will b…
Facilities
- Various materials can be used for feedlot fences, including boards, wire panels, high-tensile wire, and steel cables. Barbed wire is not recommended. A seven- or nine-wire high-tensile fence is one of the most economical barriers. Another effective fence is a combination of high-tensile wire (which can be electrified) with three or four 2-by- 6-inch planks spaced between the wires. Housi…
Grazing and Backgrounding
- Some cattle feeders purchase lightweight feeder calves (350 to 550 pounds), graze them during the spring and summer, and then finish them in the feedlot starting in late summer or fall. Backgrounding is a special type of program that usually combines pasture systems and lightweight cattle. These cattle require extremely good nutrition, management, and health progra…
Purchasing Feeder Cattle
- Anyone purchasing feeder cattle must keep up-to-date on market conditions. Graded feeder-calf sales are held in both fall and spring; some feedlot operators use cattle brokers and tele-auctions to obtain their feeder cattle. Feeder-cattle prices can fluctuate considerably in almost every season of the year. Higher-grade feeder cattle sell for a higher price per pound than lower grade…
Health Maintenance Program
- Because preconditioned and heavier feeder cattle tend to have fewer health problems, purchasing preconditioned calves can be a good investment for the cattle feeder. Preconditioning includes weaning 21 to 45 days before shipping, vaccinating for diseases prevalent in the area, dehorning, castrating, implanting, treating for external and internal parasites, and starting the cattle on grai…
Environmental Impacts
- In the normal course of operations, farmers handle pesticides and other chemicals, may have manure to collect and spread, and use equipment to prepare fields and harvest crops. Any of these routine on-farm activities can be a potential source of surface water or groundwater pollution. Because of this possibility, you must understand the regulations to follow concerning t…
Risk Management
- You should carefully consider how to manage risk on your farm. First, you should insure your facilities and equipment. This may be accomplished by consulting your insurance agent or broker. It is especially important to have adequate levels of property, vehicle, and liability insurance. You will also need workers' compensation insurance if you have any employees. You may also want t…
Sample Budgets
- Included in this publication are three sample budgets summarizing costs and returns for feeding beef cattle. The first is for feeding steers; the second is for feeding heifers; and the third is for feeding yearlings. These budgets should help ensure that you include all costs and receipts in your calculations. Costs and returns are often difficult to estimate in budget preparation becaus…
For More Information
- Becker, J. C., L. F. Kime, J. K. Harper, and R. Pifer. Understanding Agricultural Liability. University Park: Penn State Extension, 2011.
- Comerford, J. W., L. F. Kime, and J. K. Harper. Beef Backgrounding Production. University Park: Penn State Extension, 2013.
- Comerford, J. W., L. F. Kime, K. E. Knoll, and J. K. Harper. Dairy-Beef Production. University Pa…
- Becker, J. C., L. F. Kime, J. K. Harper, and R. Pifer. Understanding Agricultural Liability. University Park: Penn State Extension, 2011.
- Comerford, J. W., L. F. Kime, and J. K. Harper. Beef Backgrounding Production. University Park: Penn State Extension, 2013.
- Comerford, J. W., L. F. Kime, K. E. Knoll, and J. K. Harper. Dairy-Beef Production. University Park: Penn State Extension, 2008.
- Greaser, G. L., and J. K. Harper. Enterprise Budget Analysis. University Park: Penn State Extension, 1994.
