Basic Beef Agent Update: Nutrition of the Growing Calf

Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler & Dr. Roy BurrisSummer 2013

Nutrients

• Water• Energy• Protein• Minerals• Vitamins

• Same as we discussed for cows

Growth Rate of Suckling Calf

Synthetic = CharolaisXAngusXGalloway

Crossbred = Synthetic X Hereford or Dairy

Forage impact on milkForage quality nutrient to calfSupports creep or early weaning Ahunu & Makarechian, 1987

Growth of Nursing Calf: Layman

• 550 lb calf weaned at 200 days age

• 80 lb birth weight

• 550 – 80 = 470 lbs gain

• Gain / d on cow 470 lb/ 200 d = 2.4 lb / d

Peak Occurs 7-8 Weeks Post-calving

Intake of Milk & Forage of Calves

July Aug Sept Oct0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

MilkForage

Inta

ke, %

Bod

y w

eigh

t

Gelvin et al., 2004

Milk nutrient intake doesn’t increase with body weight

Nursing Calves

• Performance dependent on nutrient supply

• Increased body weight to maintain

• Declining milk availability

• Increased need for non-milk nutrient supply

General Factors Affecting Calf Growth

Calf ADGMilk

Forage Avail

Forage Quality

Genetics

Health

Pre-weaning Nutrition Management

• Cow milk production function of genetic potential and nutrient supply– Increase quality of forage– Ensure ample availability– Select for more milk, BUT have to have forage base

• Creep feeding – increase nutrient digestibility

• Early-weaning – quality of diet increased

Creep Feeding

• Typically offered last 90 days or so

• Efficiency impacted by rate of supplementation– Calves ADG = or > 1.3 lbs/d

• Lower rates = Greater Efficiency

• Watch feed costs– Some Conversions Can be 8-10:1

Calves - Got Milk?

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

5 mo 6 mo 7 mo

Inta

ke, %

Bod

y W

tMilkForage OM

Loy et al., 2002

Expressed on % Body Wt basis, Forage OM greater amount of diet than milk later in the season

Creep Feeding

• Research indicates– Milk supplies ~ 50% of nutrient needs at 3 mo.

– Response to creep vary with milk production potential of cow

– Response vary depending on quality of forage

– Controlled intakes 3-5 lbs = better efficiency

Creep Considerations• Not likely going to help the cow much

• Not just about weight gain

• Ease transition during weaning

• Disease control/prevention– Cocci

• Costs – Cheap feed + High Feeder = Yes, else ?

Post-weaning Nutrition

Energy and Protein Needs

• Requirement is a function of performance

• Higher gain = more energy & protein

• CP in growing diets 12-16%

• Energy vary depending on intake and gain desired

770 lb Steer Finished @ 1,400 lbNutrient for Target Gain Desired

0.8 lb/d 2.2 lb/d 3.4 lb/d

NEgain, Mcal/lb 0.20 0.35 0.48

Crude Protein, % 7.3 10.1 12.9

TDN, % 50 60 70

DMI, lb/d 19.6 20.7 20.2

1996 Beef NRC

DMI = 2.7% of BWFescue endophyte decrease intake 5-10%Concentrate the nutrients to compensate

Fescue at 50% TDNDDGS at 100% TDN

~ 6-8 lbs DDGS

Mineral Requirements Growing Cattle% of DM or ppm Growing Cattle (McDowell,

2003)Calcium 0.1-0.5%Phosphorus 0.05-0.20%Potassium 0.6%Magnesium 0.10%Sodium 0.06-0.08%Sulfur 0.15%Copper 10Manganese 20Zinc 30Selenium 0.10Iodine 0.50Cobalt 0.10

Should be 0.6-1%

Calcium Needed

• Silage is low in calcium

• Growing cattle need 0.50-0.70% Calcium

• Corn silage has 0.28%-0.32% Calcium

• Takes 0.10-0.20 lb feed grade limestone– Feeding Distillers grains or Gluten Feed as protein even

more critical to have Limestone in supplement

Associative Effects of Feeds

• Positive = When one or more nutrients in a supplement increases forage intake & digestibility

• Negative = When one or more nutrients in a supplement reduces forage intake & digestibility

Associative Effects

Unsupplemented No Response Negative Positive0

3

6

9

12

15

18

21

Forage Supplement

Lbs /

hd

/ day

Adapted from OK Beef Cattle Manual: D. Lalman

Neutral or Positive Effects

• Desire to maximize forage intake and digestibility

• Ideally avoid negative associative effects

• Often related to impacts on fermentation and subsequent rumen pH

Microbial Shift• S. bovis & Lactobacillus produce lactic acid (lactate)– Lactate is a stronger acid– pka 3.1 vs. 4.1-4.5 (acetate, butyrate, propionate)

• S. bovis grows rapidly, doubling in 12 min.– Start w/ 1 bacteria, after 6 hours = 1,073,741,824 bacteria!

• Lactate utilizers grow at a rate ~ 5 times slower– Can’t keep up with production of lactate– Need time to increase their numbers

Typical Founder / Laminitis

Rates of Fermentation Differ• Dry rolled wheat• Steam rolled barley• Dry rolled barley• Temper rolled barley• Whole barley• High moisture corn (processed/bunker), flaked wheat• Steam flaked corn• Steam flaked sorghum• High Moisture corn (stored whole)• Dry Rolled Corn• Dry Whole Corn• Whole Oats• Dry Rolled Sorghum

Faster

Slower

Adapted from Stock & Britton, 1993

Spread the Fermentation• Using knowledge of rates of fermentation can reduce

risk to acidosis– Whole shelled corn over cracked in a self-feeder– Oats provides fiber & slower starch fermentation– Wheat should processed & limited to 30% of diet

• Matching rate of protein degradation and carbohydrate fermentation = Synchrony and may improve efficiency– Urea + High moisture corn– Soybean meal + Corn Stalks

Low Starch Coproduct Feeds

• Soybean hulls, wheat middlings, corn gluten feed, distillers grains, beet pulp, rice bran, and others

• Contain little starch, high digestible fiber

• Reduce risk of acidosis, neutral to positive associative effects

Coproducts

Most Grain Derived

• Corn: Corn gluten meal, Corn gluten feed, Distillers Grains, Corn Bran, Corn Germ meal, Condensed Solubles

• Soybeans: Soybean meal, Soyhulls

• Beets: Beet pulp, molasses

Know What They Are

• Protein Source? Energy? BOTH??

• Obtain a book value or actual Feed Analysis

• Be Cautious of a “GOOD DEAL”

Composition of Common Coproducts

• Suggest Searching BEEF magazine table

• Understand that “table value” does not always reflect the “feeding value”

• Recognize the nutritional risks w/ some

Soyhulls Fescue-based Diet

0

0.330000000000001

0.670000000000002 11.33

56

58

60

62

64

66

68

Neu

tral

Det

erge

nt F

iber

Dig

, %

Vanzant, 2002 KY Beef Report

BEST SUPPLEMENTS

• Balances nutrient needs of cattle at the cheapest cost on forage-base diet– Often energy not protein limiting

• Corn – Limit to ~ 0.3% of BW = 1.5 lb 500 lb

• Distillers offers greater energy than soyhulls & corn gluten feed = COST EFFECTIVE?? HANDLING??

Comparison of Coproducts

http://www.noble.org/ag/research/Articles/ByproductSupplements/index.html

Expected due to higher Fat content

Comparison of Coproducts

Corn/Cottonseed Distillers Corn Gluten Feed DDG/CGF0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

ADG,

lb

Waller, 2011 TN Highland Rim Field Day

Rye balage + 4 lbs of Supplement

Distillers Grains Considerations

• Repeatedly shows greater gains when supplemented at same rate– Greater [energy] from fat content– Kentucky distillers plant is extracting fat

• Caution with sulfur content– Bourbon sources typically lower = safer

• Indications illustrate potential for increased stocking rate / carrying capacity

High Sulfur / Sulfate Intake

(Feed + Water)

Sulfate Reduction in the Rumen

H2S and S2-

H2S InhalationEructation

Cell Damage

PEM

Poor Animal Performance

Lung Tissue Damage

Secondary Viral or Bacterial Infections

S2- Absorption

?

Adapted from Kung et al. 1998

Mineral Adjustment

• Coproduct Balancer Mineral Product

• High Calcium, Low Phosphorus

• Look for Thiamine in ingredients

Coproduct Balancer Cattle Mineral (EXAMPLE PRODUCT TAG ONLY) MEDICATEDFor Weaned CalvesFor improved feed efficiency in cattle fed in confinement for slaughter ACTIVE DRUG INGREDIENTSLasalocid……………………….…………………… 1200 g/ton Guaranteed Analysis:Calcium, minimum ……………………… 25.0%Calcium, maximum ……………………… 30.0 %Phosphorus, minimum……………………….. 1.0 %Salt, minimum ………………………. 18.0 %Salt, maximum ………………………. 21.0 %Magnesium, minimum……………………… 0.10 %Potassium, minimum…………………….. 0.05 %Cobalt, minimum ………………………………… 10 PPMCopper, minimum ………………………… 800 PPMIodine, minimum ………………………………... 20 PPMManganese, minimum ……………............ 1600 PPMSelenium, minimum………………………… 12 PPMZinc, minimum ………………………... 2400 PPMThiamine, mg/lb ………………………………… 150 mg/lbVitamin A, minimum…………………………….. 75,000 IU/LBVitamin D, minimum…………………………….. 10,000 IU/LBVitamin, E, minimum …………………………… 280 IU/LB

Feed

ing

rate

: 0.1

7 - 0

.60

lbs/

d

How Do They Compare?

Item Cottonseed Hulls

Rice mill feed

Soybean Hulls

Beet pulp

DM Dig, % 41.1 30.9 75.0 81.4ADF Dig., % 34.9 3.2 73.4 76.4Wt Gain, lb 5.5 1.6 11.5 13.7

1983 Oklahoma Research Report Streeter & HornLamb Digestibility Trial

Rice mill feed = Rice bran (Good Stuff) & Rice Hulls (low digestibility)

Rumen Digestibility DiffersFeedstuff 24 hr Rumen Digestibility, In

vivoRolled corn 75Rice bran 80Rice hulls 0Wheat mill run 72Beet pulp 92Citrus pulp 79Soybean meal 85Cottonseed hulls 14Recycled paper 41

Schultz & Collar, 1983 California Agriculture

Why Use Low Digestibility Feeds?

• Roughage replacer = Limited hay

• Starch diluter = Lower acidosis risk– Self-feeder situations– Large amount of supplement offered

• Extender = Hard to deliver < 1 lb/hd

• Cheapen the diet

Cattle Will Eat These Feeds!

Item Hay Soyhull CGF MiddsHay intake, lb 12.7 4.08 6.68 3.32Suppl Intake, lb 0.11 19.27 13.67 12.11ADG 1.39 3.31 2.93 2.23

• North Carolina Trial Cattle, Placed on Self-Feeder

• Support Noble work w/ Midds having lower performance•SH & CGF 1 lb suppl lowered hay intake ~ 0.4 lbs

Substitution Effect

• When supplementing grazing feeders, forage intake often reduced

• Rate varies, but often for every 2 lbs of supplement fed, Forage DM intake is lowered 1 lb

• Use this to increase carrying capacity, stretch limited forages

Distillers Increases Carrying Capacity

• Control 2.8 AUM; Fertilizer 4.0 AUM & 80 lb N; Supplement 4.0 AUM & 5 lbs DDGS

Control Fertilizer Supplement0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400Gain, acreGain, hd

Poun

ds

Greenquist et al., 2007 NE Research Report

ADG, lb/dCon 1.50Fert 1.47Supp 2.02

Coproduct Cautions

• DDGS / CGF = Sulfur, Calcium:P– PEM what is it– Safe water levels– Thiamine– Ca:P correction– Tubs/Blocks Label “READ IT”

• Rice Products• Cottonseed hulls

If hand-feeding <1.25% BW to small group, don’t need

Supplementation of Grazing Calves

• Substitution of forage intake

• Alternate day feeding strategies

• Dilution of endophyte

• Increase digestible nutrient intake

Summary

• Pre-weaning growth dependent on forage management

• Post-weaning growth dependent health, forage quality and level of supplementation

• Familiarize yourself with coproduct feeds