beef cattle nutrition feeder and stocker cattle. market beef lifecycle age of animal, months weaning...
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Market Beef Lifecycle
Age of animal, months
Weaning
Birth
Growing Finishing
0 6-7
Stocker
9-10 12 14 and older
Harvest
Calves Yearlings
Preconditioning
Nutrition guidelines:Creep feed and bring feeder into feedlotPalatable diet, not dustyFeed long-stem hay and topdress grain for a
few daysFeed in a bunk to get used to it
Preconditioning
Free-choice watering systemLoose free-choice salt Increased mineral needs prior to shippingAvoid silage or fermented feeds-smell will
drive them offCaution with lots of grain: acidosis, bloat,
founder
Stocker Cattle
Weaned calves that are forage-fed for a period of time before being sold to enter a feedlot
For spring born calves bought in fall:Winter on high-roughage diets in drylot Winter graze on wheat/winter oats, or fescueWinter on stocks (corn or milo) until gone, then
feed silage with CP (legume/supplement) in feedlot
Other Feedstuffs
High energy supplementation, but need low starch Soy hulls Wheat midds Brewers grains Fed up to 6 lbs/day to 500 lbs calves
Protein supplementation Limited by energy, so CP may not get response
Balance between expected performance and cost of supplementation (Feed:Gain = 5:1)
Bar F Cattle Company
Stocker cattle and preconditioning operation in north central Arkansas
~1200 head at a time ~9000 head move through in a year Calves range from 400-650 lbs at start Calves from TN, AR, NC, KY, MO, GA, AL
Transition Rations
First time calves into feedlot-goal is to minimize disease and death loss
Get them eating!Medium quality roughage free-choicePlus protein supplement if neededAfter 2-3 days-add grain at rate of .5 lb/100
lbs
Market Cattle Requirements
Generally 2-3% of BW for DM intake CP-between 9 and 14% Feedlot cattle average 12-14% TDN-65-85% Calcium-0.3-0.6% Phosphorus-0.2-0.4%
Considerably higher with byproducts Ca:P ratio of 2 (or greater):1 to avoid urinary
calculi
Backgrounded Cattle
Weaned calves placed in drylot or pasture with more emphasis on growing than stocker calves
Fed grain + roughage Target finish is 800+ lb Move straight to finishing ration
Growing Cattle
Growing calves in feedlot until switched to finishing ration
More roughage than concentrate generally Phase 1 feeding-50-60% concentrate from 450-
800 lb Traditionally mostly silage diet now stalks, hay
Phase 2 feeding->75% concentrate over 800 lb (mostly grain diet)
Finishing Cattle
Target is to increase marbling-improve quality Concentrate:roughage ratio of 85:15 or higher Faster gains on higher concentrate diet Increase in TDN by 10% may decrease intake
by 10% High concentrate diets can lead to problems like
acidosis, founder, and liver abcesses
Feed Additives
Non-nutritive ingredients added to the diet Examples commonly used:
MedicationsFlavoringsColoringsGrowth promotantsAntioxidants (preservatives)
Antibiotics Inhibits growth of some (not all) microbes
Continuous inclusion-in diet all the time Coccidiostats
Short-term inclusion-used to cure/treat a disease Examples: Tetracyclines, Tylan, Penicillin
Should antibiotics be utilized in livestock feeds? Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics Super bugs, antibiotic treatment becomes useless
Ionophores
Commonly fed to cattle, kill certain rumen bacteria Beef cattle (cows and feedlot) Changes rumen bug population so can improved
feed use
Considered an antibiotic Examples: Rumensin, Bovatec TOXIC to horses!
Ionophores
Commonly used: Ralgo, Synovex (S,H), Compudose, Revalor
Active for 60-100 days after insertion into ear Increased gains
Steers 8-12% and heifers 6-10% Increased efficiency (feed to gain)
Steers 5-8% and heifers 4-7%
Hormonal Effect Additives
MGA-fed to feedlot heifers, to suppress heat Acts like progesterone in female cattle P4 is pregnancy hormone- MGA tricks body Increases gain because heifers will go off feed
during estrus- riding, etc Approved for use to synchronize estrous cycle in
breeding females Feed continuously and then withdraw-->estrous