The winter months are a good time to consider feedstuff production and management plans for the upcoming year. Cattle feeders with integrated crop-livestock systems have the flexibility to produce the feeds that best fit their operation. Questions to ask yourself during this planning phase should include:
- Do I make corn silage, earlage/snaplage, high-moisture or dry corn?
- What about the potential for using high-quality conserved forages (dry hay, cover crops or sorghum silage) to provide fiber and reduce purchased protein costs?
- Which of these feeds will help meet the goals of my operation (backgrounding, growing cattle, finishing cattle)?
Finishing cattle for harvest requires feed energy, which often comes in the form of starch from corn crop products. Effective fiber (effective NDF; eNDF) describes the properties of forage that promote digestive function and rumination but can also limit energy intake. Receiving, backgrounding and growing cattle diets are lower in energy and require more fiber, compared to finishing cattle diets.
Understanding the nutritive components of corn crop end products is necessary when determining which are appropriate for your operation (Figure 1).
A good rule of thumb for corn silage is to consider it 50% corn and 50% forage (starch = 33%, eNDF = 38%), making it flexible for operations feeding light cattle through finish. Comparatively, earlage and snaplage provide a greater amount of starch (62%) and a lower amount of fiber (eNDF% = 18%) compared to corn silage. Finally, high-moisture corn and dry corn are the most concentrated forms of energy in this example, with starch content around 72% and relatively little effective fiber (3% to 3.5% eNDF).
If finishing fat cattle in an aggressive system is your goal, having only corn silage and earlage/snaplage available may leave you short on energy and excessive on dietary fiber. Conversely, an operation with only dry corn and earlage/snaplage available may have to purchase the fiber required for receiving, backgrounding or growing cattle diets. Dietary requirements are not the only considerations when choosing how to harvest corn end products. Equipment needed, storage availability and inventory of each product required should also be part of the decision-making process.
Sorghum, small-grain forages and cover crops can be valuable ingredients in receiving, backgrounding and growing cattle diets. Furthermore, high-quality conserved forages may supply protein and digestible fiber, and could decrease reliance on purchased proteins. A survey of consulting nutritionists in 2016 indicated alfalfa hay was the most commonly used forage source on commercial feedlots in North America. Conserved forages may vary greatly in energy and protein content depending on crop and stage of maturity at harvest (Table 1), so a forage test is imperative to determine the optimal inclusion rate.
While adding forage to finishing cattle diets is often considered “expensive” in terms of potentially reducing feed efficiency, in regions where cattle-feeding operations are often integrated crop-livestock systems, this strategy may make sense economically. Research conducted at the University of Minnesota in 2017 reported that efficiency, when measured by pounds of beef produced per acre of cropland, can be desirable when utilizing greater inclusion rates of forage (as corn silage) when finishing steers. It is important to recognize that some forages may contribute nutritional benefits beyond just a scratch factor, and considerations about a forage’s physical characteristics of fiber, palatability and associative interactions with other feedstuffs must be made.
Minimizing shrink and optimizing fermentation of conserved forages through proper management and use of a forage treatment product will ensure you are getting the most out of your feed. Research has indicated that dry matter loss of ensiled forages may increase from 3% with ideal management to up to 21% with poor management; furthermore, dry matter losses up to 13% may occur when piles are not covered. Work with your nutritionist for guidance on harvesting and preserving high-quality corn products and forages.
