Feedstuffs - Articles

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

Rice can be used as a way to provide nutritious feed to cattle while cutting costs and generating revenue from otherwise unusable products.

August 14, 2024

Callie Hanson

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

Hydroponic forages are developing a presence in the U.S. and have the potential to become a good source of high-quality feed for cattle.

November 4, 2022

Carrie Veselka

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

Livestock producers need to be aware – but not scared – of phytoestrogen-producing forage legumes and how grazing them can affect their herds’ reproductive health.

August 25, 2022

Woody Lane

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

August 25, 2022

Jason Banta

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?

April 25, 2022

Abigail Sartin and Mary Drewnoski

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

July 25, 2021

Chad Zehnder

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

May 14, 2021

Dan Herold

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

January 25, 2021

Mark Corrigan

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

January 25, 2021

Erin Schwandt

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.