Basic Beef Agent Update: Nutrition of the Growing Calf

1. Basic Beef Agent Update: Nutrition of the Growing Calf Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler & Dr. Roy Burris Summer 2013

2. Nutrients • Water • Energy • Protein • Minerals • Vitamins • Same as we discussed for cows

3. Growth Rate of Suckling Calf Synthetic = CharolaisXAngusXGalloway Crossbred = Synthetic X Hereford or Dairy Forage impact on milk Forage quality nutrient to calf Supports creep or early weaning Ahunu & Makarechian, 1987

4. 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

5. Peak Occurs 7-8 Weeks Post-calving

6. Intake of Milk & Forage of Calves Milk nutrient intake doesn’t increase with body weight Gelvin et al., 2004

7. Nursing Calves • Performance dependent on nutrient supply • Increased body weight to maintain • Declining milk availability • Increased need for non-milk nutrient supply

8. General Factors Affecting Calf Growth

9. Pre-weaning Nutrition Management • Cow milkproduction 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

10. 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

11. Calves - Got Milk? Expressed on % Body Wt basis, Forage OM greater amount of diet than milk later in the season Loy et al., 2002

12. 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

13. 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 ?

14. Post-weaning Nutrition

15. 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

16. 770 lb Steer Finished @ 1,400 lb Fescue at 50% TDN DDGS at 100% TDN ~ 6-8 lbs DDGS DMI = 2.7% of BW Fescue endophyte decrease intake 5-10% Concentrate the nutrients to compensate 1996 Beef NRC

17. Mineral Requirements Growing Cattle Should be 0.6-1%

18. 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

19. 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

20. Associative Effects Adapted from OK Beef Cattle Manual: D. Lalman

21. 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

22. 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

23. Typical Founder / Laminitis

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. Coproducts

28. 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

29. Know What They Are • Protein Source? Energy? BOTH?? • Obtain a book value or actual Feed Analysis • Be Cautious of a “GOOD DEAL”

30. 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

31. Soyhulls Fescue-based Diet Vanzant, 2002 KY Beef Report

32. 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??

33. Comparison of Coproducts Expected due to higher Fat content http://www.noble.org/ag/research/Articles/ByproductSupplements/index.html

34. Comparison of Coproducts Rye balage + 4 lbs of Supplement Waller, 2011 TN Highland Rim Field Day

35. 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

36. Sulfate Reduction in the Rumen High Sulfur / Sulfate Intake (Feed + Water) H2S and S2- Eructation H2S Inhalation Lung Tissue Damage Cell Damage S2- Absorption ? PEM Secondary Viral or Bacterial Infections Poor Animal Performance Adapted from Kung et al. 1998

37. Mineral Adjustment • Coproduct Balancer Mineral Product • High Calcium, Low Phosphorus • Look for Thiamine in ingredients

38. Coproduct Balancer Cattle Mineral (EXAMPLE PRODUCT TAG ONLY) MEDICATED For Weaned Calves For improved feed efficiency in cattle fed in confinement for slaughter ACTIVE DRUG INGREDIENTS Lasalocid……………………….…………………… 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 PPM Copper, minimum ………………………… 800 PPM Iodine, minimum ………………………………... 20 PPM Manganese, minimum ……………............ 1600 PPM Selenium, minimum ………………………… 12 PPM Zinc, minimum ………………………... 2400 PPM Thiamine, mg/lb ………………………………… 150 mg/lb Vitamin A, minimum…………………………….. 75,000 IU/LB Vitamin D, minimum…………………………….. 10,000 IU/LB Vitamin, E, minimum …………………………… 280 IU/LB Feeding rate: 0.17 - 0.60 lbs/d

39. How Do They Compare? 1983 Oklahoma Research Report Streeter & Horn Lamb Digestibility Trial Rice mill feed = Rice bran (Good Stuff) & Rice Hulls (low digestibility)

40. Rumen Digestibility Differs Schultz & Collar, 1983 California Agriculture

41. 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

42. Cattle Will Eat These Feeds! • 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

43. 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

44. Distillers Increases Carrying Capacity • Control 2.8 AUM; Fertilizer 4.0 AUM & 80 lb N; Supplement 4.0 AUM & 5 lbs DDGS ADG, lb/d Con 1.50 Fert 1.47 Supp 2.02 Greenquist et al., 2007 NE Research Report

45. 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

46. Supplementation of Grazing Calves • Substitution of forage intake • Alternate day feeding strategies • Dilution of endophyte • Increase digestible nutrient intake

47. Summary • Pre-weaning growth dependent on forage management • Post-weaning growth dependent health, forage quality and level of supplementation • Familiarize yourself with coproduct feeds