Alternative feeds for beef cattle and what to consider
© Tim Scrivener
Alternative feeds, or co-products, are usually derived as a by-product from food or drink manufacturing, and can offer a relatively cheap source of nutrients.
But quality can vary widely, and co-products rarely provide a complete feed for beef cattle.
Therefore, it is essential that nutritional analysis is carried out on individual feed to formulate a well-balanced ration around it, says AHDB beef scientist Rebecca Small.
This often means including good-quality, home-grown forage as a foundation to provide the right balance of protein, energy and fibre to optimise rumen function.
See also: How beef processor Pickstock improved output by £560/ha
Overall, the ration must be tailored to the breed, type, sex and stage of production.
Another issue that must not be overlooked is farm assurance. The specific details of the farm’s assurance scheme should be checked because most will stipulate purchased feeds are supplied by certified companies, she says.
Here, Ms Small looks at the different options available, the rates at which they should be included and their nutritional value.
Roots
Storage can be problematic with fresh roots, such as carrots, potatoes and parsnips, and stocks may need to be bought in frequently to maintain quality. Hot or very cold weather can cause deterioration, so a cool, dry and well-aerated store is needed.
© Tim Scrivener
Potatoes
Diet inclusion is up to 70% dry matter (DM)
Nutritional value:
- High starch energy
- Low fibre
- Low protein
Typical breakdown:
- DM: 20.5%
- Neutral detergent fibre (NDF): 13.3%
- Crude protein: 11% DM
- Metabolisable energy (ME): 13.5MJ/kg DM
Carrots
Diet inclusion is up to 45% DM
Nutritional value:
- High energy
- High fibre
- Low protein
Typical breakdown:
- DM: 13%
- NDF: 10.5%
- Protein: 9.5% DM
- ME: 12.6MJ/kg DM
© Tim Scrivener
Parsnips
Diet inclusion is up to 50% DM
Nutritional value
- High energy
- High fibre
- Low protein
Typical breakdown
- DM: 15%
- NDF: 14.5%
- Protein: 8.6% DM
- ME: 13MJ/kg DM
Bakery and confectionery
Biscuit is highly palatable and can be fed in place of cereals. It also has a high energy content due to the amount of oil it contains. However, the oil content also means the product cannot be stored for long periods.
Bread is a readily available, high energy, palatable feed source. But it has a lack of digestible and structural fibre, preventing high inclusion rates. Mould develops rapidly on the outer surfaces, which could cause health issues, and this short shelf-life means deliveries have to be frequent.
Breakfast cereal makes a good replacement for concentrate and has a very good palatability and a high energy percentage. Depending on type, however, it can be low in fibre.
Biscuit blends
Diet inclusion is up to 30% DM
Nutritional value:
- High energy
- Low fibre
- Low protein
Typical breakdown:
- DM: 88%
- NDF: 20%
- Protein: 9.5% DM
- ME: 15MJ/kg DM
Bread
Diet inclusion is up to 30% DM
Nutritional value:
- High energy
- Low fibre
- Moderate protein
Typical breakdown:
- DM: 65%
- NDF: 10%
- Protein: 14% DM
- ME: 14MJ/kg DM
Breakfast cereals
Diet inclusion is up to 30% DM
Nutritional value:
- High energy
- Low fibre
- Low protein.
Typical breakdown:
- DM: 90%
- NDF: 11%
- Protein: 12% DM
- ME: 14MJ/kg DM
Fruit
Citrus pulp in wet or dry forms can be used as a high energy, high-fibre supplement. But palatability varies according to the fruit base. Storage for wet pulp is less simple but can maintain quality for up to six months in a clamp.
Dry citrus pulp
Maximum diet inclusion is up to 40% DM
Nutritional value:
- High energy
- High fibre
- Very low protein
Typical breakdown:
- DM: 89%
- Fibre: 21%
- Protein: 7% DM
- ME: 12.5MJ/kg DM
Wet citrus pulp
Maximum diet inclusion is up to 30% DM
Nutritional value:
- High energy
- High fibre
- Low protein
Typical breakdown:
- DM: 24%
- Fibre: 37%
- Protein: 6.5% DM
- ME: 12.2MJ/kg DM
Storage consideration for waste products
Storage requirements depend on the physical form of the feedstuff, which is usually categorised as dry, moist or liquid.
Dry feeds (pelleted, grains or meal) are the easiest types to store with clean bins, hoppers, floors or trailers, all being suitable. Any shelf-life recommendations must be taken into account.
Facilities for moist and liquid feeds require more planning to prevent nutritional degradation and potentially polluting losses.
If the moist feed is to be stored through winter or other long periods, it may need to be clamped if appropriate. As with ensiling any crop, a clean side and top sheet should be used and held down with a heavy material to ensure the sheet is in contact with the feed.
All liquid feeds require storage in clean tanks or drums to prevent contamination or fermentation that can lead to disease problems.
Case study: Beef finishers John and Jim Brown, Gaindykehead, near Airdrie
Father and son Jim and John Brown use potato rejects and waste mashed potato to finish 2,300 to 2,500-head of cattle a year at their farm, near Airdrie in Lanarkshire.
The potato-based products would be packed for supermarkets. A lot of the potatoes and mash are rejected for minor blemishes because retailers demand product uniformity. But they are still fresh and good enough to eat in nutritional terms, says Jim.
To ensure freshness is maintained, the Browns haul potatoes five days a week from the processing factory two miles away. Frequent pickups overcome the need for large storage areas on the farm, reducing spoilage.
The potatoes are mixed with silage for feed once a day – in the morning, then pushed up in the afternoon. Potatoes are fed whole so there is a risk of choking, warns Jim. However, this has proved to be a small risk and the farm has successfully used the system with few incidents since 1972.
The alternative is to crack or crush the potatoes, but this causes the starch content to break down, turning them black. “We would have to feed potatoes twice a day to keep them fresh and palatable if we cracked them first,” he explains.
John manages the farm and says potatoes need to be introduced to the ration gradually. Cattle are bought in at about 500kg, but they have never eaten potatoes before, so they tend to avoid them initially.
The potatoes represent the energy content, so the starter ration includes 2kg of barley, which is fed for the first 50 days on the farm.
Starter ration includes:
- 10-15kg silage
- 2kg barley
- 100g urea
- 5kg (rising to 40kg) potato – either whole or mashed.
Cattle then move to a finisher ration for the remaining 50-60 days.
Finisher ration includes:
- 5-6kg silage
- 1kg brewers barley
- 100g urea
- 40-45kg whole potato
- 5kg mashed potato.
The waste potatoes are regularly analysed so the ration can be adjusted if quality changes. About 5kg of mashed potato is equivalent to feeding 1kg of grain, says John.
But low-protein and low-fibre levels mean the ration is anchored by high-quality silage at about 13-14% protein and 30% DM.
Benefits
Growth rates vary according to breed and conformation, but cattle can achieve daily liveweight gains (DLWG) of up to 2kg/day.
The average DLWG is 1.3kg across 110 days on the farm, taking them from 500kg to 700kg.