10 steps to getting the most from concentrate feed

Purchased concentrate feed is the biggest cost associated with winter feeding on suckler beef farms. Given current beef prices, many farmers will be questioning the economics of feeding concentrates this winter.

While they are expensive to buy, a good-quality ration that is fed properly will drive weight gain and milk production.

But rather than just simply buying the cheapest ration available, you should give some thought to the ingredients used in a blend.

Nutritional requirements

There is no one ration that does it all, as finishing cattle have different nutritional requirements compared with lactating cows and young calves. Therefore, by trying to feed one ration to all types of cattle on farm, cattle performance can be compromised in some animal groups. Outlined are 10 steps to try and get the most from purchased feed this winter.

1 Value for money

No one likes to overpay for anything, so make sure you strike the balance between a ration which consists of top-quality ingredients at a good price.

Do not simply opt for the cheapest ration available. More often than not, cheaper rations will contain lower-quality ingredients such as palm kernel, sunflower meal or processed wheat feeds.

Likewise, you do not necessarily require a ration priced at the top end of the market, containing every possible add-on available.

2 Keep the ration simple

The most effective rations usually contain, at most, four or five key ingredients. With simple rations, animals find it is easier to digest a few ingredients compared with a ration consisting of seven or eight ingredients.

Ideally, aim for a ration containing at least 50% cereals such as barley, maize or wheat. Finishing rations should have a higher cereal content. One or two cereals will suffice and the same applies with protein feeds.

For protein, soya is the best-quality ingredient available. Distillers, gluten and rape meal are good options as a secondary protein source.

Finally, include a product such as soya hulls, sugar beet pulp or citrus pulp to increase the level of digestible fibre in the ration. Finish out the ration with molasses and minerals to balance the mix.

3 Pay attention to the ration label

Always ask your feed merchant for a list of the ingredients used in a ration. You can then assess the quality of the feed.

The ingredients used in the ration should be listed in order of inclusion, starting with the product included at the highest rate.

Therefore, a high-quality ration will have ingredients such as barley, maize and soya listed early on the label.

4 Energy for finishing

For finishing cattle, the ration should be high in energy and starch, but low in protein. Finishing rations have energy measured in UFV, whereas growing rations measure energy in UFL.

Rather than getting bogged down in the technicalities of differing energy units, just work on the rule that as the energy level gets closer to 1.0, then more energy is available.

Aim for a finishing ration with a minimum of 0.92 UFV (13 Mj ME). Finishing rations should have anywhere from 50% to 80% cereal content, and ideally be higher in maize than barley.

Aim for starch levels around 35% to 38%, with crude protein levels at a maximum of 12% to 13%.

However, be aware that as energy content increases towards 70% to 80%, so does the risk of rumen upsets such as acidosis. Therefore, consider feeding a yeast or buffer at higher cereal levels.

5 Protein for milk production and weight gain

A good general-purpose ration that suits weanlings, store cattle and lactating cows should be around 16% crude protein. Calf rations should be around 18% protein.

Soya is the Rolls Royce of protein feeds. It is also high in energy, so ideally should be included in cattle rations.

While it is a high-cost feed, it has almost twice the protein levels as alternative products, so inclusion rates can be lower, helping to control the price.

Be aware that when opting for some cheaper protein sources, inclusion rates are much higher due to the lower protein content. When calculated out, there usually isn’t much of a cost saving to be had.

6 Pellet nut or blend

There is no nutritional difference between a loose blend and a pelleted nut. It is merely a matter of preference or availability from local merchants.

With a blend, you can see the quality of ingredients used in the ration, which is a big plus compared to a pellet.

However, some farmers dislike blends as cattle can sort ingredients and they are often dusty. If grains are over-processed, the smaller particles migrate and settle at the bottom of tote bags, or storage bins, meaning there can be greater variation in the feed.

Due to the additional manufacturing process, pelleted feeds tend to be more expensive. However, they are much more consistent when fed out as there is less sorting by cattle.

7 Feed space

When feeding concentrates, there must be enough room to allow all animals to feed at the same time.

Otherwise, there will be bullying among the group. Dominant animals will get more than their fair share, while more timid animals will most likely get zero concentrates.

Remember that as cattle increase in size over winter, you will either need to provide additional feed space, or remove animals from the pen to increase feeding space.

8 Feed rates

When feeding less than 3kg/head, you can feed concentrates once per day. However, once daily concentrate levels exceed 3kg/head, it is better to split the ration evenly between morning and evening feeds. This reduces the risk of digestive upsets.

When building cattle up to ad-lib levels, do so gradually over a 12- to 14-day period by increasing feed rates by 1kg/head every three days.

The golden rule for ad-lib feeding is to have concentrates in front of animals at all times. The trough should never be empty.

But if concentrates do run out and bulls have fasted for more than six hours, then gradually build up to ad-lib levels again over two to three days.

9 Fibre

Fibre is crucial to get the most from high-concentrate diets. Straw, hay or silage are all excellent sources of fibre but they need to be kept fresh to increase intakes.

These fibre sources keep the rumen functioning properly.

They also slow down the rate at which concentrate feeds are digested in the rumen, reducing the risk of acidosis when feeding high-cereal rations.

10 Water

Finally, do not overlook the importance of fresh water when feeding high-concentrate diets. Water will drive intakes, so the more fresh water cattle take on board, the more they can eat.

As a rule of thumb, finishing cattle will drink around 5l to 6l of water for every 1kg of ration eaten.