As cattle and feed prices continue to soar, producers often find themselves spending countless hours searching for ways to lower production costs.  Supplemental feed represents the largest single cost item in the majority of operations and is, therefore, the area that receives the most scrutiny.  Over the last decade, alternative or by-product feeds have increased in popularity due to availability and lower cost per unit of energy and/or protein.  However, producers may not be fully aware of how to price and safely feed the vast majority of products available. 

Pricing is a rather in-depth subject and varies significantly from one area of the country to another.  For example, a producer located within 10 miles of a brewery will be able to obtain a more competitive price on brewers grains than someone 250 miles away due to lower transportation cost.  The scope of this article will focus more on the feeding aspect of by-products.  Questions on pricing should be directed to the local extension agency, state university, or ADM sales representative or specialist.

By-product feeds can fit into beef feeding programs as the primary roughage, as a supplement to a routine ration, or as a replacement for part of the ration.  Regardless of how the products are positioned, the primary goal of supplementary feeding is to provide needed energy, protein, and/or vitamins/minerals.

By-product feeds are derived from raw parent products that vary greatly in chemical composition.  Nutrient levels of the resulting by-products will vary significantly based on weather, management, crop maturity, and harvest and processing methods.  Sampling is of the utmost importance when utilizing alternative feedstuffs and should occur prior to ration formulation and on regular intervals thereafter. Primary nutrients of concern include energy, protein, fat, and specific minerals and vitamins.

Energy
As discovered in numerous research trials over the last decade, energy values of many feeds change as the amount in the diet changes, especially when forage is replaced with concentrate.  Care must be taken when balancing rations to ensure optimum utilization of energy.

Changes in energy value are referred to as associative effects and can be labeled as positive or negative.  High-starch feedstuffs (i.e. corn grain, grain sorghum, wheat, rice bran, and hominy) have negative associative effects on forage digestibility.  This negative effect is due primarily to lowered rumen pH from rapidly degraded starch and a subsequent change in the microbial population to an environment more conducive to starch digestibility.

A feedyard is not concerned with negative effects on forage digestibility since a limited amount of roughage is simply used as a rumen buffer and stabilizer.  Stocker operations, on the other hand, should note this effect since production is primarily derived from forages.  If the goal is to maximize forage intake and digestibility, energy supplementation should stay at or below 0.5% of body weight. 

Some alternative feedstuffs provide energy in the form of highly digestible fiber rather than starch.  Corn gluten feed, brewers grains, distillers grains, soybean hulls, and wheat middlings are examples of low-starch/high-fiber energy feeds.  Because the energy in these feeds is in the same form as in the forage, there is less of a negative effect on total forage digestibility.

Protein
To maximize intake and obtain optimum performance, the animal’s daily crude protein requirement must be met.  Protein can be classified as either degradable intake protein (DIP) or undegradable intake protein (UIP).  In short, DIP is degraded and utilized by rumen microbes.  UIP, also called “bypass protein,” flows through the rumen unaltered and is utilized in the small intestine (similar to a human). 

Forage intake and digestibility are significantly diminished when DIP is limiting.  Protein sources with high DIP values include soybean hulls, soybean meal, rice bran, corn gluten feed, wheat middlings, whole cottonseed, cottonseed meal, and urea.  When DIP is adequate, performance can be enhanced when young growing animals are supplemented with UIP.  Feeds high in UIP include blood meal, feather meal, corn gluten meal, and distillers grains.  In the majority of situations, balancing to meet crude protein requirements should be sufficient to meet production goals. 

Fat
Feeding fat or high fat feeds is one practical method of increasing or sustaining energy intake and is common practice in feedyard and dairy type rations.  These operations, however, typically monitor feedstuffs regularly and ensure added fat levels remain below detrimental levels.  Alternative feeds with higher fat levels include whole cottonseed, distillers grains, rice bran, whole soybeans, and hominy.  When feeding these products, total dietary fat should be kept below 5-6% (dry matter basis) for optimum performance.  Excessive fat levels can cause digestive disturbances and diarrhea and can greatly reduce feed intake.  

Vitamins/Minerals
Beef and dairy cattle require adequate amounts of minerals and vitamins each day to optimize production and performance. This, however, can be a double-edged sword as toxicity problems can arise when some are fed in excess.

Minerals
Minerals that should be closely monitored when feeding alternative feeds include calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S).  The vast majority of by-products are relatively high in phosphorous.  While excessive phosphorus is rarely a nutritional problem, it can be an environmental concern.  Supplements with high calcium and limited or no phosphorus are ideal when feeding moderate to high amounts of by-product feeds.  One should target a Ca:P ratio of at least 1:1 (optimal is 2:1). 

When utilizing products with high fat content, dietary calcium and magnesium levels should be increased.  High dietary fat increases fecal calcium losses through the formation of soaps.  In turn, high dietary calcium and phosphorus can negatively impact magnesium absorption.  Therefore, by increasing both calcium and magnesium, one can eliminate potential mineral imbalances and deficiencies resulting from high dietary fat.

Sulfur levels can be excessive in a number of products including corn gluten feed, brewers grains, and distillers grains.  Mismanagement in mixing and or feeding can result in animal morbidity and mortality if sulfur levels are excessively high.  Animal effects may be exacerbated if sulfur levels in drinking water are elevated.  The requirement for sulfur is 0.15% of dietary dry matter and maximum recommended level is 0.3%.

Vitamins
Vitamin concentrations in the majority of by-products are very low or non-existent.  Rations including these feedstuffs need adequate vitamin A, D, and E supplementation.  In addition, for those products containing high sulfur levels, thiamin has been shown to reduce polioencephalomalacia symptoms and should be included in a supplement package.

Specific Nutrient Levels and Feeding Guidelines
Average nutrient levels for by-products are given in Table 1.  Recommended guidelines for feeding are also provided for both forage and grain-based rations. As discussed previously, by-products should be analyzed for nutrient content and rations formulated accordingly before actually feeding the specific by-product as nutrient levels can vary significantly. 
 

Table 1  Average Nutrient Content of By-products and Suggested Feeding Rates   Dry    Matter (%) Crude Protein (%) Fat (%) Ca (%)  P (%)  K (%) Mg (%) S (%) Max Level in Ration (DMB**) Forage-Based Grain-Based Corn * 90 9.80 4.10 0.03 0.32 0.44 0.12 0.11 <0.5% BW*** - Soybean Hulls 90 12.00 2.10 0.53 0.18 1.29 0.22 0.11 <0.5% BW 30% Rice Bran 91 14.40 15.00 0.10 1.73 1.89 0.97 0.20 <0.4% BW 33% Rice Millfeed 91 6.80 6.40 0.08 0.60 2.20 0.57 0.30 <0.4% BW 40% Corn Gluten Feed, dry 90 21.50 3.90 0.07 0.95 1.40 0.40 0.47 <0.5% BW 50% Corn Gluten Feed, wet 43 21.50 3.90 0.07 1.00 1.40 0.40 0.47 <0.5% BW 50% Wheat Middlings 89 18.40 4.90 0.15 1.00 1.13 0.40 0.19 50% Whole Cottonseed 89 24.40 17.50 0.17 0.62 1.24 0.38 0.27 0.3-0.5% BW 15-20% Hominy 90 11.50 7.70 0.50 0.57 0.65 0.26 0.10 <0.5% BW Max. 6% fat in diet Brewers Grain, wet 21 26.00 6.50 0.29 0.70 0.58 0.27 0.34 15-20% Brewers Grain, dry 90 29.20 10.80 0.29 0.70 0.58 0.27 0.40 15-20% Distillers Grain, dry 94 23.00 9.80 0.11 0.43 0.18 0.07 0.40 15 - 30% Distillers Grain, wet 50 30.00 16.00 0.03 1.02 1.30 0.42 0.40 20% 30% Cottonseed Hulls 90 4.20 1.70 0.15 0.09 0.88 0.14 0.08 - 10-25% Cotton Gin Trash 90 7.4 1.7 0.65 0.12 - - - - 25% *Corn grain used as a reference point. ** DMB = dry matter basis *** % BW = percent of body weight (dry matter basis)

Supplementing By-products The availability of grain by-products and cost-effectiveness of using by-products in livestock rations has necessitated the need for supplements specific to their use in livestock feeds. ADM Alliance Nutrition offers balanced supplements formulated specifically to complement a wide range of by-product commodities. Beef by-product supplements contain elevated calcium, optimum trace mineral and vitamin fortification, and added thiamin. ADM Alliance Nutrition by-product balancer supplements can be fed free-choice or mixed in the ration. These supplements are available with or without protein fortification and can be obtained in meal or pellet form. Contact your local ADM Alliance Nutrition professional for more information regarding the by-product balancer that’s tailor-made for your feeding program.

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