mercial feeds or to formulate custom mixes.
Beef cattle feeding involves attention to nutrient
requirements. There are four basic classes of nutrients:
vitamins, minerals, protein, and energy.
VITAMINS
Most grains are deficient in vitamin A. Green feeds such
as alfalfa hay (or growing grass) contain high levels of
vitamin A. Other sources include vitamin A feeding
concentrates and injections. Other vitamins usually are
adequate in most rations. B-complex vitamins sometimes
help when starting cattle on feed, especially drawn,
stressed calves. Also, some people periodically give
vitamin B shots, feeling that appetite is improved. Others
feed a complex, and costly, complete vitamin supplement
throughout the feeding period. If you think this works,
then do it. Peace of mind is worth something.
MINERALS
Grains are high in phosphorous and low in calcium. So,
minerals used in grain rations should be high in calcium
and low in phosphorous. This is the opposite of a good
pasture or range mineral, so be sure to use the right
product. Youll have the best results by balancing the
complete mixed ration with minerals (including salt),
rather than relying on free-choice consumption out of a
mineral feeder. Trace mineral supplements can be mixed
in the ration to insure they are present in adequate
amounts.
PROTEIN
The total diet should average around 11% to 13% crude
protein (CP) for most uses. Younger, growing animals
need more protein. Some feeders use a ration of around
12% CP throughout the feeding period. Others prefer to
feed more protein for starting and less to older, finishing
cattle. The accompanying chart shows the CP level of
common feeds. Notice that oilseed meals such as
cottonseed and soybean are high in CP. Also, see the
section on feeding management.
ENERGY
Energy in cattle diets usually is expressed as Net Energy
or Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN). Feed tags of
commercial mixes do not list either of these factors, as
they are not easily determined. However, crude fiber
(CF, which is listed on feed tags) can be used to estimate
energy content. Look at the table of feed contents.
Notice the relationship between CF and TDN. High
energy feeds like corn and milo (sorghum grain) are low
in fiber. Low energy feeds such as cottonseed hulls are
high in fiber. Low-energy, strictly growing rations usually
contain around 60% to 65% TDN, which generally
corresponds to a content of 15% to 20% CF. High energy
fattening rations have over 70% TDN and less than 8%
CF. General purpose or in-between rations have 65% to
70% TDN and 9% to 15% CF. These CF and TDN levels
apply to the total ration including extra hay, if any is used.
ROUGHAGE
Roughage is not technically a nutrient but is an
important feeding factor. Rations low in roughage are
more likely to cause digestive problems. Hays and some
products like cottonseed hulls are high in roughage.
Some grains with husks, like oats, have a roughage factor.
Roughage is closely related to the fiber level, as shown in
the table of feeds. However, finely-ground high-fiber
materials do not provide as much roughage factor as
long-stem hay. Crude fiber is one of the factors listed in
the analysis section of a feed tag. In addition, the
ingredients section of a tag will list roughage products,
if any are included (possibly even by individual name such
as cottonseed hulls), along with the percentage of such
products if greater than 5 percent. In some mixes
(especially those without oats) these roughage products
listed in the ingredients may be the only source of
roughage in the feed. However, if grains such as oats are
included, the roughage part of the oats (husk) is not
required to be listed in the percentage of roughage Educational programs of Texas Cooperative Extension are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national
origin. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, and
June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. Chester P. Fehlis, Director, Texas Cooperative Extension, The Texas
A&M University System.
Produced by the TAMU Department of Animal Science, The Texas A&M University System
Additional information on animal science topics and junior beef cattle information can be found
on the Web at http://animalscience.tamu.edu.
Extension publications can be found on the Web at: http://tcebookstore.org
Visit Texas Cooperative Extension at: http://texasextension.tamu.edu
products. So, consideration should be given to both the
crude fiber content and the percentage of roughage
products in evaluating commercial mixed feeds. Even
fattening rations generally should contain a minimum of
6% to 8%CF (10 to 15 percent roughage). Starter/grower
rations often have 15% to 20%CF (30 to 40 percent
roughage).
OTHER FACTORS
Molasses often is included in a feed to reduce dustiness
and increase palatability. Special supplements such as milk
replacers sometimes are fed. These may help, especially in
hair bloom, particularly late in a feeding period when
animals may not be full fed. Vitamin supplements already
have been discussed. Some feeders like to include alfalfa.
Many feeders effectively use a little long-stem grass hay
to help avoid digestive problems, especially bloat.
COMPLETE RATIONS
The enclosed table shows three typical types of rations
which could be easily self mixed, or locally mixed by a
mill. Similar rations are widely available commercially
mixed. Two types of rations are listed, those containing
oats (A), and those without oats (B). Corn is included as
a high energy source. Other grains could be included,
such as milo or barley. Oats are a useful, well-balanced
feed but often are expensive for their nutritional content.
Some show rations contain no oats whatever. Some
people question rations without oats, feeling that over-
fattening will occur if more corn is fed.
However, notice that these higher corn-no oats rations
contain more hulls, so the total energy (TDN) of the two
types of rations is similar. Total energy consumption is
the main factor controlling fattening, not what the source
of energy might be. Ration 1 is strictly a starter/grower
ration, Ration 3 is a finishing ration, and Ration 2 is in
between. Note that the protein decreases slightly while
energy varies considerably. This is done by varying the
amounts of grains, oilseed meals, and roughage products.
Remember, if you buy readymixed feeds, use crude
protein and crude fiber on the tag as a guide.
FEEDING MANAGEMENT
How much should a calf be fed? It depends, on the type
and amount of gain desired (growth or finishing) and the
content of the rations. Growing cattle could be fed daily
around 2 ½ to 3 percent of their body weight of a feed
like Ration 1 or less of a medium energy ration, like
Ration 2. Finishing cattle could be fed 2 ½ to 3 percent
of a feed like Ration 2 or less of a high energy ration, like
number 3. If smaller amounts of a higher energy ration
are fed then the percentage of protein may need to be
raised, especially for growing animals, in order to keep
the total amount of protein adequate. This is where
personal preference and familiarity with your ration are
important. Dont change rations a lot, or at least know
what youre changing and why.
HEIFER FEEDING
Heifers require the same nutrients as steers except that
growth is desired as opposed to fattening. A feed like
Ration 1 could be used for the entire program fed at
about 2 percent of body weight. Younger, thinner, or
larger-framed heifers would need more of this ration (or
possibly a mix like Ration 2) than older, fatter, or smaller-
framed heifers.
Some other heifer programs are as follows:
1. 100 percent oats fed like Ration 1 above. Be sure to
include salt and a free-choice mineral with around a 2:1
calcium: phosphorous ratio, and inject vitamin A about
once a month if this oat program is followed.
2. Graze on wheat or oat pasture, plus salt and 2:1
mineral.
3. Graze on good warm-season pasture or feed high
quality grass hay free-choice (such as coastal bermuda,
sudan, etc.), while feeding about 1 percent of body weight
of a ration with 12% to 14% CP and 70% to 75% TDN,
plus salt and mineral.
SUMMARY
As was said at the outset, a large percentage of todays
feeders rely on commercially mixed feeds. Many highly
desirable products are available. In buying such feeds,
insist on freshness and consistency from batch to batch.
The premium paid for most show rations certainly
warrants such insistence. Remember that crude protein,
crude fiber, and roughage content, as shown on the feed
tag, (along with physical characteristics) should be used
to evaluate commercial mixes. Many steer and heifer
feeding programs will work if you know what your feed
contains and what your animal needs to do. There are
no magic formulas. COMMON FEEDS FOR SHOW CATTLE
PERCENTAGE in FEED
NAME
CRUDE PROTEIN
TDN
CRUDE FIBER
ROUGHAGE
Oats
12
68
12
30
Corn
9
80
2
0
Milo
9
75
3
0
Barley
11
75
6
15
Cottonseed meal
41
70
12
0
Soybean meal
44
75
6
0
Cottonseed hulls
4
41
43
100
Grass hays