relation to other feeds,
Extension Dairy
The use of commodity feeds, such
shipping costs, storage of the feed and
Specialist
as corn gluten feed or soybean hulls,
the amount of the commodity that can
in dairy rations is not a new concept
be used daily, which will also relate to
to the dairy industry. Commodity feeds
the amount of time that the commodity
have been used by feed companies and
will be stored. An additional factor
larger dairies for many years. However,
affecting the use of commodities is the
it is a new concept to many producers
effect on milk production.
in the state. As herds become larger,
they can more economically use larger
The biggest problems in feeding
quantities of feed in a specific period
commodities involve storage of the
of time.
product (as most commodities are
delivered to the farm in tractor trailer
Commodity feeds are by-products
loads), the capital tied up to purchase
from a variety of sources in the feed
equipment to use the commodities and
processing industry which may be used
also changing the ration when
as an alternative feed for livestock.
commodities might not be available.
Most, but not all, commodities in dairy
rations are by-products from the
A commodity feed must provide
manufacturing of other feeds and
nutrients that are needed in the
have nutrients that are available to be
ration before it should be considered
used by animals in the dairy industry.
for purchase. Commodity feeds may be
classified according to their use, includ-
Most commodities are limited in
ing energy suppliers (> 80 percent total
some nutrient as they are by-products
digestible nutrients - TDN), protein
of the production of other feeds; some
suppliers (> 20 percent crude protein ­
nutrients are extracted from the
CP), fiber suppliers (> 20 percent acid
original feed in greater quantities than
detergent fiber - ADF; > 40 percent
others during processing. Most dairy
neutral detergent fiber - NDF), medium
producers use commodities in the
protein suppliers (14 to 20 percent
ration to either lower total feed costs
crude protein - CP), bypass protein
or to extend the amount of feed on the
suppliers (> 30 percent undegradable
farm. Both of these purposes can
intake protein - UIP) and multiple
Arkansas Is
justify the use of commodities.
nutrient sources (Table 1). Some feeds
can be in more than one classification.
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For individual commodities,
The type of commodity feeds selected
factors affecting their use on the farm
should be feeds that complement the
include the nutritional composition of
remainder of the ration, usually the
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the commodity, the availability of the
forage in the diet.
http://www.uaex.edu
University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating T
able 1. Composition of and Space Occupied for Selected Feedstuffs
% Dry
%
%
Soluble
%
%
% Fiber
1
% N.F
%
%
%
Feed Name
Matter
CP
1
Protein
1
UIP
1
TDN
1
ADF
NDF
Carb
1,2
Fat
1
Ca
1
P
1
lb/bu
lb/ft
3
ft
3
/ton
Alfalfa hay
, medium
bloom
89.2
16.0
20.0
25.0
60
37.5
46.0
31.8
2.0
0.90
0.22
---
16
125
Barley grain
89.0
12.5
35.0
30.0
84
7.5
19.0
65.2
2.1
0.05
0.30
48
38
53
Beet pulp, dried
91.0
8.0
5.0
40.0
74
27.5
54.0
35.4
0.7
0.75
0.1
1
1
9
1
5
134
Brewers
grains, dry
92.0
26.0
5.0
60.0
77
20.0
46.0
19.4
6.7
0.24
0.54
19
15
134
Brewers
grains, wet
20.0
25.5
20.0
60.0
77
20.0
45.0
20.9
6.7
0.32
0.32
82
65
30
Canola meal
90.0
38.8
28.0
32.0
77
16.0
34.0
13.9
4.1
0.73
1.25
48
38
53
Concentrate, 16% CP
89.0
18.0
25.0
45.0
80
8.8
15.0
59.3
3.0
1.24
0.75
56
45
44
Cookie meal, bakery
products
91.6
1
1.0
40.0
50.0
89
1.3
3.0
68.2
15.0
0.14
0.26
---
---
--
-
Corn, distillers
grains,
dry
92.0
29.5
15.0
65.0
84
16.3
45.0
14.0
10.1
0.10
0.40
19
15
134
Corn gluten feed
90.0
23.6
50.0
20.0
82
1
1.3
22.0
48.5
2.5
0.02
0.86
41
33
61
Corn gluten meal
91.0
65.9
5.0
60.0
89
5.0
14.0
15.3
2.6
0.07
0.61
48
38
53
Corn grain
89.0
9.7
15.0
55.0
80
2.5
9.0
76.1
4.3
0.02
0.25
56
45
42
Corn silage
35.0
7.6
50.0
25.0
68
28.8
48.0
39.7
2.9
0.20
0.18
---
35
57
Cottonseed hulls
90.3
4.1
10.0
50.0
45
63.8
90.0
2.0
1.5
0.16
0.09
19
15
134
Cottonseed meal (48%)
90.5
55.0
25.0
30.0
75
1
1.1
22.0
16.9
2.6
0.20
1.09
48
38
53
Cottonseed, whole
91.0
22.5
30.0
40.0
98
40.0
50.0
0.5
24.7
0.08
0.50
25
20
100
Hominy feed
90.6
1
1.8
20.0
50.0
91
7.5
20.0
59.3
7.2
0.05
0.24
35
28
72
Maltlage
46.2
16.8
30.0
55.0
75
12.5
26.0
48.9
4.3
1.20
0.70
75
62
32
Oat grain
89.0
13.0
30.0
40.0
77
15.0
32.0
48.4
5.1
0.07
0.31
32
25
80
Peanut meal
92.0
54.2
40.0
35.0
83
6.0
14.0
27.4
1.3
0.22
0.71
50
40
50
Rice bran
91.0
14.8
10.0
45.0
70
15.0
33.0
30.9
16.6
0.07
1.62
25
20
100
Soybean meal (48%)
89.0
54.0
20.0
35.0
81
3.8
10.0
30.5
1.0
0.36
0.75
53
42
48
Soybean hulls
91.3
12.0
10.0
30.0
77
48.8
67.0
16.1
2.3
0.45
0.17
18
14
142
Wheat middlings
90.0
18.0
40.0
30.0
80
10.0
24.0
49.8
5.1
0.12
1.01
25
20
100
1
Composition on dry matter basis
2
Nonfiber carbohydrates It is usually not economical to purchase a high
protein commodity, such as corn gluten feed, when
protein is not the limiting source in the diet, e.g., the
use of high levels of corn gluten feed with high-
quality alfalfa hay as a primary forage in the diet
usually would not be economical. Instead, the use
of high-energy feeds, such as hominy or whole
cottonseed, may better complement the remainder
of the diet. A more detailed list of feeds and their
composition can be found in FSA3043, Composition of
Some Livestock Feeds, and FSA3047, Alternative
Feeds for Beef Cattle.
After determining that a commodity feed provides
nutrients needed in the ration, one of the first factors
to consider when selecting commodities is availability
of the product. In Arkansas, the products in Table 1
are generally available at various times during the year.
However, some products, such as rice bran or citrus
products, may be more limited in their availability at
specific times during the year. Availability of the
by-product on a consistent basis is important when
first purchasing the feed, as changes in the ration of
the high-producing dairy cow should be minimized. If
sufficient quantity of a commodity feed is not available
for several weeks, it is questionable whether changing
the current feeding program is recommended.
Price or relative value of the product compared to
other commodities should be considered when
purchasing the product, also. Price, even more so than
availability, may fluctuate throughout the year but
must be compared to the nutritional value of other
available feeds in order to minimize total ration cost.
Numerous computer programs are available to assist
in comparing the price of commodity feeds compared
to corn and soybean meal or other feeds and are
available from your local Cooperative Extension
Service. However, these calculations can be misleading
as commodity feeds are generally deficient in one or
more of the nutrients commonly available in corn and
soybean meal. For example, many commodity feeds
are very low in calcium or phosphorus or, in some
cases, energy or protein.
Dry matter content of the commodity has a marked
effect on its value per pound. Most commodities will
be 85 to 90 percent dry matter which allows their
comparison on a fairly even basis. However, some
commodities, such as wet distillers grain or wet
brewers products, must be compared on a relative
percent dry matter basis to other commodities, e.g.,
90 or 100 percent dry matter. These commodities tend
to require more cost for shipping per pound of dry
matter but may be competitive in the ration if the
price at the site of origin is competitive.
The formula below may be used to adjust wet feed
to a 90 percent dry matter basis.
Shipping costs must also be considered when
purchasing commodities. For example, whole cotton­
seed is normally a good buy in Arkansas as the seed
is produced in Arkansas and neighboring states.
However, the use of products such as citrus pulp may
not be a good relative value in Arkansas as it must
shipped from Florida or another state, which may
diminish the relative value of the product. Also, some
products will normally not be a good value because
they are shipped from a distant location, e.g., almond
hulls from California.
Storage facilities to hold quantities of large
tonnages of one or more commodities are necessary in
order to effectively use the commodities. Buying the
commodities in bulk may save many dollars in feed
costs each year, but the additional cost of storage and
handling facilities to feed the commodities must be
considered in making the decision to use commodities
in the ration.
0.9
Price/ton of high
Price of high moisture feed adjusted
x
percent dry matter in high
=
moisture feed
to 90 percent dry matter
moisture feed ÷ 100
Example:
$35/ton for wet grains at
0.9
$150 per ton, value based on
x
=
21 percent dry matter
.21
90 percent dry matter As a rule, the minimum requirements for storage
of commodities involve a storage bin, usually with
three or more bays as indicated in Figure 1. The
storage bin should be at least 10 feet wide to allow
for maneuverin