Livestock Feeds and Feeding - Mountain Scholar

BULLETIN 384-A JULY 1944

Livestock Feeds and Feeding

SuDlDler is the period of low--c_ost Dlaintenance if pastures and ranges

are t•roperly ntillzed.

EXTENSION SERVICE

COLORADO STATE COLLEGE

FORT COLLINS

Foreword

There is no business in which experience counts for more than it does in livestock feeding. Books, bulletins and feeding experiments are of value to the man who has had actual experience to tie them to. He must be able to decide how well what he reads fits his conditions. Methods and rations successfully used in one part of the country might not be economical for him to use in his particular section. Even a practice which was good on the next ranch might not be best for him because his conditions might be different and a different treatment required. It is up to each breeder and feeder to select the ration or practice which seems best adapted to his particular ranch, keeping economy and suitableness of the ration for a particular class of livestock uppermost in his mind.

The correct rationing of feeds to livestock on a farm or ranch can save many dollars during the year in the production of livestock products. Colorado has a wide variety of farmgrown feeds which can be used to produce as cheap and efficient rations as are available in any other section of the country.

"The most efficient livestock production is secured by feeding an adequate ration from the time of the animal's birth. The younger an animal is the more efficiently it uses its feed for growth or finish. Young animals should never be stunted. Neither should they be kept in too high condition, especially through the winter maintenance period when feed costs are relatively high. Mature animals should be maintained in thrifty, vigorous condition."*

It is the purpose of the following material to point out certain facts which might be of interest to the feeder of livestock.

*Feed for Profit, Utah Extension Circular 2, New Series, No. 81.

Published and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, by the Colorado State College Extension Service. F. A. Anderson, Director, and U. S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

FORT COLLINS, COLO. JULY 1944

Livestock Feeds and Feeding HARRY H. SMITH, Extension Animal Husbandman

FEEDS

All feeds may be divided into two classes-roughages and concentrates. Roughages are feeds which are high in fiber and low in total digestible nutrients and include such common feeds as alfalfa, grass hay, corn fodder, sorghun1 fodder, silage, straw, etc.

Concentrates are feeds which are high in total digestible nutrients, and low in fiber. They include such feeds as barley and the other grains, cottonseed meal, soybean meal, wheat bran, etc.

Roughages are further divided into carbohydrate roughages and protein roughages. Carbohydrate roughages include wild hay, timothy hay, corn fodder, silage, sorghum fodder, etc. Protein roughages include alfalfa hay, clover hay, soybean hay, etc.

The concentrates are divided in the same way. Protein concentrates include soybeans, soybean meal, cottonseed meal, wheat bran, flax seed, linseed meal, shorts, middlings, tankage, meat m·eal, fish meal and dry beans. Carbohydrates include corn, wheat, oats, barley, dried beet pulp.

(Protein roughages Roughages (

(Carbohydrate roughages

(Protein concentrates Concentrates (

(Carbohydrate concentrates

Carbohydrates-Fats and Proteins.-We usually think of fats, carbohydrates and proteins as being the essential nutrients in a ration. This is only partly true since minerals, vitamins, water and air are just as essential. Fats and carbohydrates are the energy foods and in the process of digestion are broken down into simple forms which can be utilized by the animal's body in producing milk, work, fat, etc. The carbohydrates include the sugars, starches and similar materials in the plant. The fat is the natural fat in the plants and is utilized the same as the carbohydrates.

4 COLORADO STATE COLLEGE Ext. 384-A

Protein can also be used as a source of energy but primarily it is used for growth and repair of the body. Because it is necessary for growth, young animals require more protein in comparison to their body weight than older animals do. Proteins from different sources vary greatly in value to the animal. Proteins are composed of amino acids. There are 22 of these acids, but a particular protein may not contain all of them. The numbers which are present in a protein and the proportion in which they are present gives the protein its individuality.

Because proteins differ in the number and proportion of amino acids, they are not all of the same quality or value to the animal. In many of the proteins the amino acids are not in the proportion in which they are needed by the animal body. For this reason, better results may be obtained when an animal receives its proteins from two or more sources. This happens any time an animal receives more than one feed. An animal being fattened on corn, barley, dried beet pulp and alfalfa hay would be receiving its protein from four sources. These proteins all dovetail together and give better results than if they came from only one source. This is especially true if the protein source is from the grains and dried beet pulp since these proteins are of very poor quality.

The carbohydrates can be stored in the body in the form of fat for future use. This is not true of the proteins. There is no storage of protein in the body. This makes it necessary to provide the animals with the amount of protein needed each day. If more is given than is needed, waste results.

Minerals.-Farm animals are more likely to suffer from a lack of phosphorus or calci urn than from any of the other minerals except common salt. Pregnant animals, in certain sections, may also suffer from a lack of iodine. Money spent for minerals other than these is generally wasted.

Common salt which is sodium chloride should be kept before all animals at all times. Salt must be in a form that it can be utilized by them. Much of the rock salt which is on the market is so hard that it is difficult for animals to get a sufficient amount of it. Loose salt is likely the best form in which to feed it.

A lack of phosphorus is shown by the tendency of animals to chew bones, sticks or by the licking of dirt. The animal seems to have a depraved appetite and will try to chew most anything. This craving can be satisfied by supplying some feed high in

July 1944 LIVESTOCK FEEDS AND FEEDING 5

phosphorus. Bonemeal with 30 percent salt is a good source of phosphorus. Also, rock phosphate which has been deflorinated is satisfactory. Both of these products are cheap.

Calcium will be lacking where the roughage is largely of a carbohydrate nature such as wild hay, sorghum or corn fodder or stover. This can be most easily supplied by ground limestone. Unslacked lime and water-slacked lime should not be used because of their caustic nature.

Iodine may be necessary for pregnant animals in certain sections where the soil is deficient in this mineral. Iodine deficiency is evidenced by pigs being born hairless or by calves being born with an enlarged thyroid gland or goiter. A sow needs about 2 grains of potassium iodine per week, a cow about 5 grains, a ewe .35 grain, and a mare 15 grains per week. Iodine needs to be fed only during the latter half of the pregnancy period and only on farms where evidence of an iodine deficiency has oc·curred. There is no object in giving iodine to any but pregnant animals.

The stockm·an should view with suspicion those brands of mineral mixtures for which extravagant claims are made.

Vitamins.-Vitamin A-Vitamins are absolutely necessary for all animal life. No doubt farm animals suffer more from a lack of vitamin A than they do from a lack of any of the other vitamins. Many hogs suffer from a lack of vitamin D when they are confined in dark quarters and do not have access to sunshine.

All of the grains, except yellow corn, are a very poor source of vitamin A. Yellow corn is a fair-to-good source of vitamin A. Seven pounds of yellow corn per day will furnish sufficient vitamin A for a 1,000-pound animal, according to A. G. Hogan of the University of Missouri. The same author also shows that it would take 290 pounds of oats, 170 pounds of wheat or 60 pounds of barley per day to furnish sufficient vitamin A to a 1,000-pound steer. These are minimum requirements; probably about five times as much would be required for lactating animals or for animals during gestation.*

Roughages, if they are of good quality, are very much better sources of vitamin A than the grains are. Hogan shows that only 1.1 pounds of good quality alfalfa hay, 2.6 pounds of clover and 5.6 pounds of timothy per day will furnish enough vitamin A

*A. G. Hogan, Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, Bul. 453, p. 7.


for a 1,000-pound animal. Good quality roughage must be stressed because hay which is poor quality, due to leaching or loss of leaves, is worthless as a source of vitamin A.

Due to the fact that hogs are often fed almost entirely on concentrates, they often suffer from a lack of vitamin A. When hogs are fed in drylot, their ration should include all of the good quality, fine-stemmed, leafy, good colored alfalfa hay they will eat. In the summer, hogs should be on pasture. They then will obtain all the vitamin A they need.

Vitamin D-A lack of vitamin D produces bones which are soft, legs which are bent and crooked, and retarded growth. Vitamin D is stored in the liver. It is possible to accumulate a reserve that will fulfill all requirements for several weeks or months, even if all sources of vitamin D are cut off.

Vitamin D is calied the sunshine vitamin since animals exposed to sunshine usually need no further source of the vitamin. Sun-cured roughages are a good source of this vitamin.

There are a number of other important vitamins, but they are probably of little practical importance to the average livestock raiser or feeder. Experience shows that good feeding practices furnish adequate amounts of all the recognized vitamins that are required by the larger animals. For various reasons, however, there are times when the feed supply is limited and it is difficult to follow approved practices. The vitamin most likely to be deficient in the feed, under those circumstances, is vitamin A and is the only one likely to be deficient in the rations of cattle, hogs, sheep, and horses. A liberal supply of fresh forage is the most practical method of preventing this type of deficiency.

The Balanced Ration

A balanced ration is a ration which furnishes to the animal the several nutrients-protein, carbohydrates and fats-in such proportion as will properly nourish the animal for 24 hours. A balanced ration does not mean anything unless the characteristics and composition of the feeds to be used and the requirements of the animals to be fed are understood by the feeder. Theoretically, a balanced ration can be made of feathers and sawdust, but both substances are entirely indigestible to animals. A table showing the nutrient requirements of different classes of animals, and balanced rations, is given on page 16. A table showing the composition of various feeds is given on page 18.


Suppose a fattening ration for a 700-pound steer is wanted. First, see what nutrients a 700-pound steer requires daily. Referring to the Appendix, table A, it is noted that a 700-pound steer requires 15.2 to 18.3 pounds of dry matter, 1.41 to 1.60 pounds of protein, and 12.0 to 14.4 pounds of total digestible nutrients per day.

For fattening yearling cattle-700-pounds weight-the requirements and nutritive ratio are:

Dry matter (lb.) 15.2 to 18.3; Digestible protein (lb.) 1.41 to 1.60; Total digestible nutrients (lb.) 12.0 to 14.4; Nutritive ratio 7 to 8.

Assume that the feeder has alfalfa, silage and barley. Look at the table of digestible nutrients on pages 18 and 19 and find how much of the various nutrients each of these feeds contains. Table B gives the amount of nutrients in 1 pound of the various feeds as follows:

Feeds

1 lb. alfalfa 1 lb. silage 1 lb. barley

'I'ABLE 1

Digestible Dry matter protein

.906 .110

.283 .013

.904 .093

Total digestible Nutritive nutrients ratio

.501

.187

.787

Make up a ration of 3 pounds of alfalfa, 20 pounds of silage, and 10 pounds of barley and see how that fits the particular requirements for fattening a 700-pound steer. Multiply the nutrients in 1 pound of alfalfa by 3, the nutrients in 1 pound of silage by 20, and the nutrients in 1 pound of barley by 10, as shown in table 2.

TABLE 2

Total Digestible digestible Nutritive

Ration Dry matter protein nutrients ratio

(lb.) (lb.) (lb.) 3 alfalfa 2.718 .330 1.503 20 silage 5.760 .266 3.740 10 barley 9.040 .930 7.870

17.518 1.526 13.113 7.6

Thus, there are 17.518 pounds of dry matter in the ration, which is within the limits of 15.2 to 18.3; the 1.526 pounds pro-


tein which is in the limit of 1.41 to 1.60, and 13.113 pounds of total digestible nutrients, which is within the limits of 12.0 to 14.4. By subtracting the protein from the total digestible nutrients and diyiding the remainder by 1.526, the nutritive ratio is 7.59, which is also within the limit of 7 to 8.

(13.113- 1.526 = 11.587-+- 1.526 = 7.59 nutritive ratio)

Suppose there had been only 1 pound of protein instead of 1.526. The ration would have been about .4 of a pound too low in protein. The amount of protein can be increased by taking out some of the silage and increasing the amount of alfalfa hay, since 100 pounds of alfalfa hay contain 11 pounds of digestible protein. Or, 10 pounds of the silage can be taken out and replaced with 4 pounds of alfalfa hay, which contain .44 pound of protein, to bring the ration within the required limit of protein. But suppose this feeder was long on silage and short on alfalfa hay. What else can he do? He can add some high-protein feed like cottonseed cake or soybean meal. Either of these feeds contains about .37 pound of digestible protein per pound so 11,4 pounds of either cottonseed cake or soybean meal will add .46 pound of protein. If adding 114 pounds of either cottonseed cake or soybean meal raised the total digestible nutrients too much, 1 pound of barley can be omitted.

Remember, a balanced ration does not necessarily mean that, as in the above ration, 3 pounds of alfalfa, 20 pounds of silage and 10 pounds of barley, is all that that particular animal will eat in 24 hours, but that as long as the feeds are kept in that proportion, they make a balanced ration for an animal of that kind. Neither does it mean that this proportion of feeds makes a balanced ration for some other animal. This is not a balanced ration for a 400-pound calf, for the younger animal needs a smaller amount of carbohydrates. Neither is it a balanced ration for a range cow which is being wintered. She needs a nutritive ratio of about 1.10 to 1.15 or less protein in proportion to the carbohydrates fed. To give her the same proportion of protein as a 700-pound fattening steer, would be a waste of protein.

Feeding Value of Various Concentrates

Corn.-For fattening animals of all kinds, corn stands at the head of the list. It is the feed supreme and is the standard by which all other feeds are compared. Corn is high in total digestible nutrients, containing 3.9 percent fat, 7.4 percent digesti-


ble protein, and 83.7 percent total digestible nutrients. Corn is probably the most palatable of all the grains.

Wheat.-Wheat has about as much total digestible nutrients as corn, is higher in protein, lower in fat, and is not as palatable. It is not a safe feed for most animals when fed alone, except hogs. For fattening hogs, it gives slightly better results than corn and when fed as a part of the concentrate mixture, it has given as good results as corn in fattening cattle. For fattening lambs, wheat has been a little less satisfactory than corn.

Barley.-Barley stands next to corn in popularity as a feed grain and is generally considered to have about 90 percent of the feeding value of corn.

Oats.-Oats is an excellent feed for growing or breeding animals but is of considerably lower value for fattening-not over 85 percent the value of corn.

Rye.-Considered from the standpoint of its chemical analysis, rye should be as good a feed as wheat, but it is much less palatable and this accounts for the small gains when rye has been fed to animals being fattened. To be satisfactory, it should be mixed with some better-liked feed such as corn or wheat. When rye makes up not more than one-half of the concentrate part of the ration, it will be equal to wheat in feeding value.

Dried molasses beet pulp, when mixed in equal parts or less with small grains or when fed mixed with corn silage, has practically the same value as grain.

Beet Molasses.-When fed in small amounts, not to exceed 3 pounds for cattle and 1/a to 1;2 pound for lambs, beet molasses is equal to grain in feeding value. In larger amounts, beet molasses showed a lower feeding value.

Proso or hog millet is a satisfactory feed for livestock. For fattening cattle and lambs it has been worth 75 to 90 percent as much as corn. In Colorado experiments, it has been nearly as valuable as corn for fattening pigs.

Grain Sorghums.-In composition the grain sorghums resemble corn in composition and in feeding value. All of the varieties, even those which are yellow in color, are apparently low in vitamin A.

Feeding Value of Various Roughages

Alfalfa Hay.-As corn stands at the top of the list of grain, so stands alfalfa at the top of the list of roughages. It excels


any other plant in the production of digestible nutrients per acre, except the corn plant. It produces 2.7 times as much protein and, protein of a much better quality, than corn. It produces twice as much protein as clover and 5 times as much as timothy. Alfalfa should be cut at least by the one-tenth-bloom stage and put into the stack as soon as it is dry enough not to burn in the stack. Some have tried to put alfalfa hay in the stack when it contained enough moisture to turn brown. While such hay is very palatable to animals, its feeding value is reduced in the proportion that burning takes place. The greener the color, the more leaves and the finer the stems the better the quality and the higher the total digestible nutrients will be.

Silage is a succulent feed and comes nearer duplicating the natural feed grass than any other stored feed. Corn stored in the form of silage produces more total digestible nutrients per acre than any other crop. An acre of corn put in the silo is worth a third more than when it is used in any other form. For fattening cattle or Iambs it is worth 50 percent as much as alfalfa hay. Silage made from sorghum is equal to corn silage in feeding value.

Sorghum fodder is a satisfactory roughage for sheep. cattle and horses, and gives best results when fed with some legume hay or other protein supplement. If no legume hay is fed, ground limestone or other calcium supplement, should be added. Sorghum stover (sorghum fodder with the heads removed) is similar to corn stover in composition and feeding value.

Beet Tops.-Fresh beet tops at topping time have a very high feeding value. On the average a 16-ton yield of beets per acre will produce 11 to 13 tons of fresh tops and these tops contain about the same amount of total digestible nutrients as 1.2 tons of barley. Beet tops lose much of their feeding value when left lying too long in the field. They should be harvested and stored in order to conserve as much of their feeding value as possible. They should be either gathered into small piles or ensiled.

Preparation of Feeds

At one time elaborate preparation of feeds was very popular, but experience has shown that much of the elaborate preparation which was once made was both uneconomical and useless. Since preparation is costly, it is economical to know just how much is advisable. The farmer wants to know whether it pays to grind, crush, cut, cook or ferment a grain or a roughage. It is assumed that much labor is saved the animal if the feed


is so prepared that he can swallow it without chewing. Experiments at many stations show that making a feed so fine and soft that it can be swallowed without chewing not only does not pay the cost of preparation but actually lowers the feeding value. On the other hand, some preparation of certain feeds is justified. Unpalatable feeds may be readily eaten if ground and mixed with more palatable feeds.

Grinding Small Grains.-All of the small grains-wheat, oats, barley or the sorghum grains-should be ground or rolled for all animals except sheep. Rolling is preferable to grinding since less trouble from bloat will result.

None of the grains should be ground fine. Fine grinding makes the grain less palatable and less digestible. Also, it costs more to grind fine. Fine grinding is desirable only when using screenings. They should be ground fine enough to break all weed seeds.

Cutting or Grinding Hay.-The cutting or grinding of hay is a practice which, during recent years, has become rather common. Extravagant claims have been made for the practice, many of which have little or nothing to back them up. The saving of hay is one claim often given in favor of this practice. It is doubtful if more than 10 percent of the hay is refused by fattening animals if it is of reasonably good quality; even if hay is $20 per ton this would only be $2 worth of hay. Since it costs $3.50 to $4 per ton to grind hay, it is difficult to see how spending $3.50 to $4 to save $2 can be economical. Also, in grinding, there is a loss of 3 to 5 percent by weight and this loss may be considerably higher-sometimes, under certain conditions, twice this much. Another t1hing which should be remembered but is often forgotten, is the fact that the hay refused by the animals is composed of the stems and coarse material which is not worth $20 per ton or whatever the original cost of the hay may be. These refused stems need not be lost if there is other livestock being wintered, such as stock cattle or idle horses.

"It was found at the Wisconsin Experiment Station that it did not pay to chop a fair grade of hay for dairy cows nor the same kind of hay for beef cows with suckling calves. Most experiments with chopping good quality hay for horses and cows have shown this practice to be uneconomical."* If hay is chopped, coarse chopping is better than fine grinding. It costs less and gives better results. Experiments at the Pennsylvania Station showed that where hay was ground fine, it was less di-

*G. Bostedt, Wisconsin Extension F!ervice, Circular No. 286, p, 16.


gestible than when coarsely chopped. Certainly, if grinding hay can be justified it will have to be justified on some other basis than on saving hay or improving the digestibility.

Grinding hay may be justified if it is to be transported long distances or if it is to be mixed with roughage and concentrates. It is justified also, to save labor and storage space, since cut hay requires only :Y3 or 1f2 as much space as long hay.

'Vinter Feeding of Range Cattle

Whether the beef herd is roughed through the winter on the range or not, it should be kept in a vigorous growing or breeding condition by feeding an adequate ration. Proper supplements should be added to balance the low-grade roughage.

In Colorado, range cattle are generally wintered in one of two ways-depending on the part of the State they are wintered. In the mountains, the general practice is to run the cattle on meadows and feed wild hay, usually supplemented with some protein concentrates. Cottonseed cake was popular when it could be obtained.

The wild hay is low in protein if there is no clover in it. Fortunately, most of the wild hay from these mountain meadows contains considerable clover which of course helps materially in raising the protein content. Where the wild hay contains no clover some protein feed should be fed. The pregnant beef cow needs .6 to .7 pound of protein per day. So if the hay contains no clover it is necessary to add 3;4 of a pound of cottonseed cake per day; but if the hay contains enough clover that the cow fed 20 pounds of hay per day gets 4 to 5 pounds of clover, then it likely would not pay to add any additional protein. The time at which hay is cut will determine very largely the amount of protein which it contains. Grass hay cut early and put up in good condition may contain as much as 3 to 4 percent of protein, while if the hay is cut when fairly well matured or is weathered, it will contain not more than 1 percent of protein.

Hay is not the only feed produced in the mountains on which cattle may be wintered. In some sections a considerable amount of grain is produced. Cattle may be satisfactorily wintered on straw if it is supplemented with some good protein concentrate. Oat straw has the highest feeding value, followed by barley and wheat. On account of the beards the barley straw may give some trouble. Oat straw contains about 2 percent of protein while barley and wheat straw have only 1f2 as much or 1 percent. When oat straw is fed, about 3;4 of a pound of cotton-


seed cake or soybean oil meal will be needed per day. But if wheat or barley straw is used, 1~ pounds of cottonseed cake or soybean meal will be necessary. Also, it must be remembered that straw from grain which has been combined is much less valuable than that from grain which was cut at the right time with a binder.

In the eastern part of the State, many of the range cattle are on the range all winter and obtain most of their feed from grass which was left over from the summer and has cured during the fall. Such feed is very low in protein, containing less than 1 percent. It gives satisfactory results only when it is properly supplemented with some protein supplement. One and one-half pounds of cottonseed cake per day, or any other feed furnishing an equal amount of protein, will bring cows through the winter in satisfactory shape.

Many cattle are also fed on sorghum or corn stover during the winter, but both of these feeds are low in protein and the cattle should be fed in addition about a pound of cottonseed cake per day.

Alfalfa hay is a good protein feed which is sometimes overlooked. Three and one-half to four pounds of good alfalfa contain as much protein as 1 pound of cottonseed cake or soybean meal. It also contains twice as much total digestible nutrients. Any time that 1 ton of alfalfa hay can be bought for 14 as much as cottonseed cake costs, it is a better buy.

Wintering Calves and Year lings

Young stock should not be fed with old c·attle, because, when protein supplement is fed, they do not get their share and they are the ones which need it the most. They should be fed separately and with the choicest feed, hay, fodder, etc., available. Calves should receive about .65 pound of protein per day and yearlings .75 of a pound. Calves should be fed so that they gain .75 to 1 pound per day through the winter-feeding period. In making this gain they may actually lose some fat; that amount of gain is just about normal growth.

Calves and yearlings should also receive about 10 and 14 pounds of dry matter and 5.5 and 7.5 pounds of total digestible nutrients per day, respectively. This means that if they are fed wild hay, the calves should get about 10 pounds of hay plus 114 pounds of cottonseed cake or 4 to 5 pounds of alfalfa hay. The yearlings should get 15 pounds of hay plus 114 pounds of


cottoncake or 4 pounds of alfalfa hay. If calves are not to be stunted and are to enjoy normal growth, they should gain about .75 to 1 pound per day. If they gain much more than this amount, they will be putting on fat and will not be economically wintered. Neither, will they make the best use of grass during the coming summer.

Any ration in which a carbohydrate roughage, corn fodder or stover, sorghum, wild hay or straw makes up the major part of the ration, will be lacking in calcium. This can best be supplied by providing a mixture of ground limestone 70 percent and salt 30 percent. If it is noticed that cattle are chewing bones, sticks, etc., a lack of phosphorus should be suspected. This may be supplied by providing bonemeal 70 percent and salt 30 percent. Deflorinated rock phosphate may be used in place of the bonemeal if bonemeal is not available.

Wintering rations which should produce 34 to 1 pound per day gain on weaner calves are: 1. ·wild hay 10 pounds 2. Straw 10 pounds 3. Straw 6-8 pounds 4. Wild hay 6-8 pounds

Cottonseed cake 174 pounds Cottonseed cake 2 pounds Alfalfa hay 4 to 5 pounds Barley Alfalfa 4 to 5 pounds

1 pound

The calves should be allowed all the wild hay or straw they will eat.

Fattening Cattle 1. Feed the kind and type of cattle which will be in de

mand on the market.

2. Finish cattle according to the market demand.

3. Cattle like variety. A good variety of feeds generally improve a ration.

4. Beet molasses in limited amounts (1 to 3 pounds) is fully equal to grain and may improve the palatability of the ration.

5. Beet-by-product rations generally are deficient in phosphorus and require a phosphorus supplement for most efficient rations. Use 1j10 of a pound of steamed bonemeal, 2 to 3 pounds of wheat bran or 1 to 11;2 pounds of cottonseed cake daily.

6. A heavy ration of wheat or barley may cause indigestion and bloat unless mixed with some bulky feed. If possible, pour these grains over silage or make the ration so it contains one-fifth of its weight in wheat bran, dried beet pulp or rolled or ground oats.


7. Bring the cattle to a full feed of grain slowly. Take 25 to 30 days to get the animals on full feed.

8. If it is ever necessary to make a change in the ration, take 8 or 10 days so that the change will be gradual. Never make a sudden change in the ration when animals are on a heavy feed.

9. Keep salt before them all the time.

10. Have only animals of the same size together in feedlots.

Feeding Sheep on the Range

Range sheep are run on the range during the winter, usually on range designated as desert in the western part of the State. Such range contains some grass but much of the feed is browse plants of one kind or another. In the plains area, there is more grass and less of the browse plants. In fact, the browse may be entirely lacking.

In the desert area, many of the shrubs are rather high in protein, thus the problem of feeding a supplement is different for the man who is running his sheep on the plains, where most of tihe feed the sheep obtain is grass which is very low in protein.

The man on the desert says : "I have been feeding cottonseed cake to my sheep on the range during the winter. Now I can't get the cottonseed cake. Can I successfully feed corn in its place?" Whether he can or not depends on the forage plants present. If there is a preponderance of such plants as fourwing saltbush, winterfat or budsage, all of which are relatively high in protein-carrying from 8 percent to 10 percent-he can. When corn is used as a supplement on such a winter range, the sheep would very likely get along all right. The protein would be a little light but not enough to cause serious difficulty.

The problem of the man on the plains is entirely different. In place of the sheep being able to pasture on plants containing 8 percent to 10 percent or more of protein, the grass would likely contain less than 1 percent, but certainly not more. If good results are to be secured, a protein supplement will be absolutely necessary. Corn, or any other low protein feed could not take its place.

Producing Protein on the Farm

The only protein feed extensively produced on the farms of Colorado is alfalfa. The amount of protein contained in alfalfa varies according to the quality of the hay and the time


of cutting. Other factors may also enter in. Alfalfa cut before bloom contains 19 percent or more protein; one-tenth to one-half bloom, 14.9 percent; three-fourths to full bloom, 12.8 percent; past full bloom, 12.8 percent. Alfalfa leafmeal may contain 22 percent; alfalfa stem, 7 percent; alfalfa straw, 8.5 percent. For the farmer who wants to produce as much protein as possible on his farm, it is necessary that he know when to cut and how to handle alfalfa to achieve the desired result.

Other plants give promise of helping out the protein situation on the farm. Of these, flax, soybeans and field peas have been most often mentioned. Soybeans contain 36.9 percent of protein. This means that an acre of soybeans producing 30 bushels per acre would produce 295.2 pounds of protein, but if that acre had been planted to alfalfa and it produced 3 tons of good hay, it would have produced 894 pounds of protein. Flax seed contains 23.5 percent of protein. If flax produced 20 bushels per acre, 182 pounds of protein would be produced. Thus flax and soybeans do not produce as much protein as alfalfa.

Field peas, in sections where they can be grown, make a somewhat better showing-they contain 2'3.8 percent protein. A yield of 30 bushels would produce 428 pounds of protein. This is still far behind alfalfa; however, it does not mean that under certain conditions one would not be justified in planting some of these high-protein plants for feed.

APPENDIX*

Table A.-Table showing the nutrients required by different animals for 24 hours.

Requirements per head daily Animals Total

and weight Dry Digestible digestible Nutritive matter protein nutrients ratio

1. Calves being fattened for baby beef

Weight 400 9.6 to 12.7 0.98 to 1.23 7.4 to 9.8 6.5 to 7.0 Weight 500 11.4 to 14.5 1.19 to 1.43 9.0 to 11.4 6.6 to 7.1 Weight 600 13.3 to 16.1 1.39 to 1.60 10.6 to 12.9 6.6 to 7.1 Weight 700 14.8 to 17.5 1.55 to 1.75 12.0 to 14.2 6.7 to 7.2 Weight 800 16.1 to 18.7 1.69 to 1.89 13.1 to 15.2 6.7 to 7.2 Weight 900 17.0 to 19.4 1.75 to 1.95 13.8 to 15.8 6.8 to 7.3


Total Dry Digestible digestible Nutritive

matter protein nutrients ratio

2. Fattening yearling cattle

Weight 600 13.2 to 16.3 1.20 to 1.41 10.3 to 12.7 7.0 to 8.0 Weight 700 15.2 to 18.3 1.41 to 1.60 12.0 to 14.4 7.0 to 8.0 Weight 800 17.0 to 20.3 1.59 to 1.79 13.5 to 16.1 7.0 to 8.0 Weight 900 18.5 to 21.8 1.74 to 1.94 14.8 to 17.4 7.0 to 8.0 Weight 1000 19.7 to 22.9 1.87 to 2.06 15.9 to 18.5 7.0 to 8.0

3. Wintering beef calves to gain 0. 75 to 1.00 pound per head daily

Weight 400 8.7 to 10.3 0.63 to 0.70 4.8 to 5.7 6.7 to 7.0 Weight 500 10.3 to 12.1 0.71 to 0.78 5.7 to 6.7 7.1 to 7.6 Weight 600 11.7 to 13.9 0.79 to 0.88 6.5 to 7.7 7.3 to 7.8

4. Wintering preg-nant beef cows

Weight 900 13.1 to 18.4 0.56 to 0.65 6.9 to 9.7 10.0 to 15.0 Weight 1000 14.2 to 20.0 0.60 to 9.70 7.5 to 10.5 10.0 to 15.0 Weight 1100 15.2 to 21.5 0.64 to 0.75 8.0 to 11.3 10.0 to 15.0 Weight 1200 16.3 to 22.8 0.69 to 0.80 8.6 to 12.0 10.0 to 15.0

5. Pregnant ewes-up to 4 to 6 weeks before lambing

Weight 110 2.2 to 2.4 0.17 to 0.20 1.6 to 1.9 7.5 to 8.5

Weight 120 2.3 to 2.6 0.18 to 0.21 1.7 to 2.0 7.5 to 8.5

Weight 130 2.4 to 2.8 0.19 to 0.22 1.8 to 2.1 7.5 to 8.5

6. Pregnant ewes-last 4 to 6 weeks before lambing

Weight 110 2.7 to 2.9 0.22 to 0.25 2.0 to 2.3 7.2 to 8.2

Weight 120 2.8 to 3.1 0.23 to 0.26 2.1 to 2.4 7.2 to 8.2

Weight 130 2.9 to 3.3 0.24 to 0.27 2.2 to 2.5 7.2 to 8.2

7. Ewes nursing lambs

Weight 110 3.1 to 3.3 0.28 to 0.31 2.4 to 2.7 6.7 to 7.7 Weight 120 3.2 to 3.5 0.29 to 0.32 2.5 to 2.8 6.7 to 7.7 Weight 130 3.3 to 3.7 0.30 to 0.33 2.6 to 2.9 6.7 to 7.7

8. Fattening lambs Weight 60 2.0 to 3.5 0.20 to 0.23 1.5 to 1.8 6.7 to 7.2 Weight 70 2.2 to 2.7 0.21 to 0.24 1.7 to 2.0 6.9 to 7.4 Weight 80 2.3 to 2.8 0.22 to 0.25 1.8 to 2.1 7.1 to 7.6 Weight 90 2.4 to 2.9 0.23 to 0.26 1.9 to 2.2 7.3 to 7.8


Total Dry Digestible digestible Nutritive

matter protein nutrients ratio

9. Wintering pregnant gilts

Weight 250 2.9 to 4.7 0.50 to 0.55 3.5 to 4.2 6.0 to 7.0 Weight 300 4.4 to 5.4 0.57 to 0.63 4.0 to 4.8 6.0 to 7.0

10. Wintering pregnant sows


11. Brood sows nursing litters


12. Growing and fattening pigs

Weight 50 2.1 to 2.8 0.35 to 0.43 1.9 to 2.5 4.5 to 5.0 Weight 75 2.9 to 3.9 0.43 to 0.52 2.6 to 3.5 5.3 to 5.8 Weight 100 3.6 to 4.8 0.50 to 0.60 3.2 to 4.3 5.8 to 6.2 Weight 150 4.8 to 6.2 0.65 to 0.75 4.3 to 5.6 6.2 to 6.5 Weight 200 5.8 to 7.1 0.73 to 0.83 5.2 to 6.4 6.4 to 6.7

Table B.-Digestible nutrient table for Colorado feeds.

Nutrients in 1 pound

Colorado feeds

I Dry

matter

Roughages

Alfalfa hay-all analysis.................... .904 Alfalfa hay-1/10 to lh full bloom .906 Alfalfa hay-% to full bloom............ .904 Alfalfa hay before bloom ..................... 904 Bar ley straw............................................ .900 Bluestem hay ........................................... 866 Clover hay-red...................................... .882 Corn fodder-medium in water ............• 825 Corn stover-medium in water ............. 810 Marsh or swamp hay ........................... 902 Oat straw ................................................. 896 Prairie hay-western good quality.... .904 Prairie hay-western mature............ .904 Red-Top hay-all analysis ................... 910 Rye straw ................................................. 929 Timothy hay-all analysis ................... 887 Timothy hay-full bloom.................... .887 Wheat straw ........................................... 901

Total Digestible digestible Nutritive

protein nutrients ratio

.106

.110

.099

.142

.090

.025

.070

.035

.021

.029

.009

.026

.006

.045

.007

.029

.032

.008

.503

.501

.497

.532

.445

.482

.519

.546 .462 .406 .441 .492 .471 .536 .412 .469 .480 .357

3.7 3.6 4.0 2.7

48.4 18.3

6.4 14.6 21.0 13.0 48.0 17.9 77.5 10.9 57.9 15.2 14.0 43.6

July 1944 LIVESTOCK FEEDS AND FEEDING

Colorado feeds I

Dry matter

Green Roughages, Roots, etc. Beets, sugar ____________________________________________ .164 Beet tops, sugar ______________________________________ .114

Carrots ---------------------------------------------------- .119 Mangles -------------------------------------------------- .094 Potatoes -------------------------------------------------- .212

Silage Corn dent, well matured ______________________ .283 Corn dent, immature ____________________________ .204

Alfalfa, wilted before being ensiled .540 Alfalfa-high in water ________________________ .230

Concentrates

Barley ---------------------------------------------------- .904 Beans, field ______________________________________________ .882 Beans, pinto ____________________________________________ .909

Beet pulp dried-molasses __________________ .918 Beet pulp dried ______________________________________ .920 Beet pulp wet ________________________________________ .116 Beet pulp wet pressed __________________________ .142

Corn dent No. 2------------------------------------ .852 Cottonseed meal 45 percent and over .930 Cottonseed meal 43 percent protein ..... 930 Cottonseed meal 40 percent protein ..... 928 Flax seed .... -------------------------------------------- .936 Linseed meal 33 to 37 percent protein .913 Molasses beet __________________________________________ .806

Molasses beet-Steffen's process ....... 802 Oats -------------------------------------------------------- .911

Peanut oilmeal-43 to 45 percent protein -------------------------------------------- .935

Skimmilk-centrifugal ------------------------ .096 Sorghum grain -------------------------------------- .888 Soybean oilmeal-48 percent protein

or over ______________________________________________ .93

Soybean oilmeal-43 to 48 percent

protein -------------------------------------------- .919 Tankage-60 percent ____________________________ .922 Tankage-55 percent____________________________ .927 Wheat bran-all analysis ____________________ .906 Wheat (Rocky Mountain State) ________ .915 Wheat middlings ____________________________________ .896 Wheat shorts __________________________________________ .901

Diges-tible

protein

.001

.002

.008

.010

.011

.013

.010

.051

.019

.093

.199

.134

.061

.048

.008

.007

.071

.378

.350

.359

.214

.307

.025

.048

.075

.386

.035

.056

.424

.376

.564

.515

.131

.114

.150

I .150

Total digestible nutrients

.138

.074

.096

.073

.173

.187

.133

.290

.127

.787

.756

.648

.743

.718

.089

.110

.806

.809

.758

.736 1.087

.784

.588

.599

.755

.809

.086

.743

.838

.828

.780

.742

.702

.857

.795

.789

*Morrison's Feeds & Feeding, 20th Edition, Ithaca, New York.

19

Nutritive ratio

10.5 2.9

11.0 6.3

14.7

13.4 12.3 4.7 5.7

7.5 2.8 3.8

11.2 14.0 10.1 14.7 10.3

1.1 1.2 1.2 4.1 1.6

22.5 11.5

9.1

1.1

1.5 12.3

1.0

1.2 0.4 0.4 4.4 6.5 4.3 4.3

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