Wet Corn Gluten Feed Supplementation of Calves Grazing Corn Residue

Incremental levels of wet corn gluten feed were fed to calves grazing corn residues. Based on statistical and economical analysis of the data collected, feeding wet corn gluten feed (5.0-6.5 lb/ head/day; DM basis) will increase stocking rate on corn residue and reduce winter costs by 11%. Given that 3.5 lb DM/day wet corn gluten feed will meet the protein and phosphorus needs of calves, and feeding above 6.0 lb/d will not increase gains, wet corn gluten feed should be fed at 3.5-6.0 lb DM/day, producing gains from 1.28- 1.88 lb/day

A Systems Approach to Production From Weaning to Harvest

Although some summer and fall calving occurs, the majority of calves in the Northern States are born in the spring. Therefore, to have a consistent supply of feeders entering feedlots, a variety of stocker programs are used. About 30% of calves produced in the U. S. enter the feedlot as calf-feds. Some of these calf-feds are weaned and enter the feedlot 30 to 40 days later. It is also common for calves to be backgrounded two to six months before entering the feedlot. Many calves enter yearling programs. These cattle are nutritionally restricted to varying degrees and for various times. They make compensatory gain on grass and then make additional compensatory gain when they enter the feedlot (Klopfenstein et al., 1999). Because of the great variety of cattle production systems, cattle enter the feedlot at varying weights, ages and nutritional backgrounds. Ranchers have an opportunity to add value to their calves by backgrounding them. Ranches have forage resources. It may be possible, in some cases at least, to optimize the use of those forage resources by backgrounding calves produced on the ranch. We have conducted research on backgrounding programs over the past 15 to 20 years. We also feed 600 or more calf-feds each year. We want to share those observations and the appropriate economics with you. Compensatory Gain on Grass. In the mid 1980\u27s we conducted a two year study on compensatory gain (Lewis et al., 1990). We had three levels of winter gain on crop residues and measured summer gain. The cattle made 88% compensation. More restricted cattle in the winter made up 88% of the gain they did not make relative to the higher gaining winter calves. Five years of data were summarized from our Scottsbluff Research Center (Hayden et al., 1997). Calves were fed for two rates of winter gain. Slow gaining calves grazed cornstalks and fast gaining calves were limit-fed a high energy diet. They then grazed (summer) for two or four months. The calves that grazed season long (four months) made 57.6% compensation. Those that grazed only two months made 38.2% compensation. During the last two years of the study, British breed steers were compared to Continental cross steers. Compensation was the same (54.3 and 52.5%) suggesting that frame size does not affect degree of compensation

Effect of Dietary Phosphorus on Finishing Steer Performance, Bone Status, and Carcass Maturity

Yearling crossbred steers (n = 60; 386 kg) were individually fed in a completely randomized experimental design to determine their P requirement. Treatments were in a factorial arrangement with two levels of Ca (.35 or .70% of DM) and five concentrations of P (.14, .19, .24, .29, or .34% of DM). The finishing diet consisted of 34.5% dry-rolled corn, 22.5% brewers grits, 22.5% corn bran, 7.5% ground corncobs, 5% molasses, 3% fat, and 5% supplement. Supplemental P was provided as monosodium phosphate and Ca as limestone. Ash content was determined on the first phalanx bone from the lower front legs following slaughter, and rib bone breaking strength was determined with an Instron Universal Testing Machine. Carcass maturity and shear force were also evaluated on wholesale rib cuts. Because no interactions between Ca and P levels were detected, only main effects are presented. Daily gain, DMI, and feed efficiency were not affected by dietary P concentration or P intake. Bone ash (g or g/ 100 kg BW) and rib bone breaking strength were also unaffected by dietary P. Feeding .7% Ca decreased (P \u3c &#;.06) ADG and efficiency compared with feeding .35% Ca. Neither dietary Ca nor P had a significant effect on tenderness (shear force), skeletal maturity, or overall maturity. These results indicate that the P requirement for finishing yearlings is .14% of diet DM or less and that supplementing P above levels supplied by basal ingredients in many grain-based finishing diets is not necessary

Predicting Amount of Compensatory Gain

In North American beef production systems, the entire spectrum of restriction and compensation is found. The area of compensatory gain is complex and not well understood, but critically important to the economics of cattle feeding. Several compensatory gain studies from the University of Nebraska have been compiled. The range in compensation observed with cattle grazing season-long is 19-88 percent with a mean of 53 percent. From these grazing studies, days of restriction appear to be related to percentage compensation. In the feedlot, even relatively short restrictions trigger compensatory gain; however, feed efficiency response to compensatory gain i

Total and Water Soluble Phosphorus Content of Feedlot Cattle Feces and Manure

The percentage of feedlot feces and manure P that is water soluble was 41% (not accounting for additional soluble P from urine) and 24% respectively. The interaction of feces and urine with minerals and metals reduced the water solubility of P in feedlot manure relative to feces. Increasing dietary P level increased manure P concentration and water solubility of manure. Manure P from cattle fed feedlot diets containing 0.30% to 0.50% P was 28% water soluble P. The water solubility of P in feedlot feces and manure is an indicator of the potential for P runoff from feedlots and fields receiving manure

Phosphorus and Dairy/Beef Nutrition

Phosphorus (P), a required nutrient for all livestock, has numerous essential physiological functions in the body that include energy transfer (ATP), structure of bone, teeth, and membranes, and buffering pH changes in the rumen (salivary phosphate). Ruminants use a larger proportion of dietary P than nonruminants because rumen microbes produce phytase, the enzyme that hydrolyzes P from phytate. The majority of P in most grains is in phytate form, a P form largely unavailable to swine and poultry

Phosphorus and Dairy/Beef Nutrition

Phosphorus (P), a required nutrient for all livestock, has numerous essential physiological functions in the body that include energy transfer (ATP), structure of bone, teeth, and membranes, and buffering pH changes in the rumen (salivary phosphate). Ruminants use a larger proportion of dietary P than nonruminants because rumen microbes produce phytase, the enzyme that hydrolyzes P from phytate. The majority of P in most grains is in phytate form, a P form largely unavailable to swine and poultry

Effects of Backgrounding and Growing Programs on Beef Carcass Quality and Yield

Clearly, the future of the beef cattle industry in the United States depends on the quality of the product. The majority of calves are born in the spring; therefore, to have a consistent supply of feeders entering feedlots and to take advantage of forages, a variety of stocker programs exist. Cattle enter the feedlot at varying weights and ages and from different nutritional backgrounds, and this variation could produce differences in carcass quality. The economically important measures of carcass quality are yield grade and quality grade. They are directly related: as cattle fatten in the feedlot, both quality grade and yield grade increase. Because cattle are commercially fed to fat-constant end points, it is logical to make comparisons at equal fat end points. Then, marbling (percentage Choice) becomes the primary quality criterion. We analyzed data from 534 cattle serially slaughtered and found that the percentage grading Choice increased 12 ± 1 percentage units for each 1-mm increase in rib fat. Marbling score increased 30 units (200 = slight 00) for each 1-mm increase in fat. To determine the effect of rate of winter gain on carcass quality, 372 calves over 5 yr were wintered at .23 or .61 kg/d gain. When adjusted to equal rib fat after summer grazing and finishing, there was no difference in quality grade. To test the effect of summer gain on carcass quality, 418 calves over 7 yr were followed through the feedlot after gaining .57 or .84 kg/d on grass. When compared at equal rib fat, there was no difference in quality grade. Shear force values and consumer taste panels were used to evaluate steaks from 90 cattle from calf-fed and yearling production systems. Calf-feds were 14 mo of age at slaughter and yearlings were 19 or 21 mo. Each group was serially slaughtered. There was no effect of an additional .39 cm of rib fat on shear force, juiciness, tenderness, flavor, or overall palatability. Calf-feds were significantly more tender than yearlings, but the risk of an undesirable steak from yearlings was \u3c .2% based on shear force and \u3c 2.8% based on the consumer taste panel. If cattle are fed to a common rib fat end point, and within the range of rates of winter and summer gains reported herein, we conclude that the backgrounding program has little or no effect on marbling or carcass quality grade

Cyclin D1 integrates G9a-mediated histone methylation.

Lysine methylation of histones and non-histone substrates by the SET domain containing protein lysine methyltransferase (KMT) G9a/EHMT2 governs transcription contributing to apoptosis, aberrant cell growth, and pluripotency. The positioning of chromosomes within the nuclear three-dimensional space involves interactions between nuclear lamina (NL) and the lamina-associated domains (LAD). Contact of individual LADs with the NL are dependent upon H3K9me2 introduced by G9a. The mechanisms governing the recruitment of G9a to distinct subcellular sites, into chromatin or to LAD, is not known. The cyclin D1 gene product encodes the regulatory subunit of the holoenzyme that phosphorylates pRB and NRF1 thereby governing cell-cycle progression and mitochondrial metabolism. Herein, we show that cyclin D1 enhanced H3K9 dimethylation though direct association with G9a. Endogenous cyclin D1 was required for the recruitment of G9a to target genes in chromatin, for G9a-induced H3K9me2 of histones, and for NL-LAD interaction. The finding that cyclin D1 is required for recruitment of G9a to target genes in chromatin and for H3K9 dimethylation, identifies a novel mechanism coordinating protein methylation

Cattle CODE: An Economic Model for Determining Byproduct Returns for Feedlot Cattle

Cattle CODE — Coproduct Optimizer Decision Evaluator — is a model developed to predict performance and economic returns when byproducts are fed to finishing cattle. Four scenarios were evaluated to illustrate how the model works and to show sensitivity to corn price and distance from the ethanol plant, which resulted in positive returns for feeding WDGS, Sweet Bran, or DDGS up to 50% of diet DM and under 100 miles distance from the ethanol plant to the feedlot