G74-142 Harvesting and Preserving Hay Crop Silage

This NebGuide describes principles of successful hay crop harvest, silage preservation, management techniques to obtain high quality hay crop silage, and proper use of silage storage facilities. Most hay (legume and grass) crops can be ensiled, or made into silage, successfully. For best feeding value and preservation, consider the special requirements for ensiling each crop. Hays to be ensiled should be selected on the basis of economics. Which are the most profitable for supplying nutrients? For example, legumes have a relatively higher value for dairy herds than for beef finishing operations because of dairy cows\u27 higher requirement for protein

Empowering manufacturing decisions through process simulation models

The need for Clinical and Commercial manufacturing capacity continues to increase and at the same time there are “shortages” of production slots and time pressures. Whether one is a virtual, small or large company there are many considerations that go into the decision of how and where to manufacture the biopharmaceutical, cell therapy or vaccine. In this presentation, we explore approaches for using commercially available modeling tools, such as Super ProDesigner® and BioSolve™, to simulate the manufacturing of a “typical” monoclonal antibody product and a multivalent conjugate vaccine product. Through these hypothetical case studies, we will illustrate several important concepts such as forecasting site capacity, supporting the decision to manufacture in-house versus outsourcing to a CMO and estimating the impact of flexibility of the manufacturing process. Biologics developers and manufacturers need the right tools and processes to deliver the product to the patients, having robust simulation packages is one way to de-risk challenges and improve likelihood of success in the manufacturing suite

G84-693 Protein Levels for Growing and Finishing Cattle

This NebGuide describes the use of nonprotein nitrogen and bypass protein sources to fulfill the protein requirements of growing and finishing steers, heifers and bulls. Protein supplementation can be an expensive feed cost for cattle producers. Through the use of nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) and bypass protein sources, however, these costs can be reduced. Bypass protein is the protein that escapes breakdown in the rumen and passes as is into the small intestine where it is digested and absorbed. Because NPN sources are usually the most economical sources of supplemental nitrogen, NPN should be used whenever possible. The potential for using NPN depends on the ability of the rumen microorganisms to synthesize protein, the bypass protein supplied by ration ingredients, and the protein requirement of the animal

G74-100 Feeding High Moisture Corn

In recent years the use of high moisture grain has become more popular due to the increased costs of handling and dry feed grains. For cattle feeders in particular, storing grains as high moisture is one practice that can improve their competitive position and reduce costs. Using high moisture grains allows greater opportunity to design a system that will minimize harvest, storage and feed processing costs. Grains such as sorghum and wheat have been stored as high moisture, but corn is the principal high moisture grain stored. High moisture corn can be processed and stored as whole shelled corn, ground shelled corn or ground ear corn. When deciding whether to dry or store high moisture corn, consider the following advantages and disadvantages

G74-100 Feeding High Moisture Corn

In recent years the use of high moisture grain has become more popular due to the increased costs of handling and dry feed grains. For cattle feeders in particular, storing grains as high moisture is one practice that can improve their competitive position and reduce costs. Using high moisture grains allows greater opportunity to design a system that will minimize harvest, storage and feed processing costs. Grains such as sorghum and wheat have been stored as high moisture, but corn is the principal high moisture grain stored. High moisture corn can be processed and stored as whole shelled corn, ground shelled corn or ground ear corn. When deciding whether to dry or store high moisture corn, consider the following advantages and disadvantages

Grazing Systems Utilizing Forage Combinations

Grazing bromegrass throughout the summer provides weight gains of up to two pounds a day during early and late summer. However, during July and August bromegrass growth and quality is low and weight gains of cattle grazing bromegrass are reduced. Grazing combinations of warm and cool season forages allows for optimizing forage quality by rotating to warm season grasses during July and August. Another alternative may be to interseed red clover in bromegrass to optimize forage quality. Inter-seeding red clover would provide a higher quality forage when bromegrass growth and quality is low and, in addition, provide a source of nitrogen for the bromegrass. thus reducing nitrogen fertilization costs. Grazing these forages during the summer when quality is high, and following a winter and spring period of limited animal growth. should produce excellent animal weight gains while reducing cost of gain. Objectives of the research were to evaluate the influence of different forage combinations on summer and fall grazing gains and to evaluate the effect of each of these combinations on the economics of the entire growing/finishing system

Grazing Systems Utilizing Forage Combinations

Grazing bromegrass throughout the summer provides weight gains of up to two pounds a day during early and late summer. However, during July and August bromegrass growth and quality is low and weight gains of cattle grazing bromegrass are reduced. Grazing combinations of warm and cool season forages allows for optimizing forage quality by rotating to warm season grasses during July and August. Another alternative may be to interseed red clover in bromegrass to optimize forage quality. Inter-seeding red clover would provide a higher quality forage when bromegrass growth and quality is low and, in addition, provide a source of nitrogen for the bromegrass. thus reducing nitrogen fertilization costs. Grazing these forages during the summer when quality is high, and following a winter and spring period of limited animal growth. should produce excellent animal weight gains while reducing cost of gain. Objectives of the research were to evaluate the influence of different forage combinations on summer and fall grazing gains and to evaluate the effect of each of these combinations on the economics of the entire growing/finishing system

Observations on Acidosis Through Continual Feed Intake and Ruminal pH Monitoring

A system of continual data acquisition of feed intake and ruminal pH has been developed for studying subacute acidosis in finishing steers. Feed intake is monitored with feedbunks which are suspended from weigh cells. Ruminal pH is monitored with submersible pH electrodes suspended in the rumen. Numerous anecdotal observations of subacute acidosis have been made throughout the feeding periods of several steers, providing information unlikely to be recognized during a planned trial. Therefore, this model for studying subacute acidosis offers many unique opportunities for enhancing our understanding of the interactions between feed intake and acidosis

Evaluation of Models Used to Predict Dry Matter Intake in Forage- Based Diets

Accurately predicting intake is critical to model performance of cattle in order to formulate diets to meet nutritional requirements. Modeling systems must be accurate in order to provide correct information to producers. Multiple studies with growing cattle consuming forage- based diets were summarized. Actual gain and weights of the cattle were used to determine predicted dry matter intake using the Beef Cattle Nutrient Requirements Model (2016). ! e predicted dry matter intakes were compared to observed dry matter intakes to determine accuracy of the prediction model. ! e model over predicted intakes at low TDN and under predicted intakes at higher TDN values, with the interaction at approximately 64% TDN. ! e Beef Cattle Nutrient Requirements Model (2016) does not accurately predict dry matter intake of growing calves consuming forage- based diets

Roughage Source and Particle Size in Finishing Diets

When compared to an all concentrate diet, roughage addition (5 to 15% of diet DM) stimulates intake, chewing, rumination and possibly particulate and liquid outflow from the rumen. Roughage addition. therefore. reduces acidosis by diluting concentrate intake and/ or increasing salivation and buffering capacity of the rumen. Alfalfa hay is a commonly fed roughage source. If the use of the fiber fraction within alfalfa roughage is to simply dilute concentrate intake and help prevent acidosis, then any fiber source fed at a similar NDF level should respond similarly to alfalfa hay. Particle size plays a major role in determining ruminal retention time. The smaller the particle size the faster the passage rate from the rumen. If roughage added to a finishing diet consists of small particles, then the dilution effect desired from roughage addition to finishing diets may be negligible. However, if roughage particle size is too large, total intake and energy consumed may decrease due to an increase in ruminal retention. Objectives of our research were to evaluate the effect of alfalfa hay and wheat straw with differing particle sizes on performance of steers fed a high-concentrate finishing diet