South Dakota Custom Feeding Program

Seventy-five preconditioned steer calves representing 14 different owners and a variety of breeds were placed on feed at Longacre Farms. Wentworth. South Dakota. in late November and early December. Average days on feed for the 15 groups of five head was 191 (range 181-2071. Average daily gain was 2.6 lb head per day (range 2.26-2.83). Feed efficiency was 8.2 lb dry matter per pound of gain. Feed cost averaged $35.53 per cwt. gain and nonfeed cost averaged$11.84 per cwt. gain. Average cost of gain excluding interest was $47.37 per cwt. (range 43.16-53.741. Average loss was$85.00 per head (range $45.99-140.61). Cost of gain at this eastern South Dakota feedlot was competitive with nearly any feedlot in the country

Rumen Injectable Probiotic Feed Additive for Newly Arrived Feedlot Cattle

The effect of rumen injectable microbials and microbial feed additives on feedlot performance and health were monitored in a 28-day receiving trial. Average daily dry matter intake and gain and feed conversion were 9.75 lb/day, 3.78 lb/day and 2.59 lb feed/lb gain, respectively, and were not significantly different between treatments. There appeared to be no advantage to using probiotics in this trial

Effect of Restricting Feed Intake During the Finishing Phase on Feedlot Performance and Dietary Energy Utilization

A total of 192 yearling Angus steers were used in two trials to investigate the impact of restricting feed intake on feed conversion and energy utilization. In trial 1, feed intake was restricted to approximately 83% of ad libitum. Cattle were slaughtered at a constant fatness. In trial 2, intake was restricted to approximately 93 and 85% of ad Libitum. After 56 days on feed, half of the 85% cattle were allowed to consume feed ad Libitum. Cattle were slaughtered at a constant cumulative NEg intake. Average daily gain was reduced for the restricted intake cattle compared with controls. Carcass fatness was not altered by restricting feed intake. Feed conversion and calculated dietary net energy values were not improved by restricting feed intake. Use of the net energy system appears valid over several levels of feed intake

Effect of Late Season Supplementation on Performance of Yearling Steers Grazing Mixed Native Range or Cool Season, Russian Wildrye Pastures

Seventy-six yearling, black-baldy steers were utilized in a grazing experiment to study the effect of Level of Late summer, early fall protein supplement (1 versus 2 lb., 40% all natural) and type of f all pasture (mixed native range versus Russian wildrye) on average daily gain. Cattle were purchased i n May as part of a larger group and gained at the rate of 1.4 lb. per head daily prior to initiation of the study on September 1, 1987. Average daily gain was not affected by pasture type. Steers grazing native range and Russian wildrye gained .81 and .72 lb. per head daily, respectively, during September and October. Daily gain was significantly (P\u3c.05) greater for steers receiving 2 lb. of supplement than for steers receiving 1 lb. (1.01 vs .515 lb..per head daily, respectively). Providing 2 lb. of a 40% all natural protein supplement improved range utilization for growth

Observations Concerning the Effects of Ruminal Evacuation on Intake and Ruminal Recovery of Dry Matter

The effect of repeated total ruminal evacuations on feed intake and animal behavior and rate of ruminal recovery expressed as percentage of feed bunk dry matter disappearance were observed in an observation trial with six Angus crossbred steers. Evacuation stimulated meal size and daily intake in comparison to that of a previous feeding. Feed intake decreased with consecutive evacuations. Two evacuation cycles at a 2-day interval may be the practical Limit to frequency of evacuations without a 1 to 2-week recovery period. Rate of recovery of dry matter from the rumen over a 4-hour period was extremely variable and not correlated with feed intake during the same period

Alternate Feeding of Corn and Corn Silage Diets to Feedlot Cattle

One hundred twenty-eight Angus yearling steers (800 lb) were utilized in a trial to determine if feeding the concentrate portion of a 40% corn silage finishing diet separately from the silage would result in improved feedlot performance and feed conversion. Cattle fed the concentrate separately from silage achieved similar average daily gains and tended to have slightly better feed efficiency than cattle fed a completely mixed diet (2.26 vs 2.25 lb/head/day and 9.21 vs 9.89, respectively). Feeding completely mixed, high concentrate finishing diets resulted in the greatest performance and under current conditions is likely the most economical situation for most cattle feeders

Effect of Limit Feeding High Energy Growing in the Efficiency of Metabolizable Energy Utilization

One hundred twenty-eight Angus steer calves were utilized in a study to examine the effect of limit feeding on efficiency of metabolizable energy (ME) utilization during the grouping phase and subsequent performance during the finishing phase. Steers limit-fed a high concentrate diet exhibited more rapid d a i l y gains than steers full -fed the same amount of energy from a high roughage diet (2.15 vs 1.74 lb per head, respectively). Feed conversion was improved by limit feeding compared with full feeding (6.09 vs 10.19, respectively). The efficiency of ME utilization was also improved. Limit - fed steers gained .1242 l b per Mcal ME compared with .0956 lb per Mcal ME for the full - fed steers. Limit - fed cattle also required fewer days on feed (102 vs 117, respectively), gained weight more rapidly (3.43 vs 3.00 lb per head daily, respectively) and more efficiently (6.66 vs 7.53, respectively) than full-fed cattle during the finishing phase

Effect of Previous Growing Program on the Benefits of Restricting Feed Intake During the Finishing Phase

Eight pens of cattle that had been limit-fed a high energy growing diet and eight pens that had been full - fed a high roughage growing diet were fed either ad libitum amounts of a finishing diet or 93% of ad libitum for the first 70 days of the finishing phase. From day 71 through slaughter, all cattle received ad libitum amounts of the finishing diet. Interactions between previous growing program and level of feed intake during the finishing phase were significant (P\u3c.05). Restricting the intake of finishing cattle that had been grown using a limit-fed, high energy diet resulted in improved (P\u3c.05) feedlot performance (3.58 vs 3.28 lb per head daily average daily gain, respectively) and efficiency (6.18 vs 7.11, respectively) over the ad libitum fed cattle. For the cattle that had been grown using a high roughage program, restricting the intake of finishing cattle resulted in poorer (P\u3c.07) performance (2.83 vs 3.16 lb per head daily, respectively) and efficiency (7.88 vs 7.19, respectively) compared with the ad libitum fed cattle. Whether or not cattle respond to restricted intake finishing regimens may be dependent upon level of dry matter intake, dietary energy density or rate of gain during previous growing program

Limit-Fed, High Energy Diets for Growing Cattle

Limit-fed, high energy (57 Mcal per cwt dry matter) diets were compared to full - fed, Low energy (46 Mcal per cwt dry matter) corn silage and alfalfa hay diets. Feed conversions were 5.68 and 5.78 lb of dry matter per lb of gain for the limit-fed silage and alfalfa diets vs 6.86 and 7.45 lb of dry matter per lb o f gain for the full - fed silage and alfalfa hay diets, respectively. Break-even roughage prices were calculated from feed efficiency and ration cost information. If corn is valued to the bunk at 31.50 per bushel and soybean meal is worth $200 per ton, limit feeding is more economical than full feeding if corn silage and alfalfa hay cost more than 816.73 and$47.70 per ton to the bunk