Calves weaned and fed supplements containing urea generally have a period of reduced performance in comparison to those fed soybean meal supplements. The period of reduced gains may last for 3 to 4 weeks for calves unapted to urea, but it may vary in legnth and severity depending upon the level of urea, energy concentration of the diet, age of cattle and stresses to which subjected prior to arrival and at the feedlot. The period of reduced performance appears to become of lesser importance with increasing age of the cattle

Embry, L. B.

Swan, W. S.

English

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South Dakota State UniversityOpen PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information ExchangeSouth Dakota Cattle Feeders Field Day Proceedingsand Research Reports, 1974 Animal Science Reports1974Soybean Meal and Urea Supplements with CornSilage at Various Stages of Feeding for GrowingCattleL. B. EmbrySouth Dakota State UniversityW. S. SwanFollow this and additional works at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/sd_cattlefeed_1974Part of the Animal Sciences CommonsThis Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Animal Science Reports at Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in South Dakota Cattle Feeders Field Day Proceedings and Research Reports,1974 by an authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For moreinformation, please contact michael.biondo@sdstate.edu.Recommended CitationEmbry, L. B. and Swan, W. S., "Soybean Meal and Urea Supplements with Corn Silage at Various Stages of Feeding for Growing Cattle"(1974). South Dakota Cattle Feeders Field Day Proceedings and Research Reports, 1974. Paper 5.http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/sd_cattlefeed_1974/5South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota Department of Animal Science Agricultural Experiment Station A. S. Series 74-4 Soybean Meal and Urea Supplements with Corn Silage at Various Stages of Feeding for Growing Cattle L. B. Embry and W. S. Swan Calves weaned and fed supplements containing urea generally have a period of reduced performance in comparison to those fed soybean meal supplements. The period of reduced gains may last for 3 to 4 weeks for calves unadapted to urea, but it may vary in length and severity depending upon the level of urea, energy concentration of the diet, age of cattle and stresses to which subjected prior to arrival and at the feedlot. The period of reduced performance appears to become of lesser importance with increasing age of the cattle. There is some evidence that the effects from adaptation to urea may be par­tially offset by gradual increases in urea over a period of about 1 month starting at relatively low levels. Feeding soybean meal to calves as the major supplemental protein for about 1 month before introducing urea has been reported to be beneficial in overcoming the period of reduced performance from adaptation to urea. Under investigation in this experiment were the comparative values of soybean meal, urea and a combination of the two during the first month of feedlot adaptation of calves. Also tested were the effects of changes in the source of supplemental protein after 1 month in the feedlot. Procedures The steers used in the experiment were purchased about mid-January. They were fed about 5 lb. of alfalfa-bromegrass hay and a full feed of corn silage for about 3 weeks prior to starting the experiment. One hundred forty-four steer calves ( 72 Hereford x Angus and 72 Hereford) were allotted into 24 pens of 6 each (3 of each breed group) for six supplement treatments. One of the four pens within each supplement group was implanted with 36 mg diethylstilbestrol, 36 mg zeranol, Synovex-S or served as the implant control. Allotment was at random to the 24 pens within weight groups of 24 after stratifying on basis of weight. The dietary treatment during the first month of feedlot adaptation was a full feed of corn silage supplemented with soybean meal, urea or a combination of soy­bean meal and urea. Eight pens of calves were fed 2 lb. per head daily of the soybean meal supplement, eight pens fed the same level of the urea supplement and the other eight pens of calves were fed 1 lb. per head daily of each supplement. Prepared for the Eighteenth Annual Beef Cattle Feeders Day, November 1 ,  19�4. 14 - 2 -The supplements were formulated to contain 32% protein. They were fortified with minerals, vitamin A and chlortetracycline-sulfamethazine. Ingredient compo­sition is shown in table 1. Table 1. Ingredient Composition of Protein Supplements (Feedlot Adaptation Phase) Ingredient SBOM suppl. Urea suppl. Ground corn grain Soybean meal (44%) Urea (46% N) TM salt Limestone Dicalcium phosphate Calcium sulfate ' (1 pt. S to 10 pt. N from urea) TM premix Vitamin A (30,000 IU/g) (15, 000 IU/lb. suppl. ) Aureo S-700 (17 5 mg each of CTC and SMZ /lb. suppl. ) % 22. 54 67. 65 4.00 2. 20 3. 00 0 . 11 0.50 % 78.81 9. 30 4. 00 4. 50 2. 58 0. 20 0. 11 0. 50 Following the first month of feedlot adaptation, four pens of calves from each supplement treatment group were fed soybean meal and the other four were fed the urea supplement for an additional period of 63 days (93 days for the entire experiment) . The calves were not reallotted for this phase of the experiment. Initial designation of implant treatments was such that implant treatments were balanced within supplement groups. Diets during this phase of the experiment were corn silage full-fed with 2 lb. of protein supplement. The protein supplements were as for the initial phase except vitamin A was reduced to 10,000 IU per lb. of supplement and chlor­tetracycline at 35 mg per lb. of supplement replaced the chlortetracycline­sulfamethazine mixture. Feeding was once daily in outside paved pens without access to shade or shelter, Results Results of the experiment after 30 days on basis of weights taken in early morning before feeding are shown in table 2. Steers fed corn silage supplemented with soybean meal gained at the fastest rate and 0. 37 lb. more daily than those fed the urea supplement. Feeding the combination of soybean meal and urea offered no improvement over urea alone during this time of the experiment. Feed consumed was similar for each supplement group of cattle during the initial 30 days. Those making the faster rate of gain had lower feed requirements. 15 - 3 -Table 2. Soybean Meal and Urea Supplements with Corn Silage at Various Stages in the Feeding Period No. of animals Initial filled wt. , lb. Filled wt. , lb. (30 days) Avg. daily gain, lb. Avg. daily feed, lb. Feed/100 lb. gain, lb. (Day 1 to 30) Type of protein supplement SBOM Urea SBOM-urea 47a 546.0 617. 4 2. 39 25. 99 1106 48 546. 4 606. 8 2. 02 25. 76 1286 48 544. 4 602. 4 1. 94 25.85 1349 aOne steer died. Results are presented for those finishing the experiment. Results for the second month of the experiment following the changes in supplements are presented in table 3. There were only small differences in rate of gain between steers fed soybean meal for both months, those changed from urea to soybean meal, changed from the combination to soybean meal or changed from the combination to urea. In all cases, rates of gain were improved over the first month. Table 3. Soybean Meal and Urea Supplements with Corn Silage at Various Stages in the Feeding Period Day l to 30 Day 31 to 58 No. of animals Filled wt. , lb. (30 days) Filled wt. , lb. (58 days) Avg. daily gain, lb. Accumulative daily gain, to date, lb. Avg. daily feed, lb. Feed/100 lb. gain, lb. (Day 31 to 58) Type of protein supplement SBOM SBOM 24 621. 3 695. 2 2.64 2. 54 35. 55 1346 SBOM Urea 23a 613. 6 680. 4 2. 31 2. 30 34. 58 1456 Urea SBOM. 24 611. 7 682. 9 2. 55 2. 29 33. 33 1319 Urea Urea 24 601. 9 661. 5 2 . 13 2. 05 34. 78 1635 SBOM-urea SBOM 24 599. 8 672. 6 2. 60 2. 25 33. 47 1293 SBOM­urea Urea 24 609. l 678. 7 2. 63 2. 28 34.83 1413 aOne steer died. Results are presented for those finishing the experiment. 16 - 4 -S tee rs fed urea for the firs t time gained at a lowe r  rat e  (0 . 33 lb . daily) than those continued on soybean meal . The reduction in this case was o f  about the same amount as between s oybean meal and urea during the first month . Stee rs continued on urea gained only slightly more the second month than during the firs t one . Their rate of gain was considerably les s  (0 . 42 lb . daily) than for stee rs changed from urea to soybean meal af ter 1 month of the expe riment . They als o  gained at a slightly lowe r rate than steers fed s oybean meal and switched to urea after 1 month . Average daily gains af ter 2 months were about the same for s teers fed various combinations of s oybean meal and urea . Those fed s oybean meal both months gained about one-fourth pound more d aily and those fed urea both months gained about this much less . Type of supplement appeared to have only a small effect on feed con­sumption as was true during the first month . The supply of corn silage was fed up after 93 days . The cattle were weighed following an overnight stand without feed and water and the experiment terminated . Results for the 93 days on basis of shrunk weights are presented in table 4 .  Table 4. S oybean Meal and Urea Supplements with Corn Silage at Various Stages in the Feeding Period (Feb . 6 to May 10--93 days) T�Ee of Erotein SUEElement Adaptation phas e SBOM Urea SBOM Growing Ehase SBOl1 Urea SBOM Urea SBOM No. of animals 24 23a 24 24 24 Initial shrunk wt . ,  lb . 525 . 3  527 . 0  526 . 3  523 . 7  524 . 5  Final shrunk wt . ,  lb . 757 . 3  736.6 740 . 2  723 . 5  736 . 2  and Avg . d aily gain , lb . 2 . 50 2 . 25 2 . 30 2 . 15 2 . 28 Avg . daily feed , lb . 35 . 33 35 . 17 34.00 35 . 07 34 . 13 Feed/100 lb . gain, lb . 1419 1572 1484 1635 150 1  urea Urea 24 526 . 3 740 . 8  2 . 3 1  35 . 43 154 1 aone steer died . Results are p resented for those finishing the experiment . Average daily gain after 93 days di ffered only slightly from the accumulative gains af ter 2 months excep t for s ome improvement for s teers fed urea during the entire exp eriment . The advantage for soybean meal supplement appeared to result largely from the better perfo rmance of this group during the first month in the feedlot .  The dep ressing effec t of urea was similar whether fed upon arrival o r  after 1 month when the calves were o n  full feed . When urea was fed as the major supplemental protein , rate of gain was not equal to that of calves receiving other treatments until after about 2 months . Supplement treatments appeared to have only small eff ects on feed consumption . Calves making the fas ter rates of gain had lowe r feed requirements. 17 - 5 -Summary and Connnents Calves used in this experiment had been weaned and fed growing-type diets for about 3 months prior to purchase. They were fed corn silage and alfalfa­bromegrass hay without additional supplemental protein for 2 to 3 weeks prior to the experiment. Those full-fed corn silage and soybean meal gained at the fastest rate (2. 39 lb. daily) during the first month of the experiment. Feeding urea as the major supplemental protein resulted in lower (0. 37 lb. daily) rates of gain. A combination of soybean meal and urea resulted in no improvement over urea alone during this time. Changing the supplement from soybean meal to urea after 1 month resulted in a reduction in rate of gain in comparison to soybean meal of about the same amount (0. 33 lb. daily) as during the first month of the experiment. Calves changed from the urea supplement to soybean meal or from the combination of soybean meal and urea to either soybean meal or urea gained at about the same rate during the second month of the experiment as those fed soybean meal from the beginning. Calves fed urea from the beginning of the experiment continued to gain at a lower rate during the second month of the experiment. Thereafter, there was some compensatory gain for this group, resulting in a narrowing of the differences in weight gain in comparison to other groups at the end of the 93-day experiment. Results of the experiment show that calves unadapted to urea may gain at a lower rate when fed urea in comparison to soybean meal with a full feed of corn silage. It appeared to make little difference whether the urea was offered at the beginning of the feeding period or 1 month later when on full feed. Any deci­sion to delay feedin.g of urea for about 1 month should depend upon condition and health of the calves since a later date might be at a more favorable time as to general thrift and health of the animals. A combination of soybean meal and urea appeared to offer no benefit over urea alone during the first month of feeding. After this first month, those fed urea gained as well as those fed soybean meal. In general, there appeared to be little or no compensation for the reduction in performance upon introduction of urea to the diets except for those fed urea for the entire experiment and having a lower rate of gain during the first 2 months. In this case, the value of urea in comparison to soybean meal would likely depend to a large degree on the length of the feeding period. Any reduction in rate of gain for a period of a few weeks would be less important with increasing length of the feeding period. Supplement treatments appeared to have little effect on feed consumption in this experiment. Therefore, calves making the faster rates of gain had lower feed requirements. 18 

Soybean Meal and Urea Supplements with Corn Silage at Various Stages of Feeding for Growing Cattle

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Soybean Meal and Urea Supplements with Corn Silage at Various Stages of Feeding for Growing Cattle

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