Nutrition and Management: By-Products for Cattle Feeding

This is a fact sheet from the Nutrition and Management section of the Alberta Feedlot Management Guide,Second Edition published September 2000. The 1200 page guide is available for purchase on CD-ROM.

Take Home Message

• By-products are the left over feedstuffs from other agricultural industries.
• While by-products can help to reduce the cost of feeding, several factors must be carefully considered:
  • how much can reasonably be included in the ration
  • how consistent is the nutrient content among different delivery lots of by-products
  • what is the moisture content of the by-product
  • are chemical residues present
  • what is the cost per unit of the nutrient to be supplemented

The use of by-products is not new in cattle feeding. However, with more emphasis to the bottom line in feedlot and cow-calf production, any reduction in feed costs or cost per pound of gain is welcome.

By-products may be defined as left over feedstuffs from other agricultural industries, such as the products resulting from grains that were milled or processed for higher end products. Some examples are, malt sprouts from the malting barley; wheat shorts, bran and millrun from the milling of wheat for flour or barley millings from pearling barley. By-products may also be culls from vegetable crops such as potatoes or bakery products that are beyond their shelf life. Table 1 provides the nutrient composition for some common by-products in Western Canada.

Where the potential for by-product use in beef feeding is economically sound, attention must be given to the nutrient content of each by-product and how it varies in composition from load to load. Sellers of by-product feeds should have a nutrient analysis, from representative samples, of every product they have for sale. These product sheets should provide information on moisture, energy (TDN, digestible or net energy), protein, calcium and phosphorus content, and should include other mineral analyses when these are present in nutritionally important amounts. If an analysis is not available, representative samples should be analysed by a certified feed testing laboratory. Product density measurements such as bushel or volume weights can be helpful in assessing energy content and should be measured as well. Where pesticides were used in production of the crop, the pesticide registration should be checked for feeding restrictions. Chemical residue testing should be considered when the presence of chemical residues is possible.

When considering the use of by-products, start with an inventory of current feedstuffs used or grown, noting the amount, value and nutrient density of each. Assessing these feedstuffs first, will determine which nutrient area is limiting in your feeding program. It might include energy, protein, calcium, phosphorus or fibre needs. Next, determine which of the available by-products could be useful to you. Palatability of some by-products is a problem; therefore a method for gradually introducing these by-products into the ration should be developed.

While by-products can contribute to reduced costs of feeding, attention must be given to the amount that can be reasonably included in the ration. Just because 20% inclusion appears good, it does not necessarily mean that a 50% inclusion rate will contribute even more to reducing the cost of feeding.

Moisture content in a by-product can vary, considerably. Moisture content of these materials should be checked often, and adjustments should be made in the rations as necessary. It is important to balance the ration for moisture, protein, energy, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins and mineral needs. Fibre levels should be addressed as well. A livestock nutritionist or qualified beef consultant can help in maximizing the use of by-products in beef rations and help achieve your targeted gains for different groups of cattle.

There are drawbacks to the use of by-products. Labour, transportation and storage costs can increase in some situations. Larger load sizes, when purchasing these feedstuffs, present increased risk of shrinkage from weather conditions and spoilage. Supply is not always assured. Availability of byproducts can vary greatly from season to season. Presently, from fall through the spring season, the availability of some by-products is marginal and worsens during times of increasing grain prices. Accumulating product during summer periods is one method of assuring a supply. Some products that initially appear to be cost effective, have hidden handling costs i.e. plastic bags must be sorted from bread products.

Freight costs on bulky by-products, like oat hulls, are high, particularly if hauled any distance. Liquid products such as whey must be evaluated, considering labour, equipment and storage costs involved in getting it to the bunk.

By-products are an alternate source of nutrients in cattle feeding programs. Price by-products according to moisture content and nutrient density. Assess each by-product on a dry matter basis for price per unit of nutrient supplied.

Table 1. Common By-Products and their Nutrient Analysis.

Dry matter basis	As Fed	TDN	NEm	NEg	CP	CF	ADF	Ca	P
Feed Name	%	%	Mcal/lb	Mcal/lb	%	%	%	%	%
Alfalfa Seed Screenings	90.0	86.0	0.94	0.63	34.40	12.30	15.00
Bakery Waste	92.0	89.0	0.99	0.65	11.90	1.00		0.07	0.11
Barley Distillers Dried Grain	92.0	69.0	0.70	0.43	30.10	11.00	14.00
Barley Mill Run	90.0	70.0	0.71	0.44	11.70	15.70	20.00
Beet Tops, sugar	17.0	58.0	0.56	0.27	15.10	11.20	14.00	1.01	0.22
Malt Sprouts	92.0	68.0	0.69	0.42	28.00	15.60	20.00	0.28	0.84
Milk, cattle, whole, dried	94.0	130.0	1.64	0.91	26.90	0.00	0.00	0.89	0.72
Molasses, beet	75.0	75.0	0.87	0.55	11.20	0.00	0.00	0.07	0.03
Oat mill feed	92.9	33.7	0.26	0.00	3.10	35.10	44.00	0.11	0.05
Oat straw	90.0	45.0	0.41	0.09	4.50	40.30	50.00	0.27	0.10
Pea hay	88.0	58.0	0.56	0.27	13.80	30.30	38.00	1.39	0.28
Potatoes	23.0	80.0	0.85	0.57	9.60	2.40	3.00	0.05	0.24
Potato waste, wet	14.0	82.0	0.89	0.59	7.00	9.00	11.00	0.16	0.25
Rye distillers dried grains	92.0	48.0	0.44	0.10	22.10	14.10	18.00
Screenings, grain, good grade	90.0	70.0	0.70	0.44	14.21	13.10	16.00	0.48	0.43
Screenings, refuse	90.0	56.0	0.55	0.29	1.50	31.00	40.00	0.46	0.32
Sunflower meal, solv-extd	93.0	65.0	0.64	0.38	50.30	12.00	30.00	0.40	1.10
Sunflower seeds, whole	94.0	83.0	0.90	0.60	17.90	31.00	39.00	0.18	0.56
Wheat bran	89.0	70.0	0.69	0.44	18.00	11.00	14.00	0.12	1.32
Wheat mill run	90.0	74.0	0.73	0.49	17.00	9.00	11.00	0.10	1.13
Wheat straw	90.0	41.0	0.35	0.02	3.60	41.50	52.00	0.19	0.09
Whey dried	0.0	84.0	0.93	0.61	14.20	0.20	0.00	0.95	0.80
Whey, liquid	7.0	78.0	0.81	0.54	14.00	0.00	0.00	0.98	0.81
Yeast, brewers, dried	93.0	78.0	0.81	0.54	48.30	3.00	1.00	0.14	1.54

Source: adapted from Roy,K and Kattnig, R. (1).

Reference

1. Roy, Kathy H. And Robert M. Kattnig 1994. Value and Quality Assurance of Byproduct Feeds. Cattle Producer’s Library, US Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service.