It’s a tough winter for cattle producers, as they face high-priced hay, high-priced corn and weather-damaged cornstalks, thanks to an icy/snowy couple of months. To ensure they get the biggest bang for their feed-purchasing buck, the Iowa Beef Center (IBC) offers several tips.
Daryl Strohbehn, Beef Specialist with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension, said taking inventory of one’s feed needs will help determine which feed is the most economical to purchase. “No. 1, when looking at purchasing feed, they must determine what nutrient they need the most,” said Strohbehn, who works with the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University.
For most producers in Iowa, their feed is typically short on energy, as opposed to protein or another nutrient, he said. So then, to determine which feed is most economical, IBC recommends looking at the cost per pound of total digestible nutrients (TDN).
To do this, producers should take the feed resource (such as corn), figure out what the TDN level is, and then calculate the cost per pound of TDN. For example, the TDN level for corn on a dry-matter basis is about 90 percent, while the TDN level for hay is about 55 percent on average.
Factoring in the cost of corn at $4.50 a bushel, the cost per pound of TDN is about 10 cents. Factoring in the cost of hay (on a dry-matter basis) at about $120 per ton, the cost per pound of TDN is about 13 cents. Therefore, from a feed energy perspective, corn would be the more economical feed purchase.
Average TDN levels (on a 100-percent dry-matter basis) for other common types of feed are: corn silage, 68 percent; distillers grains, 100 percent; corn gluten feed, 83 percent, and soyhulls, 80 percent. These figures can be used to determine the most economical feed purchase.
Also, producers should consider the transportation costs in obtaining the feed source. In Iowa, even with corn nearing $5 a bushel, it would likely be a better buy than hay because its transportation costs are lower per unit of energy to transport it from the point of purchase to the farm, Strohbehn said.
Lastly, producers need to think about which feed resources fit into their feeding program and how to minimize the amount of feed waste. Grains and corn co-products can complement low-quality forage rations very well, Strohbehn said, but they must be fed in an appropriate manner to minimize waste.
“While feeding on the ground can work during times when soil conditions are frozen, doing it during late-winter and spring thaws will cause considerable waste,” Strohbehn said. “The use of bunks, tires or troughs will quickly pay for themselves during muddy conditions.”
The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University was established in 1996. Its goal is to support the growth and vitality of the beef cattle industry in the state. As part of Iowa State University Extension, the Iowa Beef Center serves as a central access point for all ISU programs and research related to the beef industry. For more information visit the Iowa Beef Center website.