November 2024 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN 51 purplewave.com ONLINE, NO RESERVE EQUIPMENT AUCTIONS NC Trade Show Exhibitor cows, backgrounding calves and feedlot cattle. Although the energy content is reduced, it is still better than corn. We are currently summarizing recent data to describe these impacts on cattle performance. For backgrounding calves, distillers grains are an excellent source of bypass protein or ruminal undegradable protein and is complementary when combined with an inexpensive forage. Last, there’s a common misconception that you cannot finish cattle without adding fat. This is not true. While adding fat can improve feed conversion, it comes at a cost. Today, most fats are not price competitive in terms of cost per unit of energy. We continue to conduct research on feeding fats to cattle, including some newer and novel fats and oils, to be prepared if or when they become cost effective in the future. I wish there were obvious feed choices that could dramatically improve the cost of gain. It’s important to remember to price all ingredients using market values, correcting for moisture content, and to calculate their cost per unit of energy and protein. Continue to focus on management practices that make cost of gain competitive, something we excel at in Nebraska with our professional beef production systems. Additionally, using FDA-approved feed additives that enhance performance, appropriately implanting cattle (unless participating in the NHTC program) and implementing robust herd health protocols are essential to maximizing cattle productivity. If you need any assistance with these approaches, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or your local Extension educator. We would be happy to help. ~NC~
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