GPP 5

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GPP 5 Ruminant Nutrition

• Safely Meeting The Nutritional Needs of 4 H
  FFA
• Youth Projects

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The Ruminant AnimalWhy Are They Different?

• The main difference between ruminants and other
  domestic meat animals is their special GI tract
  and their symbiotic relationship with
  micro-organisms (eg. bacteria, fungi, and yeasts)
  which allows them to convert large amounts of
  feedstuffs that are of little nutritional value
  to humans into an energy dense product

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The Ruminant GI Tract
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Why is It Different?

• The difference lies in the upper GI tract
  specifically the three pre-gastric fermentation
  chambers the reticulum, the rumen, and the
  omasum
• These precede the abomasum which is considered
  the true stomach

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The RuminantGI Tract
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The Ruminant GI Tract
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Nutrient Requirements
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Clean Water

• Cheapest and most abundant of nutrients
• 60 75 of birth weight
• 45 60 of mature weight
• Sources
• Drinking Water
• Cattle Require 8 16 gallons/day (22 in hot
  weather)
• Sheep require 1 4 gallons/day
• Water in feedstuffs
• Metabolic water

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Energy

• Requirements for growing/finishing cattle
• NEm 0.077 Mcal/BW0.75
• NEg RE
• RE 0.0635 BW0.75 EBG1.097 (Steers)
• RE 0.0783 BW0.75 EBG1.119 (Heifers)
• Energy Sources
• Grains
• Corn, Sorghum, Oats, Barley
• Fats
• Yellow Grease

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Protein

• Crude Protein
• N x 6.25
• Requirements
• 12.5 14 depending on age and gender
• Protein Feedstuffs (gt20 CP)
• Soybean Meal
• Cottonseed Meal
• Urea (NPN)
• Can be included up to 1.5 of diet

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Roughage

• Requirements
• 3 15 (Finishing Cattle)
• 25 30 (Receiving Cattle)
• Sources
• Hay
• Alfalfa, Sorghum Sudan
• Silage
• Corn, Alfalfa
• Haylage
• Oat, Wheat
• By-Product
• Straw, Cottonseed Hulls

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Mineral

• Macro-Minerals
• Maintain proper CaP ratio
• Excess can interfere with other minerals
• Ca, P, Mg, K, Na, and S

• Trace-Minerals
• Usually met with good trace mineral package
• Do not feed TM package for cattle to sheep
• Co, Cu, I, Fe, Mn, Se, and Zn

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Vitamins Additives

• Fat Soluble A,D,E, and K
• B vitamins are water soluble
• Ionophores
• Rumensin (30 g/ton)
• Bovatec
• Lasalocid
• Antibiotics
• Tylosin (10 g/ton)

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Optaflexx

• Ractopamine hydrochloride
• Need to ensure that YOU (youth leaders) use the
  product according to label directions
• Mix and handle products properly and according to
  label directions
• Administer at proper rates
• Administer during the proper phase of growth
• Use only for the species being approved
• Maintain proper nutrition and animal management
  practices
• Consult professional experts regarding proper use
  of products

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Optaflexx

• Increase weight gain and improved feed efficiency
  at 8.2 to 24.6 g/ton (90 DM basis)
• Approved only during the final 28 to 42 days
  prior to harvest
• Improved live weight gain by 10 to 21 lbs
• Increases hot carcass weight by 6 to 18 lbs
• Improves feed efficiency by 14 to 21

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Show Rations

• There are many good pre-manufactured show rations
  available for use
• Proximate analysis are provided on feed tags that
  are attached to the feed sack

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Sample Feed Tag
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Feeding Cattle Bunk Management
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Receiving Period

• Increased energy and protein requirement
• 25 30 roughage
• 14 16 CP
• 2 3 of BW increase at 1.0 lb/hd/d increments
  to reach full feed

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Transition Period

• Working cattle to 90 concentrate ration
• Working cattle up on feed should take about 14
  21 days to reach a 90 concentrate ration from a
  70 concentrate ration
• Approximately 5 7 day intervals for each 5
  concentrate added

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Growing Period

• Necessary to add frame growth to small framed
  calves
• Extensive
• Cattle grazed or maintained on forage to 750lbs
• Intensive
• Calves fed high concentrate ration and programmed
  to gain 1.75 2.0 lb/d

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Finishing Period

• 12.5 14 CP
• 3 15 roughage

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Bunk Management

• Slick bunk
• Feed bunks should be clean at time of morning
  feeding
• If bunks are clean for 2 3 d add 1 1.5 lbs/hd
• If not clean estimate amount left and reduce that
  days feeding by that amount
• When bunks are slick again the greatest amount
  previously eaten should be fed
• Ad Lib
• 115 of average intake for prior 3 days

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Digestive Disorders
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Bloat

• May be caused by
• Weather
• Overeating
• Physical Obstruction
• Diet
• Treatment/Prevention
• Good Bunk Management
• Tubing
• Polaxalene

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Acidosis

• Common on highly fermentable high concentrate
  rations
• Caused by overeating
• May be caused by variation in time of feeding
  which can cause grain engorgement
• Treatment/Prevention
• Good bunk management
• Maintenance of extensive feed records

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• Just About Home

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Take Home Message

• Subject animals to growing period
• Maintain intensive bunk management and feed
  records
• Many good show feeds are pre-manufactured and it
  is likely a good idea to use these feeds if
  ration formulation knowledge is limited
• If feed additives and growth promoters are used,
  use only according to label directions