Feeding Management

of Beef Cattle

Submitted by: Ammar Tahir Roll No. 19

DVM 6th semester 2016-21
Submitted to: Dr. Faisal Shehad
Goal To discuss fundamental
concepts associated with
beef cattle nutrition
FOR

Optimal production/body
weight/condition
 7 P’s

Prior Proper Preparation

Prevents

Poor Production Performance

Unique feature
 Four compartment of stomach
 Rumen
 Reticulum
 Omasum
 Abomasum
 Able to digest high fiber feed
 Important as convert fiber products into useable food
source for humans
Rumen

 The coolest place on the earth

Ideal Rumen Environment
 Basic, complicated nutritional
equation

Nutrient
Cow nutrient Nutrient needed
supplied by
requirements in supplement
forages
Basic Required Nutrients/Classes
of Nutrients Water

Vitamins Carbohydrates

Nutrients

Minerals Proteins

Fats
 Carbohydrates
Proteins

Fats

Energy
Water
Best
Performance
Of cattle
Unlimited
Supply of
Water

Stage of
Production
Environment
Type of diet
Temperature

Water
consumption
Water
 60-70% of live weight is water
 5 liter of water for a beef cow to produce 1 liter of milk
 Unlimited excess to water is critical when ambient
temperature is high.
 At high temperature, if there is no availability of water
death occurs after 24-36 hours
 Cattle restricted from water, if consume excess water
on access, death occur due to electrolyte imbalance
 Different feed stuffs are fodders varies in water
contents
 Feeds are compared on dry matter basis (%) for
standard evaluation
 Feed consumption also evaluated on DM intake
 Helps in standard evaluation + economic costs
Water Quality Considerations
 Water quality issues are related to local geographical
condition
 Based on substances present in water that are harmful
to animals
 Reduced flow in creeks or stock ponds due to drought
conditions
 Cattle have access to more than one water resources,
it avoids water with bad taste, and quality issues
 Salinity
(Dissolved
Salts)

Biological
entities Water N containing
Compounds
Bacteria, blue
green algae Quality Nitrates/nitrites

pH not in range
of
6.0-8.5
Energy
 Carbohydrates, fats and proteins
 Mostly Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) is the
basis of energy in case of ruminants
 Net energy system also describe energy
 Net energy system is based on the proportion of
energy in different feed components that results
from digestion
 Energy is measured in calories or joules.
 A calorie is the amount of energy required to
raise the temperature of 1 g of water by 1°C.
 1 calorie is equal to 4.184 Joules
 1joule is equal to 0.293005736 calories
Partition of feed energy
 TDN is based on digestible fraction of
carbohydrates (CF +NFE), crude fat and crude
proteins content.
 Comparable to digestible energy
 CF refers to structural carbohydrates while
Nitrogen Free Extract (NFE) are the interior of
plant cell like starches and other sugars.
 65-70% of DM of grain and forages are
carbohydrates
 Cattle obtain most of energy from carbohydrates
but also from fats.
 Fat level more than 10% reduces palatability
 Example Cow TDN Requirement
Requirement at peak milk

16
14
12
10
TDN Req (lbs) 8
6 10 lb Milk
4 20 lb Milk
2
0
2 mo 4 mo 6 mo 9 mo 11 mo
Months Since Calving
 Example Cow TDN Requirement
18
17.5
17
16.5
16
TDN Req (lbs)
15.5
15
14.5
14
13.5
1000 1100 1200 1300 1400
Cow BW (lbs)
Which has the Most Energy?
Metabolizeable Energy Content
of some Common Feed
 Cattle use energy for a variety of functions in the
body, namely:
 Maintenance
 Growth
 Pregnancy
 Lactation
Energy for Production (Growth)

 To gain one kg of weight: 35-45 MJ ME energy is

required for beef cattle
 Younger cattle tend to lay down more protein than fat
so have a lower energy demand for growth
 Mature cattle lay down more fat so have higher energy
requirement
 Fat has 2.5 to 3 times the energy content of muscle
Energy for production
(Reproduction)
 Energy for pregnancy and lactation is a more
complex issue
 Female does not shut down pregnancy or milk
production even at lower supply of energy
 Weight loss occur at low energy supply
 Metabolic disturbance may occur due to
breakdown of products from muscels
Relative Energy requirement
during pregnancy and lactation
 Example NE Requirement for
Growing Calf
500 lb Growing Calf

10
8
6 NE g
Mcal

4 NE m
2
0
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
ADG (lbs)
Dry Matter Intake
 Intake expressed on DM basis to account for
differences in feedstuff moisture
 Affected by
 Size (Body weight)
 Stage of pregnancy
 Diet digestibility
 Environment
Thermal stress
Housing conditions
 Anti-quality factors
Palatability
Negative feedback mechanisms (toxins)
 DMI As Affected By Cow Size and
Diet Quality
Lactating Cow, Peak Milk

32
30
DMI (lbs)

28 1000
26 1200
24 1400
22
20
45 50 55 60 65
TDN (%)
Protein
 Ruminants have ability to convert non-protein nitrogen
NPN to protein
 Protein can be expressed as crude protein (CP)
 CP content is based on nitrogen percentage in feed
 Most protein are 16% nitrogen, so inverse of .1 (6.25)
is used as multiplier to yield CP value
 CP content does indicates its digestibility e.g. feather
meal is high in CP but have low digestibility
Protein Digestion and Absorption
 Microbial growth using NPN is important in
ruminant nutrition
 Microbial protein makes up to 70% of protein
absorbed in small intestine
 Protein requires for almost all body functions
 Requirements vary according to
 Age
 Growth rate
 Pregnancy and Lactation status
 Example Cow CP Requirement
1100 lb Beef Cow

3
2.5
2
CP Req (lbs) 1.5
10 lb Milk
1
20 lb Milk
0.5
0
2 mo 4 mo 6 mo 9 mo 11 mo
Months Since Calving
 Example Cow CP Requirement

Requirement at Peak Milk

3.2
3.1
3
CP Req (lbs) 2.9
2.8
2.7
2.6
1000 1100 1200 1300 1400
Cow BW (lbs)
Undegraded dietary protein
(UDP) or Bypass Proteins
 Protein that is not degraded in the rumen
 Passes directly into the small intestine where it
can be used directly by the animal
 Young animals have high requirement of protein
for significant muscle growth
 Cows in late pregnancy need more protein for
foetus growth
 Protein is important component of milk
 Lactating cows therefore need high protein
 Fast growing young animals, lactating cows,
pregnant cows does not meet protein
requirement by microbial protein
 So UDP protein is given
Rumen degraded protein (RDP) and
undegraded dietary protein (UDP)
requirements (g/day) of cattle for
maintenance and growth
Continue…. table
Minerals
 Important in nutrition of cattle
 Key component of bone (e.g. phosphorus and calcium
for bones)
 Needed for essential life functions and processes
 Potassium and sodium for the osmotic regulation of
body fluids.
 Iron and copper are a component of proteins, most
importantly haemoglobin
 Zinc and selenium are necessary for optimum growth.
 Deficiencies of minerals can result in ill-thrift
 Cattle need 22 different elements in correct
proportions to thrive
 The most important being phosphorus and sulfur
 Copper, sodium and cobalt also play important roles
 Both excess and insufficient amounts of minerals can
cause problems
 Either through toxicity or because of secondary effects
 As an example, too much sulfur or molybdenum can
cause copper deficiency
 Supplementation is the most common means used to
correct specific mineral deficiencies
Major Minerals
Trace Minerals
Calcium

 Most abundant mineral element in the body;

~98% functions as a structural component of
bones and teeth
 The remaining 2% is distributed in extracellular
fluids and soft tissues
 Most roughages are relatively good sources of
calcium
 Cereal hays and silages and such crop residues
are relatively low in calcium
 Although leguminous roughages are excellent
sources of calcium, even nonlegume roughages
may supply adequate calcium for maintenance of
beef cattle
 The total ration should provide a
calcium:phosphorus ratio of 1.2 to 2:1, with cows
at minimum of 1.2:1 and feedlot steers at
minimum of 2:1
Phosphorus

 Phosphorus (P) deficiency is the most significant

mineral deficiency in the cattle industry
 Factors affecting phosphorus anailabality
 Soil type and soil pH
 Pasture growth stage
 Intake of protein and energy.
Symptoms of phosphorus
deficiency
 Poor growth
 Poor fertility
 Bone chewing (mortality from botulism often
follows bone chewing if cattle are not vaccinated
against this disease)
 Soft and weak bones
 In extreme cases lameness as ‘peg-leg’
(osteomalacia)
Supplementation Products
 Supplementary phosphorus needs
(g/P/head/day) without bone demineralization
Magnesium
 maintains electrical potentials across nerve endings
 In a deficiency, the lack of control of muscles is
obvious
 A magnesium deficiency in calves results in
excitability, anorexia, hyperemia, convulsions, frothing
at the mouth, and salivation
 Usually, a magnesium deficiency is seen in the spring
in more mature grazing cattle under field conditions
(ie, grass tetany)
 supplement in the spring with magnesium oxide at 28–
56 g/head/day
Potassium

 major cation in intracellular fluid and is important

in acid-base balance
 It is involved in regulation of osmotic pressure,
water balance, muscle contractions, nerve
impulse transmission, and several enzymatic
reactions
 It is good practice to supplement rations for
growing and finishing cattle such that they will
contain >0.6% potassium on a dry-matter basis.
Copper and cobalt

 Cobalt functions as a component of vitamin B12

 Ruminal microorganisms can synthesize B12 from
dietary cobalt
 n cattle, therefore, a cobalt deficiency is a relative
vitamin B12 deficiency
 Cattle show weight loss, poor immune function,
unthriftiness, fatty degeneration of the liver, and
pale skin and mucosa
 Copper functions as an essential component of
many enzyme systems, including those that
involve the production of blood components.
 Recommended levels of cobalt and copper
should be provided in the diet, either by
supplementation of the total mixed ration or as
part of the free-choice mineral mix or
supplemental mix.
Iodine

 Integral part of thyroxine and, as such, is largely

responsible for control of many metabolic
functions.
 Iodine requirements in cattle can be met
adequately by feeding stabilized iodized salt.
Selenium
 Part of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which
catalyzes the reduction of hydrogen peroxide and
lipid hydroperoxides
 Prevents oxidative damage to the body tissues
 White muscle disease in calves characterized by
degeneration and necrosis of skeletal and heart
muscles, is the result of a selenium deficiency
 Selenium can be included in mineral mixes at a
level up to 120 ppm so that cattle intake is 3
mg/head/day.
Vitamins

 Required in very small amount for various cellular

and metabolic functions
 Water soluble and Fat soluble vitamins
 May be up to 30 vitamins required by cattle
 Three are synthesized by cattle
 Fat soluble vitamins are not synthesized by cattle
i.e. A, D & E
 Vitamin A needed to maintain integrity of skin, lining of
GIT, Reproductive tract, eye and mouth membranes.
 Most important vitamin needed for cattle
 It reduces stress related illness
 Vitamin D is needed for Ca and P absorption, skeletal
formation and Ca mobilization from skeleton
 Vitamin D is found in sun cured roughages,
synthesized to some degree in body
 Vitamin E is found in grains and forages
 Needed for proper vitamin A absorption
 Animals on pastures or in intensive grazing
should have adequate amount of vitamins given
in supplements
Volatile Fatty Acids Production
and Use
 Forage based diet provide 50-85% of metabolisable
energy come from VFAs
 Acetate is used for fatty acid synthesis for
subcutaneous, seam as well as milk fat
 Propionate is converted to glucose in liver
 Butyrate is converted to ketone during absorption from
walls of rumen.
 Ketones got to adipose tissue and mammary gland
tissue for fatty acid synthesis
 Absorption of VFAs occurs directly through walls
of rumen through single cell layer into blood
 Amount absorbed is directly related to pH of
rumen and amount of ammonia in rumen
 Majority of energy absorption in cattle occur
through rumen then through small intestine and
least through large intestine
 High concentrate diet (grain based) results in high
production of propionate
 Propionate is converted into glucose
 Glucose is used by nervous tissue, muscle tissue,
adipose tissue, mammary tissue
 High level of glucose production results in high
average daily gain, more lean tissue/day and more
intra-mascular fat deposition
Effect of Forage to concentrate ration
F:C on production of VFA S
F:C Acetate % Propionate % Butyrate %
100:0 71.4 16.0 7.9
75:25 68.2 18.1 8.0
50:50 65.3 18.4 10.4
40:60 59.8 25.9 10.2
20:80 53.6 30.6 10.7
Other Nutritional issue

 Supplementation
 Practical options to address nutritional
deficiencies
 Anything that is fed to cattle in paddock
 Anything other than full feeding such as feedlot
 Primary limiting nutrient
 Targeting primary limiting nutrient is the priority
for cost effective supplementation program.
Rumen Modifiers

 Include anything that modifies the rumen

environment OR
 Population of microorganism in the rumen
 Change in composition of microorganisms may
be beneficial to some species but inhibitory to
others
 Affects functioning of rumen
How they Work?

 Change rumen environment or microorganism

population
 increase production of propionic acid and
decrease methane
 change protein metabolism so that more protein
is available to animal
 Rumen modifiers improve feed conversion efficiency
 Therefore, at the same level of feed intake, animal
production will be improved
 Change in microbial population change the end
products of fermentation
 e.g. increase in propionate production than other VFAs
 Increase in propionate production is a reduction in
methane production thus increasing the amount of
energy available to the animal.
 Change in protein metabolism occurs so that more
protein is available to animals
 Rumen modifiers like Rumensin® and Bovatec®
usually only work when animals are gaining at a
reasonable rate, for instance 0.5 kg/day
 At low rate of growth, no advantage in using rumen
modifires
 Used to control coccidiosis in young weaners and also
for bloat control
 Some rumen modifiers are unpalatable, and
when mixed with a supplement, can reduce the
intake of a supplement
 This can be used in a practical sense to help
regulate supplement intake.
Hormonal growth promotants
(HGPs)
 Oestrogens (Female Hormones) & Androgens
(male Hormones)
 Oestrogen based HGPs, e.g. oestrodiol, stimulate
the release of the animal’s own growth hormones
 This increases cell growth and protein retention.
 Androgen based HGPs, e.g. testosterone and
trembolone acetate, reduce the breakdown of
muscle cells and stimulate lean meat production
Example Diets for Beef Cattle
Late gestation cows (1200 lb. Last 60 days of
gestation)
 30 lbs good quality hay*
 30 lbs fair quality hay* plus 1 lb corn
 Stockpiled fescue
 25 lbs 80% poultry litter 20% corn plus 5 lbs poor
hay
 60 lbs corn silage plus 1 lb protein supplement
 Good quality fall pasture
Lactating cows (1200 lb. Average milking ability)
 32 lbs good hay plus 1 lb corn plus 1 lb protein
supplement
 32 lbs fair hay plus 5 lbs corn gluten pellets
 Spring pasture, good quality summer pasture or
excellent stockpiled fescue
 28 lbs 80% poultry litter 20% corn plus 5 lbs hay
 68 lbs silage plus 4 lbs protein supplement
Gestating cows (Mid Gestation)
 Stockpiled fescue
 Moderate quality pasture
 25 lbs average quality hay
 Grazing corn stalks plus 1 lb cottonseed meal
Pregnant replacement heifers (Late Gestation)
 Good quality grass - legume pasture
 21 lbs good quality hay plus 6 lbs cracked corn
and 1 lb soybean meal
 21 lbs good quality hay plus 7 lbs barley
 40 lbs corn silage plus 4 lbs whole cottonseed
Pregnant heifers (Mid Gestation)
 Good quality pasture
 Stockpiled fescue
 22 lbs good quality grass hay plus 3 lbs barley
 34 lbs corn silage plus 2 lb soybean meal plus
hay
Lactating 1st calf heifers
 24 lbs good hay plus 3 lbs corn plus 2 lbs
soybean meal
 24 lbs good hay plus 6 lbs corn gluten pellets
 Abundant spring pasture
Young herd bulls (12-24 months)
 High quality pasture plus 12 lbs corn
 20 lbs grass legume hay plus 12 lbs corn
 80 lbs corn silage plus 2 lbs protein supplement
Mature herd bulls
 High quality pasture plus grain if needed
 30 lbs of good quality hay plus grain if needed
 70 lbs corn silage plus 1.5 lbs protein supplement
 Good quality hay = >56% TDN; >10% CP
 Fair quality hay = 50 - 55% TDN; 8 - 9% CP
Final Remarks

 THE MOST IMPORTANT NUTRIENT IS THE

ONE THAT IS MISSING!
References
 https://www.msdvetmanual.com/management-and-
nutrition/nutrition-beef-cattle/nutritional-requirements-
of-beef-cattle
 https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/400/400-012/400-012.html
 Beef Cattle Nutrition: An introduction to the essentials
by Meat and Livestock Australia
 Thank
You