Fact Sheet Written by:
David Lalman, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist OSU Animal Science
And Provided by
Oklahoma State University
In years when hay and forage production is low due to drought hay prices often escalate, and in severe cases forage of any kind may be hard to obtain. In situations like this, some producers should consider limit feeding concentrate diets to cows. Depending on the price of grain, nutrients to maintain and grow cattle may be cheaper to purchase through concentrate feeds rather than roughage. This nontraditional approach is often referred to as “program feeding” or “limit feeding.” The basic principle is to feed corn (or some other concentrate energy source) and a supplement in just enough quantity to meet the animal’s requirement for maintenance or a targeted level of weight gain. Generally, a very limited amount of roughage will be fed, or enough to keep the animal’s digestive system healthy. The program is referred to as limit feeding because the diet is much more nutrient dense compared to hay or dry grass, and the amount consumed must be limited. Otherwise, there is no benefit in terms of feed cost savings and the animals get too fleshy. Limit feeding is not for everyone. In fact, this technique may be limited to a small percentage of cattle producers in Oklahoma. Adoption is limited by the additional labor requirement, management skills, feed storage capacity, and the availability of feed bunks, feed delivery equipment, and a well drained dry lot or sacrifice pasture. The cost effectiveness of limit feeding will depend on each producer’s price of alternative forage, the price of grain, and the price of the supplement needed for the hay or the limit feeding program. This fact sheet will focus on limit feeding beef cows and is intended to provide a few management tips to help producers evaluate the opportunity to utilize this technique.
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