What are the precautions for feeding distillers grains to beef cattle?
The nutritional value of distillers grains varies depending on the type of raw material. Distillers grains are rich in protein, crude fat and abundant B vitamins, energy, linoleic acid and many unknown growth factors, and are a cheap, high-quality feed for beef cattle. The 852 Woye high-quality beef cattle fattening base has used distillers grains to raise fattening cattle for six years and has accumulated some experience.
Quality requirements for distillers grains
The main raw materials of the distillers grains currently used in our region are corn, sorghum and rice. At present, the loose material in the distillers grains processing in our region is rice husks, accounting for about 50% of the total material, and the utilization rate of rice husks by beef cattle is only about 8%. In order to sell more distillers grains, most distilleries add 30% raw rice husks after the grains come out of the still, which greatly reduces the effective nutrients and quality of the distillers grains. These raw rice husks are highly irritating to the bovine stomach and easily cause bovine stomach diseases, so the amount used must be limited to a certain level.
The distillers grains fed to cattle must be fresh; moldy, rotten clumps must be picked out promptly, and impurities such as stones and coal cinders must be cleaned out. First distinguish by color and smell: good distillers grains show more residual grain, have a proper smell and a strong aroma. Conversely, blackish-gray ones are of poorer quality. Sorghum distillers grains contain a large amount of astringent bitter substances and have high acidity, so their palatability for cattle is poor.
Feeding methods for distillers grains
Distillers grains can be added to the diet of feeder cattle entering the barn (over 600 jin). After deworming and appetite stimulation, fattening feeder cattle can first be given distillers grains at 2 jin per day mixed into the forage, letting the herd adapt to eating distillers grains, and over about 10 days gradually increase the amount to about 15 kg. In the mid-fattening period it can be increased greatly, with the maximum feeding amount reaching 30-40 kg per day. During the adaptation period, a very few cattle are sensitive to distillers grains; according to their growth condition, such cattle can be placed aside and the amount of distillers grains limited to prevent poisoning. Feeding methods:
1. Evenly mix fresh distillers grains into silage, microbial-treated feed or ground forage. According to the amount of distillers grains used, add 150 g of soda to adjust the acidity of the distillers grains. Prevent diseases of the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. If the forage is mainly silage, the amount of soda should be increased by about 0.2%. Prevent acidosis in beef cattle caused by the large-scale use of distillers grains and silage.
2. When using distillers grains in winter, first take the frozen lumps of distillers grains into a warm barn to thaw. It is strictly forbidden to feed frozen distillers grains directly to cattle, as this will cause severe rumen diseases in beef cattle, such as rumen stasis and bloody stool.
3. Storage of distillers grains: in summer and autumn, after the distillers grains are transported back, they should immediately be put into pits or sealed and stored in large plastic bags. In summer, distillers grains left outside for three days will spoil. This spoiled distillers grains is very harmful to beef cattle. It must be resolutely discarded and must not be used.
4. When beef cattle are fed distillers grains for a long time, their nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio becomes unbalanced, and they lack vitamins A and D and trace elements. Metabolic disorders also occur, reducing the growth rate of beef cattle. Therefore, trace elements and vitamins should be supplemented in time. The simplest way is to add a special premix for beef cattle to the diet. Nongken Xingwang brand feed can be used. The amount of premix used is 2 liang per head of cattle per day. The amount of concentrated feed is 1-3 jin per head of cattle. (Increase according to different fattening stages.) These nutritionally complete feeds are very convenient to use; just evenly mix them into the concentrate daily in proportion and feed.