ESTIMATING THE SUPPLEMENT INTAKE, HAY REPLACEMENT VALUE, AND ECONOMICS OF A CORN DISTILLER’S GRAIN LICK-TUB SUPPLEMENT WHEN FED TO PRE- AND POST-CALVING BEEF COWS
Songul Senturklu, Douglas Landblom
Dickinson Research Extension Center, North Dakota State University, Dickinson, ND, USA 58601
ssenturklu@comu.edu.tr
This cow (n = 108) supplementation study determined cow daily intake of a chemically hardened 28% crude protein (CP) distiller’s dried grain with solubles (DDGS) lick-tub supplement, which subsequently replaced alfalfa-brome grass hay based on cow daily intake. For the 90-day study, a hay control group (CON) was compared to: 1) a pre-calving treatment (PRE-SUP) that consumed supplement for the entire study, and 2) a post-calving treatment (POST-SUP) that began receiving supplement after calving. Compared to the CON and POST-SUP treatments, PRE-SUP treatment cows consumed the least hay dry matter (DM) (P < 0.01) and a greater amount of total supplement (P > 0.05). Compared to the PRE-SUP treatment, POST-SUP cows consumed 41.9% more lick-tub supple-ment per day (P > 0.05) after calving. Cow starting, calving, and end-ing body weight (BW), and cow calving and ending body con¬dition score (BCS) did not differ (P > 0.05). Post-calving cow BW gain and average daily gain (ADG) did not dif¬fer (P > 0.05). Ending rib fat thickness was greater for supplemented treatments compared to CON. Breeding cycle and total percent pregnant did not differ (P > 0.05). Supplementation cost was determined when fed pre- and post-calving. PRE-SUP was similar to POST-SUP, but PRE-SUP had more cost.
Keywords: beef cows; distiller’s dried grain with solubles; economics; hay replacement; lick-tub supplement intake; supplementation timing
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