Submitted by: agcomm,  Wed Nov 26 10:13:38 1997


                        November 26, 1997
 
Whole Kernel Corn Offers Feeding Options
 
     With hay supplies short in some areas of the state,
whole-kernel corn offers a feeding alternative that some cattle
producers may want to consider. 
     "We had some producers who were very short of hay last year
who used whole-kernel corn with pretty good success," says Chip
Poland, a livestock specialist with the North Dakota State
University Dickinson Research Extension Center.
     Poland says those experiences are backed up by research at
Ohio State University that showed that a large part of the hay in
beef cow rations could be replaced by shelled corn. Producers may
be able to feed 10 to 12 pounds of corn each day to replace more
than 25 pounds of hay in the typical ration of up to 32 pounds of
hay per day. 
     "We can't get totally away from hay, but shell corn can go a
long way toward stretching short hay supplies," he says. "This is
an example of how different crops in the region offer cattle
producers new feeding strategies and opportunities." 
     Cattle can utilize whole shell corn more efficiently than
barley or wheat in high- concentrate diets, Poland notes. Barley
and wheat need to be processed before feeding to get the most
energy out of them. Corn, on the other hand, can be used
effectively with little or no decrease in diet digestibility.
     Poland says the Ohio research shows that at $2 per bushel,
producers can substitute shell corn for good quality hay when hay
is selling above $45 per ton. A 20 cent move in corn prices will
change the break-even hay price by $2 per ton. In other words, if
corn sells for $2.80, limited feeding of corn can replace $53 per
ton hay in a typical cow ration. 
     Poland notes that feeding whole-kernel corn requires
additional management. Overconsumption can result in acidosis,
bloating or excessive weight gain. This can be a problem
particularly when processed grains are fed. "With limit feeding,
you have to provide the grain and hay so that all the cows get
their fair share." he says. "That's a real concern for producers
who aren't set up for this type of feeding system." 
     In addition to a small amount of hay, cows fed a ration high
in whole-kernel corn will need a protein supplement. "In many
cases, the composition and price of that supplement are the keys
to making this feeding strategy work," Poland says. 
     In the original Ohio research, soybean meal and corn made up
the base of the protein supplement. Opportunities exist for using
more locally available protein sources in the formulation of the
supplement. "Cull field pea and lentil, as well as other oilseed
meals, are available locally in North Dakota that may help
cheapen the cost of the supplement," he says. 
     For more information on feeding whole kernel corn,
supplement formulation or other alternative feeding strategies,
contact Poland at (701) 227-2348 or by e-mail at
wpoland@ndsuext.nodak.edu. 
                              ###
NDSU Agriculture Communication
Source: Chip Poland (701) 227-2348
Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629