Corn is an excellent feed source for beef cows. It can be fed as a supplement to hay or simply grazed on its own.
Corn can also help prevent acidosis by fermenting faster than roughage does, due to its higher carbohydrate content.
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High in Energy
Energy is the capacity for work or the capacity of an animal to perform certain bodily functions (Figure 2). Cattle need energy for growth and development, reproduction, as well as milk production.
When a cow doesn’t receive adequate energy levels, her health, performance and reproductive traits can be severely compromised. A shortage of energy causes the production and release of hormones that control reproduction – such as GnRH and LH – which negatively impacts her capacity to produce and nurture new offspring.
A high-energy diet is necessary for cattle to meet their nutrient requirements and maintain performance traits. Many producers supplement grazed forage with various energy and protein sources that can help the animal meet these needs, such as concentrate ingredients derived from cereal grains, protein sources or byproducts like soybean hulls or wheat middlings.
High in Fiber
Corn is an abundantly nutrient-rich feed grain that contains protein, fiber and available fat. It can be utilized in many different cattle diets for its various benefits.
Studies have demonstrated that switching from typical corn grain to OPTIMUM High Oil Corn significantly increased dry matter intake and milk yield in cows without affecting nutrient digestibility.
Another advantage of OPTIMUM High Oil Corn is its higher content of unsaturated fatty acids than typical corn. This boosts energy intake and helps protect cows against heat stress.
Additionally, OPTIMUM High Oil corn contains less starch than conventional corn, potentially helping to prevent acidosis on rumen microorganisms when a high-starch diet is fed.
When hay supplies are limited or expensive, producers need to look into alternative fiber (roughage) sources for beef cattle diets. When selecting these forages, it’s essential that producers consider the effective fiber levels in these forages so cattle can make full use of them.
High in Protein
Formulated corn for cows usually contains more fat (oil) and protein than standard corn grain does, which can be beneficial as it reduces the need for additional supplemental protein in rations.
Furthermore, high protein diets for lactating dairy cows may enhance milk production by increasing dry matter intake. Furthermore, this additional metabolizable protein provides energy to the cow’s digestive system during milk synthesis.
Over the past few years, various alternative feeds have been introduced into cattle rations that are co-products from ethanol production processes. These include distillers’ grains, cottonseed meal and corn gluten feed.
High in Nutrients
When corn is included in diets, it is generally advised to add a supplemental source of rumen-degradable protein such as nonprotein nitrogen (urea or biuret) or an organic protein supplement.
Additionally, hay should be included in grain-based diets to stimulate rumen function and prevent digestive upsets. A minimum calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 2-to-1 should be maintained in feedlot diets.
Nutrient content of various feed grains varies due to harvest, storage and processing methods; however, these differences are usually not significant.
Corn is primarily composed of escape or bypass protein, which means it is not fermented by microorganisms in the cow’s rumen but instead digested and absorbed by it in its small intestine.
Corn contains 35% protein that is rumen-degradable and essential for growth and protein synthesis by microorganisms in the rumen, so it’s essential to provide supplemental sources of these essential amino acids when feeding cattle with corn meal.
