Cows have long been fed ear corn. Nowadays, however, fewer people harvest the cob today.
Steve Ritter, a dairyman in western Jackson County, Ohio, has been raising cattle for four decades and still harvests ear corn.
He recently added dried distillers grains to his cows’ food for increased protein, and he believes this has resulted in improved growth rates and healthier cows.
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Energy
Corn is an energy-rich feed grain that can be beneficial to beef cows’ diets. Not only does adding corn to the ration meet their energy requirements, but it may also aid in increasing milk production.
Feeders must balance the protein in their ration when feeding corn to cows. This protein can come from dried distillers grains or soybean meal, cottonseed meal, or wheat mids.
The amount of ear corn that a producer can use in their ration depends on several factors, including the quality of grass or hay, the age and weight of the animal, milk production goals, and forage availability. Furthermore, any added protein must be degraded in the rumen for maximum utilization.
Ear corn is an excellent way to provide extra energy for beef cattle. However, the diet should be balanced so that protein does not become the sole limiting nutrient.
Fiber
Fiber is an integral element of cows’ feeding program. Feeding ear corn to cattle provides them with highly digestible and effective fiber for improved digestive health.
Corn kernels are primarily composed of 65 percent escape and rumen-degradable protein, along with fiber. This makes them an excellent source of forage fiber for lactating dairy cows, as well as being an excellent source of energy.
The husk portion of ear corn is not as high in fiber as the kernels, and contains only a trace amount of fatty acids. Nevertheless, it provides beneficial nutrition to animals due to its abundance of calcium and magnesium.
Corn silage should be supplemented with some form of dietary fiber to help combat ruminal acidosis. This can be accomplished by replacing some of the starch concentrate with fiber coproducts like soy hulls, wheat middlings or ground corn cob. However, make sure there is enough effective fiber present in order to avoid acidosis-related issues which could negatively impact milk production.
Digestibility
Ear corn is an excellent addition to cows’ diets due to its high level of digestible fiber. This helps keep the rumen healthy and prevent acidosis.
Cattle were evolved as grazers, meaning they must consume fibrous plant matter to stay alive. Ear corn and snaplage are highly digestible and can reduce the amount of forage necessary for optimal rumen health while increasing intake of these beneficial carbohydrates.
It is essential to harvest ear corn or snaplage at a moisture level that allows the corn to mature sufficiently for cattle digestion. If the cob is harvested too dry, mold and mycotoxins may develop.
Corn plant parts such as grain, cob, husk and leaf are highly digestible for cattle. But over time as these plants age and become broken down by forage processors, rollers and knives due to breakage, non-grain stover portions such as husks and leaves become less digestible which results in higher losses of dry matter due to breakdown.
Protein
Feeding ear corn to cows provides them with an abundant source of protein. Cows require a high-protein diet for healthy growth and optimal milk production.
According to University of Missouri Extension, an ear of corn is comparable in nutritional value to beef or pork; it provides protein and energy. However, depending on when it’s harvested, nutrient levels may vary depending on its stage of maturity.
Immature corn, for instance, does not provide as much dietary protein as mature varieties due to its absence of the hard coat that protects its seeds from external elements and pests.
Ear development occurs when pollen falls onto each silk strand in the ear, fertilizing the ovules inside each ovary and creating kernel-sized kernels.
Abnormal ear and kernel development can be caused by a variety of causes – environmental stresses, pests and cultural practices. By understanding how ears respond to stressors, agronomists can identify and address issues with corn production more effectively.
