 |
||||
|
||||
|
|
||||
The Problem: Whole grain in the Manure It has been my observation that when wheat is fed there is always considerable whole berries in the manure. The problem is particularly troublesome with low test weight wheat. If the seed is not broken, it will not be digested. The Cause: Poor Processing The cause is the lack of attention to the grain processing. It does not seem to make any difference if the grain is hammer milled, dry rolled, crimped, or steam rolled. Many of the small seeds escape processing. With dry rolling, the rolls must nearly touch to process the small berries. I prefer a differential roller mill with one roll running faster than the other to give some grinding action. If the rolls run at the same speed for crimping action, then attention to the rolling speed and tension on the rolls is critical to get the grain cracked. Adjusting the Rolls Dry rolling wheat requires attention to the cut of the grain. Sharp rolls are needed. At least eight corrugations per inch is necessary. Finer is even better. A double stack roller mill is ideal. Caution: with finer processed grain, extra attention is required for ration formulation and bunk management to prevent bloat and digestive upsets. There is a trade off between the minimization of digestive problems with coarse processed wheat and the use of fine processing to improve feed efficiency. Steam Rolling With steam flaking, a thicker flake is preferred to help control digestive problems. The weight per bushel of 30-35 is adequate to prevent overcooking and digestive upsets. There will be a trade off in this case because the very small berries will not be flaked properly. It would be nice to separate the fine berries for a different processing method, but this idea is impractical. Adjustment of the End Blocks of the Roller Mill If the end blocks are not in place or are out of adjustment, grain will bypass the rolling action. This is a common problem of all our clients. Digestive Upsets and Bloat Control Ration formulation is different when feeding wheat. The finer the grind, the more critical the formulation. Alfalfa and wheat or barley are good bloating combinations. One of the most successful tactics is to feed wheat as only part of the ration. Work with your feed advisor for successful ideas for feeding wheat. Economics of Feeding Wheat Wheat has an energy value nearly as high as corn. The protein value will be a credit if natural protein is needed in the ration. Because of the added risk of feeding wheat, I donyt believe wheat should be priced more than corn for a cattle ration. Convert the prices from bushels to 100 pounds to get a quick comparison. Wheat bushel weight divided by corn bushel weight is 107 percent. Moisture Credit for Wheat Wheat is usually drier than corn. If wheat is purchased at the same price as corn, then there is a pickup in value for the wheat. This may be an extra value of three to five percent for wheat. Protein Credit for Wheat vs. Corn The protein value of wheat compared to corn for cattle fattening rations depends on the need for natural protein in the ration and the price of high protein products like cottonseed meal or soybean meal that the wheat replaces. Wheat varies in protein and a test for crude protein is needed to compare with corn and natural protein sources. Wheat is nearly equal to corn in energy, and is much higher in protein and phosphorus. These nutrition credits are more important in grow rations and low protein rations. For every 100 pounds of high protein wheat, it takes 85 pounds of corn and 15 pounds of soybean meal to equal the protein in wheat. Work with your feed representative or nutritionist to calculate the value of wheat in your rations. They will use least cost equations to calculate the substitutions for corn. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
All information is copywrited by Feed Lot magazine and cannot be printed or re-printed
without the publishers express consent. Please contact
Feed Lot Magazine for reprint and copy authorization.
|
||||