by Dr. James I. Sprague, Nutritionist

Research and experience
Research and field experience on the effect of different hybrid types of corn for cattle feeding is underway. These include starch digestibility, milling properties and moisture content at harvest. The seed industry, university research and practical observations by livestock people have determined certain traits are important for milling, digestibility, and moisture content at harvest. High oil corn varieties with excellent feeding and milling properties have been developed but are not readily available. There are also high protein types available, but cattle feeders are most interested in the digestibility and utilization of the starch and the processing properties.

Each processing method needs a particular corn to achieve optimum feeding value, according to Dr. Fred Owens of Pioneer Hi-Bred International. Owens is a senior scientist for Pioneer, and former professor at Oklahoma State University.

Contracting for an adequate supply of a superior corn
Once a large feedlot has determined that certain hybrid numbers have superior value for their needs, Owens suggests the feedlot provide four to six specific numbers for contracting purposes to producing farmers. This is probably most applicable for large feedlots that purchase high moisture corn. The moisture content at harvest and the feeding value will both be considered. This concept would also apply to a feeder that produces grain for their own farms.

One of the recent developments are early maturing varieties. These would require two periods of harvest and may not work well for high moisture storage.

Dry rolled, flaked or fed whole
Dr. Owens shared this thought, “A dry rolling operation may prefer a floury type for superior digestibility, while a feedyard using steam flaking will prefer a vitreous type to produce a “tougher” flake that also has a good digestibility.” He pointed out that some floury types of corn make a mess of fines during the flaking process, and handling and mixing after the flakes are produced. A softer kernel type would be preferred by whole shelled corn programs.

Regarding digestibility in general, dry rolled the lowest, high moisture intermediate, and steam flaked corn the highest. For test of starch left in the manure, their research review indicates dry rolled to be 11 to 24 percent, high moisture three to 11 percent, while the flaked corn resulted in only three percent starch in the manure. Starch remaining in the manure is a fast method to determine if processing is adequate for the type of corn being fed.

Moisture content critical for High Moisture corn
Owens stressed, “Lots of corn harvested for high moisture storage is harvested too dry rather than too wet.” It appears that high moisture corn needs to be over 30 percent moisture at harvest. But he added that getting above 30 is more difficult to get the grain removed from the cob. He believes corn at 24 percent moisture may not be as digestible as dry corn, even if both are properly processed. ©