Mimeo AH-162 March 1956
Purdue University Agricultural Extension Service
SUGGESTED RATIONS and FEEDING PROGRAMS for DIFFERENT GRADES of CATTLE
Purdue University Animal Husbandry Department — Russell Brower,T.W. Perry Agricultural Economics Department — M. Paul Mitchell
The purpose of this mimeograph is to furnish information which can be used as a guide in working out practical farm rations for beef cattle, in light of research findings.
General Considerations in Beef Cattle Programs.
Beef cattle by nature are equipped to make use of large amounts of roughages in their rations. With greater emphasis on the production of forages, in light of the surplus grain situation and the development of soil conservation programs, much interest has been focused on practical uses of roughages in livestock rations.
A few general statements to keep in mind concerning cattle feeding are:
1.	In all cattle feeding programs, the quality of the cattle selected should match the quality of the feed to be fed.
2.	Cattle can be placed on a full feed of silage from the very start without any detrimental effects.
3.	In comparing mixed hay vs. corn silage as a winter feed for beef cattle, Purdue trials have shown that gains with silage (supplemented) have been twice as fast as with hay (without supplement) and cost of gain has been 40 percent higher with hay than with silage•
4. Silage, properly supplemented with protein and minerals, may be
used as the only feed for fattening cattle with satisfactory results.
5.	Grass silage must be supplemented with additional energy, such as corn or molasses, to be of the same value as corn silage.
6.	Corn silage alone will not meet the protein requirements of beef cattle. Always add a supplemental feed rich in protein.
7.	Silage and hay are the most common roughages for beef cattle. Silage may be substituted for hay in the ration at the rate of 3 pounds of silage for 1 pound of hay.
8.	Cattle on a full feed of corn silage will consume 5 to 6 pounds of silage/100 pounds of live weight.
9.	When cattle are on a full feed of grain, they can safely consume approximately 2 pounds of grain/100 pounds body weight per day.
10.	Protein supplement, the equivalent of soybean meal, should be fed to calves at the rate of 2 pounds per head daily when on a full-feed of grain or when the roughage is non-legume, such as corn cobs, straw, corn silage and the like.
If calves are being fed on a limited grain ration with high quality roughages, such as green pasture, legume hay or legume silage, then reduce the protein supplement to 1 pound per head daily.
11 • The better beef cattle have been fed during the winter, the less
will be their effective utilization of pasture the following summer.