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Steamed Ground Oat Grouts
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Calves chew oat grain sufficiently well
until approximately 10 months old. Little or no benefit is
gained from processing oats prior to this time. Grinding oats
is usually not required for young calves, unless the grain fed
with the oats is also ground. Grinding ensures a more complete
mixing of the feeds.
Feeding
rolled or ground oats to yearlings results in a 5 percent
improvement in feed efficiency compared to feeding oats whole.
In some studies, cattle fed whole oats have consumed more
grain per day but gained at the same rate compared to cattle
fed rolled or ground oats. This indicates lower utilization of
the whole oats by older cattle. This is probably because
calves chew oats more thoroughly than older cattle.
Fine
grinding oats, coupled with pelleting, has improved
performance of growing cattle over either whole or ground
oats. Studies have shown that gains can be improved 11 percent
and feed efficiency improved 13 percent by grinding and
pelleting compared to feeding oats whole.
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Steamed Flaked Corn |
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Going from whole corn to true flaked
corn requires precise processing. According to recent
research, corn that has been properly processed (truly flaked)
can increase milk production substantially-as much as 6 pounds
per cow per day. How is that possible? Animal Scientists at
the University of Arizona and Cornell University as well as
others have shown that corn cooked at over 200 degrees for
over an hour (totally softened) and flaked thinly between two
large rolls is far more digestible by the rumen organisms than
is corn prepared by all other methods of processing.
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Steamed Rolled Barley |
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Barley is a very useful
grain source for growing, gestating, and lactating dairy
cattle, providing more protein than most other grains, highly
digestible starch (energy), and useful fiber. Cows fed diets
with barley as the primary concentrate produce the same amount
of milk as cows fed other grains. Processing barley by
tempering and rolling improves digestion in the rumen, feed
efficiency, and animal performance. Feeding properly processed
barley with the appropriate amount and quality of forage in
mixed rations maintains optimum ruminal pH and nutrient
digestibility. Addition of yeast culture appears to be
beneficial. Barley is an economical nutrient source that
should be strongly considered in formulating rations for dairy
cattle.
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