Three Considerations for Successful Feed Testing in Dairy and Beef Cattle
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Small details can make all the difference for effectively managing livestock and ensuring health and productivity in beef and dairy herds. One critical aspect of herd management often overlooked is feed testing. Producers who are not testing their feed may unknowingly waste resources and jeopardize the reproductive health and body condition of their herds. Feed testing is an affordable investment that not only improves cost-efficiency but is crucial for effective livestock management.
By analyzing feed nutritional content, producers and their nutritionists can make informed decisions on the dietary requirements of their herds. Here are three considerations for successful feed testing:
1. Looks Can Be Deceiving
Oftentimes, tests can reveal unexpected findings with feed ingredients. Seemingly picture-perfect hay may fall short in terms of crude protein and energy, requiring additional supplementation to fill the nutritional gaps. Whether you grow your own feed ingredients or purchase them from a local supplier, it’s always a good idea to re-evaluate nutritional levels when a new feed ingredient is incorporated into the diet.
Feed tests measure critical parameters such as crude protein, mineral content, energy levels and other vital nutrients.1 Local resources such as feed mills, universities and extension services can assist in finding suitable facilities. The turnaround times for results are typically 2-7 business days depending on the lab, allowing producers and nutritionists to make timely adjustments to their herds’ diets.
How often should you test your feed? It can vary depending on the crop. For example, different cuts of alfalfa hay — first, second or third crop — can have varying protein content and volume, requiring more frequent testing. Depending on the number of total bales in the lot, it’s recommended to test 15-20 bales to determine their volume and nutrient content.2
Tip: Take hay samples from the round edge of each bale.
2. Herd Goals are Key to Designing Proper Rations
Mutual trust plays a significant role in the collaboration between beef and dairy producers and their nutritionists. To better help your nutritionist tailored to your operation’s unique needs, discuss your herd goals and monitor progress often.
Your nutritionist can act as a partner in defining goals and creating rations to meet them. Feed tests provide data to build a ration with precise quantities of different feed ingredients, supplements and minerals needed daily. Essentially, they are a dietary prescription for dairy and beef cattle.
As most producers know, cows have different calorie and energy requirements to meet their dietary needs while nursing calves and preparing for rebreeding.3 Say you have a herd goal of ensuring females have the nutrition they need to build ideal body condition scores. Keeping this goal in mind and planning accordingly, with the assistance of your nutritionist, can help you achieve successful calving and improve rebreeding rates.
3. Whole Cottonseed is a Powerhouse Ingredient
Whole cottonseed is widely known as a triple-nutrient ingredient containing fat, fiber and protein,4 and an ingredient on which both beef and dairy producers can rely to fill nutritional gaps discovered through feed tests.
The 23.5% crude protein and 19.3% crude fat in whole cottonseed5 contribute to net energy needs, enabling the cows to maintain their reproductive health and body condition.6 The high fiber content of whole cottonseed helps support rumen function and digestive health.7 Whole cottonseed also is a valuable component in preconditioning cows for calving, which leads to a uniform calving window, improving calf health and consistency.
When built as part of the total mixed ration, whole cottonseed may reduce the need for traditional roughages in the mix, along with reduced protein and fat supplementation.8, 9
What Are My Next Steps?
In today’s highly competitive and high-stakes industry, the meticulous balance of nutritional needs has never been more critical. Whole cottonseed and insights gained through diligent feed testing and conversations with your nutritionist are powerful tools for achieving these goals.
Reach out to your nutritionist about feed testing resources and incorporating whole cottonseed into your cattle rations. Learn more about whole cottonseed benefits for dairy producers and for beef producers, or visit the Cottonseed Marketplace to get started.
1 Rabsy R, Martin J. (2020). Understanding feed analysis. UNL Beef. Available at: https://beef.unl.edu/learning/feedanalysis.shtml.
2 Mississippi State University Extension (2020). Hay Testing and Understanding Forage Quality. Available at https://extension.msstate.edu/publications/hay-testing-and-understanding-forage-quality.
3 Feeding for Rebreeding. Oregon State University Extension. (Reviewed 2024). Available at: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/animals-livestock/beef/feeding-rebreeding.
4 Kellogg, D.W., Pennington, J.A., Johnson, Z.B. and Panivivat, R. (2001). “Survey of management practices used for the highest producing DHI herds in the United States.” J Dairy. Sci. Vol. 84, Supplement E120-127. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(01)70206-8.
5 National Research Council. (2001). “Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle: Seventh Revised Edition, 2001.” Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. p. 284. https://doi.org/10.17226/9825.
6 Comerford, J.W. (Updated January 16, 2023). Added fat in the ration of beef cows to enhance reproduction. Pennsylvania State University. Available at: https://extension.psu.edu/added-fat-in-the-ration-of-beef-cows-to-enhance-reproduction.
7 Stewart, L. and Rossi, J. (Reviewed March 2022). Using cotton byproducts in beef cattle diets. Bulletin 1311. The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. Available at: https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/B%201311_3.PDF.
8 Parish J. (2022). Fiber in beef cattle diets. Mississippi State University Extension. Available at: https://extension.msstate.edu/publications/fiber-beef-cattle-diets.
9 Eastridge, Maurice. (2016). Feeding Low Forage Diets to Dairy Cows. Ohio State University Extension. https://dairy.osu.edu/sites/dairy/files/imce/DIBS/DIBS33-16_Feeding_Low_Forage_Diets_to_Dairy_Cows.pdf.
