July 12, 2007

 

US trials show field peas do well in beef rations

 

 

Beef farmers in North Dakota have discovered field peas in feedlot rations can nutritionally outperform barley or corn in cattle animals.

 

Ruminant nutritionist Vern Anderson, who has been studying field peas for 8 years now at the Carrington Research Extension Centre of North Dakota State University, said many growing rations for bulls in the state now contain 20 to 30 percent lightly rolled field peas because of the muscle development and growth rates they produce.

 

Some trials compared the intake and performance of calves fed at arrival on pea-based or barley/canola meal concentrate. The peas were lightly rolled or cracked as Anderson had already discovered rolled peas were more easily digested than ground or whole peas.

 

At 1.6 kilograms per head per day, steers on a straight pea concentrate post significantly higher gain and dry matter intake than steers on a half mix or a barley only check ration.

 

Anderson said the 60 percent ration as concentrate and 100 percent concentrate being field peas were eaten and digested by calves without problems, adding peas are proven to be palatable.

 

In his trials, Anderson found higher dry matter intakes and daily gains with field peas in growing rations compared to a standard barley/canola meal growing ration.

 

Using field peas in finishing diets did not give better growth or feed efficiencies, but marbling scores went up and the percentage Choice grading carcasses almost doubled in the field peas fed animals compared to barley/canola meal rations.

 

In a study, 117 yearling heifers were fed finishing rations containing 0, 10, 20 or 30 percent field peas in a corn-based diet for 76 days. There were no discernable effects on carcass traits but when a panel of expert tasters ate the beef, the field pea-finished steaks proved superior on juiciness and tenderness.

 

It seems the effect on juiciness plateaus at about 20 percent field pea while it kept trending upwards to the 30 percent level on tenderness ratings.

 

Anderson said if feeding peas even at a modest 10 percent rate in as little as two months can improve the juiciness and tenderness of beef, the grain could well be "one truly, exciting stuff".