December 7, 2006

Corn stalks to supplement dairy heifer feed

Researchers at South Dakota State University are keen on blending corn stalks with wet distillers grains (WDGS) to supplement or complement residue feeds.

The research could prove economical for producers, considering the current high price of corn driven by increasing demand for corn-based ethanol. Corn prices have moved into the range of US$3 a bushel or more, depending on the region.

WDGS could be a good match to feed with low-quality, high-fibre feeds, such as crop residues, because they provide more protein, fat and phosphorus than what growing dairy heifers require.

As feed was the single highest cost of raising dairy replacements, the use of inexpensive fibrous residues and competitively priced wet distillers grains could decrease total dairy heifer rearing costs and stretch out forage supplies.

During a trial, 34 heifers weighing 400 pounds at the start of the study were divided in four groups. While two groups were fed a diet consisting of a blend of 59 percent WDGS, 27 percent shredded corn stalks, 13 percent rye straw and some vitamin-mineral pack, the other two groups were fed a traditional heifer diet consisting of alfalfa hay, grass hay, alfalfa haylage, corn silage, dried distillers grains, earlage and a vitamin-mineral pack.

The heifers fed the traditional diet gained more weight than those fed the diet formulated with the WDGS/corn stalks blend (2.82 vs. 2.31 pounds per day). However, both provided greater gains than those the National Resource Council for Dairy recommends. These results suggest corn stalks and WDGS could be incorporated in heifer diets without negatively affecting growth, according to SDSU Extension Dairy Specialist Alvaro Garcia.