News from the Midwest Sectional Meetings, March 16-18, 1998, Des Moines, Iowa
Contact: Dale Blasi, Kansas State University (785) 532-5427
Wheat Middlings Make Nutritious Cattle Feed
MANHATTAN--Beef cattle producers are constantly searching for cheaper ways to feed their herds without compromising feed quality or cattle performance. At the same time, by-products are becoming more useful and more common in livestock feeds.
To answer the need for cheaper, nutritious feeds, K-State Research and Extension scientists are studying the usefulness of wheat middlings in cattle rations. Wheat middlings are a common by-product of Kansas’ flour milling industry.
"Wheat middlings are rich in protein, phosphorus and potassium," said Dale Blasi, KSU Extension livestock specialist. "They are a good source of crude protein and supplemental energy and are readily available in Kansas. In fact, Kansas flour mills annually produce about 800,000 tons of middlings--about 10 percent of the entire amount produced in the United States.
During the past seven years, some Kansas flour mills recognized the potential feed value and market for wheat middlings and installed pelleting equipment and more storage to handle this
by-product, the specialist said. At the same time, producers have welcomed the opportunity to buy pelleted or cubed middlings direct from mills.
"Cattle producers know wheat middlings are price- and nutrient-competitive with other supplemental feedstuffs," Blasi said. "K-State’s research on wheat middlings seeks to help this beneficial relationship grow. So far, we have funded this research with about $98,000."
The Kansas Wheat Commission (KWC), flour mills and other agribusinesses also are involved in the project. K-State’s commitment includes research by specialists in ag economics, livestock production, feed manufacturing, grain science and marketing.
In the initial phase of their research, a group of K-State specialists consulted with the KWC. They also approached and gained the support of Kansas flour millers. Then the specialists surveyed wheat middling users to learn what processing, storage and feeding concerns needed to be addressed in phase II of their study. In phase III, K-State specialists are conducting storage research, nutrient variation research with flour millers and cattle feeding trials.
"In our study with growing cattle at KSU, we found that wheat middlings are almost equivalent to a corn-soybean mix in a sorghum silage diet," Blasi said. "When fed correctly, middlings are an effective energy component of cattle rations."
Blasi suggested that producers gradually introduce wheat middlings into cattle rations.
"Our feeding trials show cattle need to get acclimated to middlings. We recommend using no more than 3 to 4 pounds per head per feeding until the cattle become acclimated to the change," he said. "Our survey of middling users indicates that feeding in a bunk is preferable to feeding middlings on the ground.
In addition to their nutritive value, wheat middlings often are price-competitive with other feeds, the specialist said.
"Actual cost varies with supply and demand, and pelleted or cubed middlings cost a little more than mill-run middlings," Blasi said. "Even so, middlings usually are a cost-effective feed ingredient for most producers."
The flip side of feeding wheat middlings is that producers sometimes encounter minor problems with transportation and storage.
Pelleted middlings are easier to transport than bulk middlings, but still are susceptible to en-route breakage. Producers prefer to purchase middlings in bulk, to achieve a cost savings, but bulk middlings do not have a long storage life.
K-State researchers are examining storage methods that will minimize mold and spoilage and still be cost-effective in the long-run. The researchers also plan to help the flour milling and cattle industries formulate accurate quality standards and feeding/use guidelines.
All in all, the future of feeding wheat middlings appears bright.
"Using wheat middlings as cattle feed is a win-win situation for everyone involved," Blasi said. "Flour mills that supply this by-product help the cattle industry reduce its cost of feeding, and the cattle industry then becomes a viable market for millers who want to sell this valuable by-product."
K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has offices and research centers in 105 Kansas counties and its headquarters on the K-State campus, Manhattan.
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