CB-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 12, 1992
4) J
CONTROL OF
FOOTROT FOR
CATTLE ON
PASTURE
A recent research report from
Kansas State University by Dr.
. Frank Brazle has indicated there
was a distinct advantage for feed
ing additional levels of zinc to
cattle on pasture to control footrot.
In this study, the incidence of foot
rot for grazing steers was reduced
by 55 percent.
Earlier work at Illinois State
University with dairy cattle
showed that including zinc
methionine reduced hoof prob
lems. The Kansas study was
designed to test the effects of addi
tional zinc methionine in the diet
of grazing steers.
The steers were rotationally
grazed for 93 days with free choice
mineral mixes available at all
times. The control group was
given a conventional mineral mix
containing dried molasses, trace
minerals, lasalocid, salt, vitamin
A, phosphate and limestone. The
treatment group received a similar
mix with the addition of 100
pounds of zinc methionine per ton.
The trace mineral mix contained a
small amount of zinc.
Keep in mind that trace minerals
are just that they do not usually
contain enough minerals like zinc,
selenium, or magnesium to meet
the animal’s daily requirement.
The treatment group averaged
.08 pounds per day higher average
daily gain with a reduction in foot
rot cases from 5.38 percent to 2.45
percent. The steers consumed an
average of 5.4 grams of zinc
methionine.
One of the reasons we often see
an inconsistency in the incidence
of footrot is because of the quantity
and availability of zinc in pasture
forages. Many times I have visited
with beef producers who experi
ence significant problems with
footrot, while their neighbors have
very little. The forage species, the
soil type, pasture fertility, and gen
eral condition of the cattle can all
contribute to this inconsistency.
A 700-pound steer has a daily
zinc requirement of 286 milli
grams. As Dr. Brazle pointed out,
under their conditions the
untreated steers were probably
consuming less zinc than was
needed, or the availability of the
zinc was low, or both. The addi
tional zinc in the mineral mix was
enough to at least partially offset
this deficiency.
The payoff was reducing footrot
treatment in half and the additional
7 1/2 pounds of sale weight for
each of the treated steers.
Feed Quality
Alert
I hope you have heard by now
that the feed value of the grain and
silage made this fall has been very
low in many cases.
Reports from the Penn Stale for
age van have shown silage that
would normally be 8 percent crude
protein may be as lov# as 4 percent,
and com grain that is usually about
Beef Briefs
by
John Comerford
Penn State Beef Specialist
percent Fiber values have also
varied widely.
The delay in harvest has resulted
in much of this feed being stored at
moisture levels that are abnormal
ly high. Rental of oxygen-limiting
silos, grinding of wet com and
storage in plastic bags, grain dry
ing, and impatient storage of wet
grain in conventional storage sites
are some of -the things that are
happening.
Most will work, some will result
in feed spoilage. One factor for
feeding this material is to remem
ber that it is wetter than normal,
and it will takes more pounds of
the material to get similar perfor
mance through cattle.
The concept of dry matter is one
many of the university students
wrestle with. Com that is normally
stored at 10 percent moisture, but
is now stored at 20 percent mois
ture, has 400 pounds of water in it
per ton.
A daily ration of 20 pounds of
the wetter com will result in feed
ing about 1.4 pounds of crude pro-
HAVE YOU HEARD ???
LANCASTER COUNTY CORN GROWERS
ARE
BUZZING WITH THE NEWS !!
EASTLAND 7810 HYBRID CORN
IS OUTYIELDING AND OUTSTANDING THE
COMPETITION - AND IT'S DOING IT OUTSIDE
LANCASTER COUNTY, AS WELL !!
IF YOU HAVENT HEARD, CALL YOUR NEAREST
SEEDWAY DEALER OR PHONE SEEDWAY FOR
COPIES OF SOLANCO YOUNG FARMERS TEST
PLOT DATA AND OTHER INDEPENDENT TRIALS.
YmKtmmon
55 willow smmm cm. (5^17^1
YORK, FA 17402
tein and about 14 pounds of TDN.
The same weight of the drier com
will contain 1.6 pounds of crude
protein and 16 pounds of TDN.
This difference in feed value
could cut gains by about 2S percent
if an adjustment is not made in
feeding. The same result would
occur if adjustments in feeding for
moisture content were made, but
the com being fed was lower in
protein and energy value than the
“usual” content.
The upshot of this is to have a
lab analysis of all grain and silage
this year. Contact your local exten
sion office for a Pen Pages listing
of the labs that perform this ser
vice, or contact your feed salesman
to assist you in getting this
analysis.
Com left standing in the field
X
Top honors in the region...
Medallion topped the 1988 Penn State'alfalfa germplasm trials at Lan
disville, PA in 1990 with a record yield of 9.28 tons per acre I That record
still stands.
Update: Medallion still going strong in this test. 1992 yield was sth
of 56 varieties and stand score second, showing its outstanding
winter hardiness in Pennsylvania.
Put this superior variety to work on your
may also have a mycotoxin prob
lem. Some reports have come in
that there is seme aflatoxin in some
of the com. If you think this may be
the case with your feed, have a test
done.
This feed can be fed to feedlot
animals as long as it is mixed with
some good grain. Do not feed mol
dy feed to any breeding animals,
even if they are not bred.
Sprouted grain can be fed to
beef cattle in most cases with no
harmful effects. However, the con
ditions for mold growth are high in
sprouted grain, so it would be a
good idea to confine feeding it to
feedlot animals. The energy value
will be about 3-5 percent lower in
sprouted grain.
Sounds like we’re going to have
a fun winter, don’t you think?
mxffombukg, fa
717-9^6-3841
IMMAUS.FA'
itvmAm,
farm!
4r-'