The value of bypass protein

Corn residue is an outstanding forage resource for wintering cows, but is also an option for backgrounding calves or growing heifers. Given the typical rental rates for corn residue and the cost of distillers’ grains, these two feed resources together make one of the lowest cost growing rations. To understand why distillers’ grains are such a good supplement for growing calves, one must first understand a little about how protein is used in ruminant animals. In ruminant diets, not all protein is created equal, and this is particularly apparent for animals with high protein requirements such as growing calves. Read more…