During an episode of “Agriculture Today,” Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry graduate student, Adam King, shared his findings in a study of how failed wheat crop can be used as part of cattle rations.
Study Overview
King explains how in 2023 Kansas saw a large drought, leaving about 29% of wheat crops failed, with 2.35 million acres being left abandoned.
In this study, the failed crop was infested with Palmer amaranth and kochia weeds — both herbicide resistant. Rather than waste chemicals or till the weeds back into the soil, the crop was baled up for feed.
The baled crop was used as the forage source, which is 7% of this specific feedlot diet. The rest of the diet consisted of 64% dried-rolled corn and 29% wet distillers grain. For a control comparison, a sorghum and sudan hay was fed. King says these diets were tested on 300 Angus and Angus-cross steers.
Feed Rations
The rations themselves were similar, King explains, but the real differences were seen in the hay.
There was a 2% difference in crude protein, 8% in acid detergent fibers and 2.5% in neutral detergent fibers. Combined, there was a 2% difference in total digestible nutrients.
King says that is not a big concern, it is simply just less nutrients per bite.
Reviewing the Data
Overall, most of the data was similar. Body weights on all animals were alike. The carcass analysis showed there were no differences in: dressing percentage, marbling, hot carcass weight, carcass yield grade, ribeye area and instances of liver abscesses — an animal health indicator.
The biggest differences were in average daily gain (ADG), dry-matter intake (DMI) and feed-to-gain ratio (F:G).
When looking at ADG in the first half of the study, the wheat group was gaining 0.2 lb. more, but in the second half of the study, the sorghum group was gaining 0.5 lb. more. Overall, there was a 0.1 lb. difference in the two hays.
King explains he doesn’t see a definite reason as to why the ADG numbers flipped throughout the study. DMI shows in all aspects of the study the sorghum hay was providing better results. Early on, calves were consuming 0.7 lb. more, then 2 lb. more, for an overall figure of one more pound per head per day consumed compared to the wheat group.
F:G showed similar results to ADG. In the beginning of the trial, the sorghum hay was less efficient, but by the end, the wheat hay was less efficient by 0.3 lb. Looking at the study overall, there were no differences in the two roughages.
Study Takeaways
People tend to think seeing a big difference in a study is what makes a good study, but that’s not always the case, King says. This study proved how similar both roughages were and that producers can supplement their cattle with weeds and failed wheat crop while seeing similar results.
The water absorbed by the weeds in a drought can still be used, and King looks at it as a way to recycle what would otherwise be wasted product.
You can make lemonade out of it, King says, when referring to crop and cattle producer relationships like this situation allows for.
For more information on the study, contact King at adamking@ksu.edu.
