Cattle, Corn and Co-Products – Feeding Cattle in Nebraska

Livestock is one of the corn grower’s most important customers, consuming more than 41 percent of all U.S. corn, including the supply of distillers grains, which are produced by corn ethanol plants.

In Nebraska, livestock production is the engine that powers the state’s economy. The multiplied impact of the $6.5 billion in cattle sales each year is $12.1 billion. Cattle-related employment means income for businesses up and down main street in towns and cities across the state. In short, the beef cattle industry has an unmistakable impact on other economies in Nebraska.

About 16 percent of the Nebraska’s corn crop is fed to livestock within Nebraska, with the bulk of that (more than 70 percent) going to beef cattle. See complete breakdown.

In total, though, about 40 percent of the corn grown in Nebraska is fed to livestock somewhere in the United States or around the world.

Another major user of corn is ethanol – but one-third of every bushel used in ethanol production comes back as distillers grain, an outstanding feed ingredient. Nebraska ethanol plants only use the starch portion of the kernel, returning the other components to the livestock industries as a high protein feed ingredient.

Nebraska has more than 5,000 feedyards willing to work with cow-calf producers interested in retaining ownership or partnering on their feeder cattle. They offer competitive feeding rations from the quality feedstuffs available in the state. You can can get an up-close view of the cattle feeding industry in Nebraska, thanks to this six minute video, “Consider the Possibilities – Cattle, Corn and Co-Products – Feeding Cattle in Nebraska,” Watch it and share this with your cow/calf friends considering where to send their calves!