U.S. cattle on feed down, but red meat exports looking positive

While the Cattle of Feed report that came out earlier this month showed a decline in cattle on feed for Nebraska and the U.S., there was a positive report on global meat exports from USMEF.

Cattle on Feed Report

Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.46 million cattle on feed on February 1, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was down 2 percent from last year. Placements during January totaled 490,000 head, down 3 percent from 2015. Fed cattle marketings for the month of January totaled 435,000 head, down 3 percent from last year. Other disappearance during January totaled 15,000 head, unchanged from last year.

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.7 million head on February 1, 2016. The inventory was slightly below February 1, 2015.

Placements in feedlots during January totaled 1.78 million head, 1 percent below 2015. Net placements were 1.72 million head. During January, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 340,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 365,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 494,000 head, and 800 pounds and greater were 580,000 head.

Positive Signs for U.S. Red Meat Emerging Markets 

FAS Regional Counselor Quintin Gray (left) and USDA Undersecretary
Alexis Taylor (right) assist chef Robin Gomes at the Taste of the U.S.A.
culinary demonstration at Gulfood 2016. Photo credit: USMEF

The U.S.Meat Export Federation recently participated in Gulfood 2016 which included a week of face-to-face meetings with potential customers from the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. The region’s largest food show, which attracted about 90,000 people from 170 countries this year, was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Dan Halstrom, USMEF senior vice president for global marketing, said the atmosphere at Gulfood was upbeat despite economic challenges in the region created by declining oil prices. He described the show as very productive from the U.S. meat industry’s standpoint.

“The interest level from many countries was exciting,” said Halstrom. “Whether we are talking about the UAE, Jordan, Ghana, or South Africa, it was obvious that with the emerging nature of some of these market economies there is excellent potential for imported beef products.”

South Africa in particular was a hot topic of discussion at Gulfood, Halstrom noted. The market recently reopened to U.S. beef for the first time since 2003, and USMEF is planning in-market visits and a buyers’ event in that part of the world later this year. Just this past Friday, it was announced that South Africa has also reopened to U.S. pork.

Feed Products Made From Corn

There’s no doubt that corn is one of the world’s most a-maize-ing crops!  It has so many uses that benefit people all around the world.  Over the next few weeks, we will feature a new blog series called, “For the Love of Corn”, where we will look at the six different high-value corn product categories and how they are used.

This week, we will take a look at the high-value corn product category, Feed Products or Co-Products. Corn is a very versatile grain – and when processed in ethanol plants, “wet” mills or “dry” mills, its components can be made into many kinds of feed ingredients for livestock, which the corn and livestock industry call “co-products.” These refined corn feed products provide protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins to feed the cattle, fish, hogs, and poultry that enrich our diets.

Ethanol plants are located across Nebraska, creating a good local market for corn. The plants take that corn and pull out the starch, which is distilled into ethanol for fuel. Some ethanol plants also remove the feed-grade corn oil from the kernel, selling it separately to be used as livestock feed, while others pull out the corn germ, creating corn germ meal. The remainder of the kernel, plus the leftovers from the distilling process, are then mixed together into what is known as distiller’s grains.

Distillers grains are an excellent feed ingredient for livestock – especially cattle – and can be sold dried or “wet” (a mash-like consistency). Dried distillers grains can be stored and shipped around the world, while wet distillers grains are typically used within a short period of time.

In the milling industry, starch is separated from the rest of the kernel (the protein and fiber). The starch component can be left as corn starch, distilled or converted to several kinds of sweeteners, but the other components are used for livestock feed.

The protein portion of starch is typically a golden-colored feed ingredient known as corn gluten meal. Corn gluten meal supplies vitamins, minerals, and energy in poultry feeds; pet food processors value it for its high digestibility and low residue.

The remaining fiber can be combined with with condensed distillery solubles (what’s left over after distilling the starch) to produce corn gluten feed. Corn gluten feed can be dried, made into pellets or sold “wet” (mash-like) for livestock feed—providing a high quality protein and fiber source.

In some cases, the condensed fermented corn extractives, known as steepwater, are marketed for use in liquid feeds. Steepwater is a liquid protein supplement for cattle and is also used as a binder in feed pellets.

Nebraska Cattle on Feed up 4 percent

The USDA Cattle on Feed Report is a monthly publication that reports data on the number of cattle in U.S. feedlots, the number of cattle being placed in feedlots, and the number being marketed for slaughter.

Why is this important to corn producers and consumer? 

Livestock is our number one market - and beef being the majority of livestock that is fed corn - so being aware of how many cattle on are feed in Nebraska and across the U.S. helps us know about the market for our corn.

Nebraska Cattle on Feed up 4 percent

Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.20 million cattle on feed on September 1, according to the USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 4 percent from last year.

Placements during August totaled 410,000 head, down 4 percent from 2014.

Fed cattle marketings for the month of August totaled 400,000 head, down 9 percent from last year. Other disappearance during August totaled 10,000 head, down 5,000 from last year.

Cattle On Feed Up 3 Percent In The U.S.

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 9.99 million head on September 1, 2015. The inventory was 3 percent above September 1, 2014.

Placements in feedlots during August totaled 1.63 million head, 5 percent below 2014. Net placements were 1.57 million head. During August, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 395,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 215,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 362,000 head, and 800 pounds and greater were 660,000 head. Placements are the lowest for August since the series began in 1996.

Marketings of fed cattle during August totaled 1.59 million head, 6 percent below 2014. Marketings are the lowest for August since the series began in 1996. Other disappearance totaled 60,000 head during August, 9 percent below 2014.

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!

Nebraska Corn Farmers Recognize the Importance of the Dairy Industry during Dairy Month

June is diary month, and thanks to Nebraska’s hardworking dairy farmers and families, Nebraskans can celebrate with a tall glass of milk. With a growing number of more than 55,000 dairy cows in the state, Nebraska’s dairy industry produced 139 million gallons of milk last year and was able to provide Nebraska families with a number of nutritious dairy products, including milk, cheese, yogurt and much more.

“On behalf of 23,000 Nebraska corn farmers, we are proud to celebrate Dairy Month and the value added opportunities Nebraska’s dairy industry offers us”, said Debbie Borg, a farmer from Allen, Nebraska and Director on the Nebraska Corn Board. “The dairy industry is a major consumer of corn not only in Nebraska, but also in states such as California.” 

“One single dairy cow has an estimated economic impact of $5,000 per year on Nebraska communities,” Borg added. “When you look at the sector’s total impact, it’s considerably higher because so many dollars circulate several times through the local economy. Everything from a strong tax base, to feed, veterinary care, equipment, trucking, milk processing and more, a strong dairy sector is good for the state.”

Here in Nebraska, there are 195 dairy farms that are producing milk for consumers located in the state, across the U.S., and around the world. On average, a dairy cow can produce 7 gallons of milk a day, which ends up being 2,508 gallons in a typical year.

“There are a lot of things that attribute to this large output of milk, such as Nebraska’s resources of feed, land, water, labor, and most of all, Nebraska’s quality of life,” said Borg. “When looking at feed, Nebraska’s corn industry provides the dairy industry with an abundant and sustainable supply of high quality feed.”

Boone McAfee, Director of Market Development and Research with the Nebraska Corn Board, noted that there is a tremendous synergy between the dairy industry and corn industry, especially when it comes to the corn-ethanol co-product, distillers grains.

“Dairy cattle consume a lot of feed on a daily basis, and corn and distillers grains along with many locally-produced feedstuffs are an important part of their ration,” McAfee said. “Distillers grains are a beneficial high-protein feed ingredient in a dairy cow’s diet and on average they will consume five or more pounds of dried distillers grains a day.”

McAfee also noted that one benefit of distillers grains is that it provides dairy cows the necessary fiber. This fiber helps the cows have a better digestive system, which in turn helps keep the animal healthy.

Positive Cattle on Feed and Beef Exports worth celebrating

May is a time for celebration. This time of year finds many of us attending graduations, weddings and BBQs – where great-tasting Nebraska corn-fed beef may be featured. May is also Beef Month and there is a lot of exciting beef news important to us right now.

Photo credit: AgView.net

Big Beef

Recently, the Cattle on Feed Report came out showing that the number of cattle on feed in Nebraska was up 2 percent from last year. Nebraska feedlots with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.53 million cattle on feed on April 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Placements during March totaled 440,000 head, up 7 percent from 2014. This is the largest number of placements for March since the data series began in 1994. Fed cattle marketings for the month of March totaled 395,000 head, unchanged from last year. Other disappearance during March totaled 15,000 head, unchanged from last year.

On a national level, cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.8 million head on April 1, 2015. The inventory was slightly above April 1, 2014. The inventory included 7.46 million steers and steer calves, up 5 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 69 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.34 million head, down 10 percent from 2014.

All of these positive increases in cattle number are positive signs of a strong beef and ag economy in Nebraska and in the U.S.

Export Momentum

But we also know that domestic consumption of beef is not what is growing, but exports of our high-quality beef is showing positive momentum. According to the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), an important cooperator of the Nebraska Corn Board, exports of U.S. beef (and pork) gained momentum in March after starting the year slowly.

March beef exports totaled 86,774 mt, down 7 percent from a year ago but a 5 percent increase over February. Export value was $527.3 million, up 2 percent year-over-year but down slightly from February. The March results reflect some degree of relief from the West Coast port congestion that plagued red meat exports in January and February Beef exports add well beyond $300 to the value of each head of cattle annually, but without the USMEF and their excellent staff all over the world working on behalf of farmers and ranchers to build demand for U.S. beef, this figured wouldn’t be nearly so positive.

Let’s continue to celebrate beef this month, and continue on through the summer. Summer is the perfect time to BBQ, so now is as good a time as ever to enjoy some Nebraska corn-fed beef. For recipes, visit the Nebraska Beef Council’s Kitchen or www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipes.

Preparing cattle for winter weather

Post by CommonGround Nebraska volunteer, Chandra Horky from Sargent, Nebraska.

The national weather service has issued a severe winter weather warning for areas in west and central Nebraska and we must get prepared for the oncoming storm for our cattle.

We start by bedding down shelter areas for cows and calves. Cornstalk bales are put into a processor to cut the cornstalks and spread. This is for any new calves that will come during the winter storm. The heifers that look close to calving will be put into the shed. Or any new calves found out in the heifer pen will be put in the calf shed as well. They bed down the areas where heifers that have had a calf recently and are waiting to be moved to the pairs pasture. In the pairs pasture, we will then process more cornstalk bales behind a shelter belt that is made of cedar trees.

We go out to check all the pairs in the pastures to check for all the calves and make sure they are paired up correctly. At our place, we bring them into a corral that is on the south and east side a cedar tree shelter belt. This will protect the cows and calves from any north, northwest wind.

During this past winter storm we had 23 babies born on Sunday. Sunday is suppose to be a day of rest, but I don't think the heifers got that memo! :)

Corn crop quality during drought

Mycotoxin, aflatoxin, ear and stalk rots, Goss's Wilt and drought were the main discussion points given by Dr. Tamra Jackson-Ziems at the October Nebraska Agribusiness Club meeting on Monday.  Dr. Jackson-Ziems is the corn and sorghum specialist with the Extension Plant Pathology Team and the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

This discussion was especially timely as the heat and drought of the growing season this year, that spurred the growth of many mycotoxins which affect corn in Nebraska. However, Dr. Jackson-Ziems assured the club that we have mycotoxins every year, but the talk of aflatoxin has gotten many people worried.

The concentration of mycotoxin in grain is influenced by fungal infection, growing conditions and plant stress. Mycotoxins can still survive in distillers grains after corn has gone through the distillation process as they are heat stable - however their concentration increases 3 times by volume in the distillers grains.

One major point to remember when talking about aflatoxin and that is the FDA Action Levels for corn intended for livestock or human use. The following picture shows the parts per billion (ppb).

Dr. Jackson-Ziems worked with a colleague who collected samples of corn in a 100 mile radius of Lincoln and found that 42% of those samples had no detectable aflatoxin at all. In 80% of the samples, the corn showed less than 20 ppb of aflatoxin - which according to the chart above, is completely safe levels.

In 99% of the samples, aflatoxin was less than 100 ppb which is perfectly safe for livestock feeding. So even though there are rumors and concerns about aflatoxin in this drought year, this study has confirmed the safety of the Nebraska corn crop.

You can catch Dr. Jackson-Ziems' presentation on YouTube.

First Trip to an Ethanol Plant!

So I tagged along with Kelsey on Monday to the Nebraska AgriBusiness Club’s June Tour. The first stop was E Energy in Adams, NE which is an Ethanol Plant, (I did not know this until we got there). But I was pretty excited because I’ve never been to an Ethanol Plant. Although I did feel I missed out on the authentic Ethanol production experience because I didn’t get a hard-hat, at least I got super cool safety glasses!

 We started by walking through where the trucks dump the corn and also where they pick up Dried Distillers Grains (DDG’s). There was only one truck unloading while we were there but a line of about 10 waiting to pick up DDG’s. They said the plant will empty about 200 trucks a day during harvest, with it taking about three minutes for a truck to get weighed and unloaded, that’s freaky fast.



The left two doors are for unloading corn while the right
door is for loading trucks with DDG's



The piles of DDG's produced in 2 day, they are
ready to be loaded onto a truck



 We then made our way to where the DDG’s and Modified Distillers Grains (MDG’s) come out of the plant. This plant makes a lot more DDG’s than MDG’s because they are easier to ship, cheaper to ship, and have a longer shelf life. They do produce about five or six truck fulls of MDG’s per week, which are shipped to livestock producers in an 80 -mile radius! But because MDG’s have a much higher moisture percentage (50 percent) they can only stay at the plant for five or six days before they go bad.



The pile of MDG's coming out of the plant



A closer look at MDG's



 As a dairy farmer and an avid meat lover, I have to say that learning how they make the distillers and see the vast quantity they make really was probably my favorite part. But of course as a college kid, I’m real glad to see that so much ethanol is produced, because without ethanol I know I would be a much MORE broke student! I learned that E Energy was designed to produce 50 million gallons of ethanol but right now is actually producing 62 million gallons per year. Also that 90% of their ethanol is sent out by rail to places like California and Colorado to be used. I only wish I understood more of what they were talking about when they were explaining the whole process of making ethanol! There are just so many words I’ve never heard and so many pipes and such going so many places. But I learned a lot, so hopefully next time I go to one I will understand even more!

To see more pictures from our tour visit our Flickr page or check out the Nebraska Agribusiness Club’s blog about the trip.

Fun Facts!

 -One important thing I did learn was DO NOT drink the ethanol when it’s in its alcohol stage (190 proof). A man in Iowa did and when they found him they thought he was dead, turns out he wasn’t but his blood-alcohol level was .7 , talk about a rough next couple weeks!

-They actually sell CO2 from this plant to a local company, for $6 or $7 per ton to be used in beverages. I don’t know how one would measure a gas but these are very smart people so I’ll leave that to them to figure out!

Corn planting on Alexander Cattle & Farms

Alexander Cattle & Farms in Nebraska is know for their beef. And many may know that JD Alexander is the President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). This is quite the accomplishment and we commend JD on this leadership role.

To get to know him a little better, and to celebrate May as Beef Month, the Nebraska Cattlemen have put together a great YouTube video series of JD and his farm titled, “Committed to Nebraska Beef”. We especially like the video about corn planting on the farm with Kory, farming lead, because after all – cattle love their corn!

Now go enjoy a Nebraska, corn-fed steak for Beef Month!

Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois Corn Visit Texas Customers

By Kelly Brunkhorst, Director of Research for the Nebraska Corn Board

Growers from the corn boards of Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois recently traveled to Texas to visit with customers and see firsthand the effects of the recent drought. Meetings with associations such as the Texas Cattle Feeders Association and Texas Corn Growers Association provided a great overview of the lingering effects that the 2011 drought has had on cattle numbers and corn production, along with issues that they are addressing on behalf of there membership.

Texas has always been an important customer to these three states due to their large cattle on feed numbers and corn demand that relies on out of state imports. In fact, if the corn produced in the panhandle area of Texas was used consecutively and not spread throughout the year, it would only last 2-3 months. We were able to visit with companies that import corn such as Gavilon and Sunray Coop and those that market distillers grains like Quality Distillers Grain, out of Hereford, TX to those end users such as Cactus Feeders.

Additionally with the drought situation we were able to meet with the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District that is tasked with monitoring and conserving ground water.

So following our meetings what were our take home points. Well no doubt, this area and the demand that it creates are an important market that we want to keep due to the strong use of corn in livestock and ethanol. The Midwest has a great infrastructure that is able to rail corn from the many elevators into this area and having this consistent supply is important to these customers. But the drought has had an impact. Corn production was down by 50-60 percent, many cows were culled, with some sent to the northern pastures of Nebraska since the grass never produced the forage that they need. This has created tight supplies of feeder cattle that will last a while.

But the area continues to be proactive and look to the future. The groundwater district is looking at research into what they call a 200-12 project. The goal is to produce 200 bushel per acre corn on just 12 inches of groundwater through conservation tillage, precision water application and other conservation practices. Research is also being done by cattle producers of maintaining cows and replacement heifers in lots versus range to build the herd back up. This all continues to provide opportunities and demand for corn whether it is as a kernel or in the form of distillers grains.

It was amazing to see the difference across two parts of this great nation this past year. On one hand we see the lingering effects of flooding along the Missouri River and on the opposite, the severe drought in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and other states.

Distillers grains research initiative yields more know-how more quickly

A three-year initiative that created a beef cattle advisory committee to oversee a research partnership between the Nebraska Corn Board and University of Nebraska resulted in a number of important breakthroughs when it comes to feeding distillers grains to cattle.

The initiative, which wrapped up this year, allowed an advisory committee to work with university researchers to more quickly identify research projects that would benefit cattle producers. The Nebraska Corn Board then provided funding for the projects. This reduced the lag time between research projects and doubled the amount of research conducted during the initiative.

"We were very pleased with how everything came together, as it allowed the corn checkoff to fund key research and more quickly advance the understanding of feeding distillers grains to cattle," Kelly Brunkhorst, director of research for the Nebraska Corn Board, said in a news release.

While the initiative ended, the Nebraska Corn Board continues to fund research and further expand the knowledge and understanding of feeding distillers grains to cattle. "We believe distillers grains, which are produced by ethanol plants, give Nebraska cattle producers a tremendous advantage in the marketplace, so the more we know the better," Brunkhorst said.

The Corn Board has published several feeding guides the focus on distillers grains and other co-products. The most recent one came out last fall and focuses on beef cattle.

(USDA recently issued a report on distillers grains - and noted that its feeding value is higher than original thought. Click here.)

Now that the three-year initiative is over, the researchers compiled a list, some highlights, of what was accomplished.

They include, for cattle in feedlots:

• Drying distillers grains increases production cost, greenhouse gas emissions and does not have as positive an impact on cattle performance compared to using wet distillers grains. Modified distillers grains, meanwhile, is intermediate to wet and dry distillers grains. Understanding this has huge implications for Nebraska as Nebraska cattle producers can utilize wet distillers grains due to the proximity of corn, cattle and ethanol plants. “The research provided excellent results on comparing these types of distillers grains,” said Galen Erickson, a beef feedlot specialist with the University of Nebraska.
• A rumen degradable sulfur concept was established and better explains hydrogen sulfide production, which can cause the polio observed with high sulfur diets from distillers grains feeding. “Based on metabolism work on sulfur funded through the research initiative, we have degradabilities for different distillers grains, and hydrogen sulfide production in different feedlot diets containing distillers,” said Erickson. “Likewise, we have recommendations on polio incidence as dietary sulfur and rumen degradable sulfur increase in feedlot diets.”

Some of the key results for cattle on forage include:

• The energy value of distillers grains in forage based-diets was relatively unknown and a major need by the industry. “Thanks to research conducted through the initiative, this is now known and is well established,” said Aaron Stalker, a beef range specialist with the university. The comparison was also made to other major energy supplements in forage diets, such as corn.
• Research also found that replacing nitrogen fertilizer by supplementing distillers grains to grazing cattle will have major implications and has been effective in intensely grazed pastures. “Plus, supplemented cattle have greater removal of nitrogen, from supplement compared to fertilizer, and perform better,” Terry Klopfenstein, professor of animal science added.

While many important strides were made over the last three years, the Corn Board said it recognizes that additional research needs remain when it comes to distillers grains.

“Ethanol production technology continues to advance,” Brunkhorst said.

For example, some ethanol plants are extracting corn oil for other uses and that changes the distillers grains. “We need to understand that and devote resources to additional research,” Brunkhorst said, “but we have limitations simply because our budget is limited by what is available via the corn checkoff, which is the lowest of all leading corn states.”

OWH: Corn. Ethanol. Livestock. A prosperous farming combination

An editorial in the Omaha World Herald earlier this week did a great job of pointing out the incredible synergy between corn, ethanol and livestock production.

The basis for the editorial was a report from the Nebraska Business Forecast Council that said farm income in the state may reach a record this year and remain strong.

The World Herald's editorial goes on to talk about the ethanol industry and the role it plays in the state, particularly the production of distillers grains by ethanol plants and the opportunity that provides for cattle producers and the state as a whole:

In 2007, an article in the Sunday World-Herald suggested a possible shift in cattle feeding from Texas to the Midlands. That now may be coming to pass, and the availability of distillers grains for cattle feed could be a factor.

Nebraska already ranks second in cash receipts for cattle and calves and is moving up fast on top-ranked Texas. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics for 2010, third-place Kansas had $6.5 billion in receipts. Second-place Nebraska had $7.2 billion, while Texas took in $7.7 billion.

The benefits to ethanol plants from selling byproducts are clear, but there are other advantages that spread throughout Nebraska. Farming communities and their ag-related businesses prosper when corn is high and ethanol plants are busy and profitable. So do other businesses in small-town Nebraska.

And that means jobs in many sectors of the economy – jobs that breathe life into rural communities.

As the editorial concludes:

Nebraska doesn't lead the nation in either ethanol, cattle or corn. But the way the three work together can mean greater national prominence and more prosperity for the entire state.

Distillers grains is a great value in livestock, poultry feed

One of several distillers grains feeding guides
produced by the Nebraska Corn Board.

Research conducted at the University of Nebraska and supported by the Nebraska Corn Board has often demonstrated the high value of feeding distillers grains to cattle.

The board has published several feeding guides, including one focusing on beef cattle that came out last fall. In that corn co-product manual, the researchers noted distillers grains (produced by ethanol plants) have a feeding value at an optimum inclusion level in the ration that is 13-50 percent greater than that of corn alone.

The highest feeding values were for the wet and modified (partially dried) distillers grains, while the fully dried distillers grains were on the lower end. Click here to view and download the beef and other guides.

A new report from the USDA (.pdf) looked at the feeding value of distillers grains for all animals. It found that distillers grains has a tremendous feed value and is replacing more corn and soybean meal in livestock and poultry rations than previously thought.

According to the report, 1 metric ton of distillers grains can replace, on average, 1.22 metric tons of other feed consisting of corn and soybean meal. That's because distillers grains essentially concentrates the protein and other key nutrients found in every kernel.

Every 56-pound bushel of corn processed by a dry mill ethanol plant generates 2.8 gallons of ethanol plus 17.5 pounds of animal feed – but that animal feed has a greater value than that number indicates. USDA said the amount of feed replaced by distillers grains represents nearly 40 percent (on a weight basis) of the corn used in the ethanol production process.

According to the Renewable Fuels Association, the report dispels the conventional assumption that every bushel of corn processed by an ethanol plant generates an amount of feed equivalent to just one-third of the original corn bushel.

Distillers grains, shown here, are more
valuable in a livestock ration than corn alone.

"The value of the animal feed produced by the ethanol industry has long been misunderstood, understated and misrepresented," said Geoff Cooper, RFA vice president of research and analysis. "Distillers grains continue to be the industry’s best kept secret, despite the fact that we are producing tremendous volumes of this high-value feed product today. Distillers grains and other ethanol feed products significantly reduce the need for corn and soybean meal in animal feed rations. Over the past several years, distillers’ grains have been one of the most economically competitive sources of energy and protein available on the world feed market."

Feed product volumes from ethanol plants approached 39 million metric tons in the 2010-11 marketing year.

RFA also pointed out that the USDA study should alter the view on land use change and greenhouse gas emissions theorized with the ethanol process. It said most existing biofuel regulations, including California’s Low Carbon Fuels Standard, significantly undervalue the contribution of distillers grains when assessing the net greenhouse gas impacts of corn ethanol. For more, click here.

Nebraska dairy cows love Nebraska corn

What better way to celebrate June being Dairy Month than by having a nice, cold glass of milk! Thanks to the many hard working and dedicated dairy farmers and families, we are able to get our nutrition from a number of dairy products, including milks, cheeses, yogurts, and much more!

Here in Nebraska, there are 230 dairy farms that are producing milk for consumers located in the state, U.S., and around the world! On average, a dairy cow can produce 6.4 gallons of milk a day, which ends up being 2,325 gallons in a typical year.

Now, there are a lot of things that attribute to this large output of milk, such as Nebraska’s resources. These resources include feed, land, water, labor, and most of all, Nebraska’s quality of life. When looking at feed, Nebraska has an abundant supply of high quality feed: corn!

Another abundant feed source from Nebraska being used in the dairy industry is the corn-ethanol co-product, distillers grains. On average, a dairy cow can consume roughly five or more pounds of dried distillers grains a day.

The Nebraska Corn Board has partnered with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to complete research on feeding dairy cows dried distillers grains and how it affects milk production. According to the research, dried distillers grains does not have a negative impact on milk production as long as the dairy cows are being fed a balanced diet. One benefit of distillers grains is that it provides dairy cows the necessary fiber. This fiber helps the cows have a better digestive system, which in turn helps keep the animal healthy.

Check out this video to learn more about Nebraska dairies and how Nebraska corn is helping provide these nutritious milk products.


Find more about feeding dairy cows corn coproducts here.

Read similar posts on feeding distillers grains here.

Nebraska Corn Salutes May for Beef Month

May is Beef Month!

We produced a video to show our support of the beef industry and to brag a little bit about how great our Nebraska corn-fed beef tastes!

Beef is obviously important in Nebraska, ranking number one in commercial red meat production. And the farmers and ranchers who raise cattle are experts at converting Nebraska corn and ethanol co-products like distillers grains into nutritious, value-added beef.

Because of this, the Nebraska Corn Board invests checkoff dollars supporting our state’s beef industry, research for cattle production and nutrition, and global market development programs that feature Nebraska beef.

Take a couple of minutes to watch this video, and enjoy beef this May – it’s what’s for dinner!

Video features opportunities for feeding cattle in Nebraska

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) and the Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) have released a video featuring many opportunities available for feeding cattle in Nebraska. This six minute video, “Consider the Possibilities – Cattle, Corn and Co-Products,” is a great way for cow-calf producers nationwide to get an up close view of the cattle feeding industry in Nebraska, said Greg Ibach, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

"Nebraska has more than 5,000 feedyards willing to work with cow-calf producers interested in retaining ownership or partnering on their feeder cattle and offering competitive feeding rations from the quality feedstuffs we have available,” Ibach said.

“We have talked about Nebraska’s Golden Triangle of corn, livestock and ethanol. As the third largest corn-producing state and second in ethanol production, the cattle industry has access to an abundant supply of high-quality corn and access to distillers grains from more than two dozen ethanol plants statewide,” said Alan Tiemann, chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board and farmer from Seward.

The video features University of Nebraska Extension beef specialists discussing the economic benefits of feeding distillers grains, risk management decisions, and the parameters cow/calf producers can utilize to evaluate and select a feedyard.

You can also access the video through our YouTube page,  www.agr.ne.gov or http://www.nebraskacorn.org/. The video was produced by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board.