The purpose of this project is to demonstrate that soybean hulls can be used as an effective replacement for portions of forage in drylot beef cattle feed rations. During this past year, rations were developed and fed in which soybean hulls were used to replace portions of forage and protein supplements. Animal data collections have consisted of body weight, body condition score, back fat and pregnancy ultrasonography with future collections including analysis of milk quality and production still scheduled. This continuation would add further collections of blood analysis of non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and glucose concentration to determine metabolic changes due to energy supplied by the rations, as well as conclude the project with detailed measurements of calf weaning data including weight, phenotypic measurements, and ultrasound carcass data collection.

1) Analyze NEFA and glucose blood concentrations to determine if the energy provided in the respective rations is sufficient to meet actual cow requirements.
2) Determination of differences in calf measurements will include birth weight, calving ease, and vigor. Weaning calf measurements will include body weight, average daily gain, phenotypic measurements, and carcass ultrasounds.

1) Research data on changes in blood NEFA and glucose concentrations in beef cows fed diets containing soybean hulls.
2) Research data on calf performance of calves resulting from cows fed soybean hulls on a long-term basis.
3) Publication and presentation of results at scientific meeting.
4) Presentation of research to local constituents at field days and other events.

Updated December 1, 2020:
This study utilized one hundred and twenty beef cows which were assigned to one of eight pens at the Carrington Research Extension Center. Prior to breeding during the summer of 2019, cow-calf pairs were sorted based on age, body weight, body condition score and calving date to create pen groups. Pens were provided one of two treatment diets: 1) the control ration (CON) consisted of silage, straw and modified distillers grains with solubles (mDGS), and 2) the soybean hull ration (SBH) replaced portions of corn silage, straw, and mDGS with pelleted soybean hulls (DM basis). Rations were formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of beef cows for lactation/early gestation, mid-gestation, and late gestation.

During the four study segments evaluated (lactation, mid-gestation, and late-gestation) there were no differences) in body weight, body condition score, or average daily gain between cows on either treatment (P = 0.12). Colostrum quality was largely unaffected by inclusion of soybean hulls in beef cow rations. Milk production appeared to be greater during early lactation in cows fed diets containing soybean hulls, however this did not translate into any differences in calf weights at weaning. The data in our study appear to indicate that soybean hulls can be used to as a partial forage replacement, up to 27% of dietary DM, in beef cow rations when provided in a feedlot.

During the course of this work we have presented findings at our Carrington REC field day in addition to providing a written report for inclusion in the upcoming CREC-Annual Report. Further data analysis and statistical analysis is still underway. Our current goal is to have this data submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in the spring of 2021.

View uploaded report

Updated June 29, 2021:

View uploaded report

Use of soybean hulls in rations for drylot beef cows

Bryan Neville, Animal Scientist, Carrington REC


Goals/Objectives:
The purpose of this project was to evaluate feeding options including soybean hulls for the management of drylot cow/calf pairs.
Our specific objectives included:
1) To evaluate performance of beef cows fed either soybean hull-based rations or corn/corn silage-based rations under drylot management throughout an entire production cycle.
2) To evaluate milk production and quality during lactation and performance of beef calves resulting from cows fed either soybean hull- or corn/corn silage-based rations under drylot management.
3) To provide a demonstration of feeding soybean hull-based rations to beef cows under drylot management.

Results:
At the initiation of the project cows were sorted in to pens and placed on respective treatments. Rations were developed for lactation, mid-gestation, and late gestation. Soybean hulls were included at a rate of 26-27% replacing portions of corn silage, straw, and MDGS in the diet. There were no differences in cow performance during this study due to dietary treatment. Concentrations of NEFA and glucose were not affected by treatment. Colostrum protein content tended to be greater in control cows compared with soybean hull cows. Calf birth weights, weaning weight, and carcass ultrasound measurements were largely unaffected by the inclusion of soybean hulls in the diet. Similarities between treatments were expected as diets were formulated to contain similar NEm fed between treatments throughout the study.

Presentations/Deliverables:
1) 2020 Carrington REC Virtual Field Day Presentation.
2) Data presented at National American Society of Animal Science Meetings.
3) A manuscript detailing results of this project has been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Key Benefits for Producers:
The lack of differences in dam performance could likely be caused by meeting energy and protein demands throughout gestation with the use of soybean hulls. This is not unexpected as nutrient composition between the control and soybean hull diets were similar. Jointly the present and previous data appear to indicate that soybean hulls can be used effectively in beef cow diets at rates up to 27% of dietary DM. More research is necessary to measure dam performance at various soybean hull inclusion rates to define the use of soybean hulls in drylot beef cow diets.

1) Potential increased use of, and demand for, soybean hulls by demonstrating the usefulness of soybean hulls in beef cow rations.
2) Research demonstrating the ability of soybean hulls to serve as a potential feed source in rations throughout the entirety of a production cycle under drylot management helps both the soybean and beef industries, lessening the competition for land and providing research data on the use of soybean hulls in beef cow rations.
3) Provide research data that helps livestock producers impacted by drought. In two of the past three growing seasons many parts of North Dakota have been impacted by drought, resulting in decreased availability of forage or expensive forage supplies. As a result, many cattle were marketed due to lack of feed resources.