A comprehensive study evaluating soya hulls offered either as supplements to grass silage (3.5kg fresh weight) for growing cattle or ad libitum to finishing cattle was carried out in 2014.
Soya hulls is one of the most common non-cereal feed ingredients in beef cattle diets. It is a high-fibre ingredient and thus acts to reduce the risk of acidic stomach upsets.
However, as this fibre is highly digestible, there is only a slight effect on ration energy density when it replaces cereal.
But is there a limit above which performance is hit? Recent research conducted at Teagasc Grange evaluated optimum inclusion rates for the ingredient.
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A comprehensive study evaluating soya hulls offered either as supplements to grass silage (3.5kg fresh weight) for growing cattle or ad-libitum to finishing cattle was carried out in 2014. The standard ration consisted of 86% rolled barley and 6% soya bean meal. To evaluate soya hulls in beef diets, 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% of the standard ration was replaced. Charolais steers were used. Grass silage was of moderate quality (64% DMD, 14% CP). Animals were initially offered silage to appetite plus 3.5kg of their concentrate for 70 days, before adapting to ad-libitum concentrates for finishing (86 days).
This experiment suggests that at moderate- or high-concentrate feeding levels (>3.5kg) the maximum inclusion rate for soya hulls in a beef ration is 20%.
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Soya hulls is one of the most common non-cereal feed ingredients in beef cattle diets. It is a high-fibre ingredient and thus acts to reduce the risk of acidic stomach upsets.
However, as this fibre is highly digestible, there is only a slight effect on ration energy density when it replaces cereal.
But is there a limit above which performance is hit? Recent research conducted at Teagasc Grange evaluated optimum inclusion rates for the ingredient.
A comprehensive study evaluating soya hulls offered either as supplements to grass silage (3.5kg fresh weight) for growing cattle or ad-libitum to finishing cattle was carried out in 2014. The standard ration consisted of 86% rolled barley and 6% soya bean meal. To evaluate soya hulls in beef diets, 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% of the standard ration was replaced. Charolais steers were used. Grass silage was of moderate quality (64% DMD, 14% CP). Animals were initially offered silage to appetite plus 3.5kg of their concentrate for 70 days, before adapting to ad-libitum concentrates for finishing (86 days).
This experiment suggests that at moderate- or high-concentrate feeding levels (>3.5kg) the maximum inclusion rate for soya hulls in a beef ration is 20%.
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