Last year was a bumper harvest year for beet growers. Favourable weather conditions throughout the season led to exceptionally high yields. Substantial quantities of surplus beet are now freely available and competitively priced for inclusion in cattle diets.

Beet is an excellent, highly palatable, energy-rich feed source for cattle. It can be included successfully in cattle diets to replace silage or concentrates. Proper diet formulation and feeding management are crucial when feeding beet to maximise animal performance and minimise digestive problems.

Value of beet

Whether purchasing beet, straights or rations, farmers need to be aware of their relative value and make best use of the range of feed ingredients available.

At current value, when rolled barley is trading at €200/t and soyabean meal at €430/t, fodder beet (19% dry matter) has a relative value of €35 to €39/t, while sugar beet (23% dry matter) is valued at €45 to €48/t and sugar beet with tops and leaves (13% dry matter) is valued at €22 to €25/t.

With beet trading on average from €30/t to €35/t ex-yard, and quoted as low as €25/t where growers are looking to move large volumes before the normal window for trading draws to a close, it is definitely a competitively priced feed option.

These estimates also take account of the additional labour and tare losses associated with beet feeding.

Feeding beet

Balancing the diet is the first starting point. Beet is inherently low in protein, fibre and minerals (particularly phosphorous and calcium), and needs to be supplemented to ensure a balanced diet.

When feeding, introduce slowly over a two-week period, as the high sugar content of the beet can cause severe digestive upsets.

Start with 5kg/head/day and increase gradually by 5kg every three to four days to the desired level. For finishing cattle, this is generally 25kg/head/day; for weanlings, it is 15kg/head/day; and for milking cows 10kg to 12kg is generally the maximum inclusion rate.

Exceeding these rates will cause digestive issues and can alter milk quality in dairy cows.

Besides inclusion level, feed management is equally important. Adequate feeding space (2ft for finishing cattle) and a feed management plan (ideally offered twice daily or TMR) is essential to prevent overfeeding.

Storing beet

For short-term usage, beet can be simply stored uncovered on a concrete base. When competitively priced, long-term storage options may be considered to reduce feed costs. Beet can be stored for several months outdoors in straw bale clamps with moderate losses, but ensiling properly is the preferred option to maintain feeding value.

Prior to ensiling, beet roots need to be chopped and washed. Roots can be mixed with silage or brewer’s grains, (minimum two parts grains to one part roots). They can also be chopped and clamped with a range of other absorbent feeds (to limit the effluent losses), eg sugar beet pulp, malt pellets, wheat feed, soya hulls, dried citrus pulp etc, and/or forages, all on a four-parts washed roots to one-part absorbent material.

Make sure there is no soil contamination, as this can distort the mineral availability to the animal.

Suitability to system

It is also important to consider necessary handling equipment.

I have heard of growers offering washed, chopped beet for ensiling to entice sales, but where this is not an option, specialised equipment for feeding (eg diet feeder) or chopping, pre-ensiling, will be required.

Weigh up your own system, as no matter how low the cost, it must suit storage facilities, handling equipment and offer a lower cost feed alternative to animals on the farm.