Effects of Including Flax in Creep Feed on Grazing and Feedlot
Performance of Beef Steers
Travis Maddock, Brian Kreft, Trent Gilbery, Vern
Anderson, and Greg Lardy
NDSU, Carrington Research Extension
Center
Introduction
Creep feed has been shown to
increase the performance of nursing calves (Faulkner et al., 1994; Lardy et
al., 2001) and is commonly used in North Dakota to increase weaning weights and
prepare calves for feed consumption post-weaning. Flax is an oilseed that when included in beef
diets increases feedlot performance and efficiency (Maddock et al., 2003) and
healthfulness of receiving calves (Farren et al.,
2002). However, no studies have
investigated the effects of adding flax to creep feeds offered to nursing
calves. The objective of this trial was
to determine if feeding flax to nursing calves would affect grazing and
subsequent feedlot performance.
Materials and Methods
Ninety-six (steers) pairs at the Central Grasslands
Research Extension Center (CGREC) were stratified by cow age and calf weight
and then allotted to one of 12 pastures (8 pairs per pasture). Each pasture was
assigned randomly to one of four treatments in a completely randomized design.
Treatments were 1) a no creep control 2) a commercial (wheat midds and soy
hulls) creep feed, 3) creep feed that includes flax at 12.5 percent of DM or 4)
creep feed that includes flax at 25 percent of DM. Diet composition is
presented in Table 1. During the initial 21 days of the feeding period, the
commercial creep feed was offered ad libitum to adjust calves to feed and creep feeders.
Following this adjustment, calves were switched to treatment diets,
which were offered ad libitum for 37 days. Feed intake was measured once
weekly. At weaning, calves were weighed and placed on a backgrounding ration
for 98 days, after which they were transported to the Carrington Research
Extension Center (CREC) and were placed on a common finishing diet until
harvest (143 days). During the backgrounding and finishing periods, cattle were
observed for health and performance was recorded.
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Table 1.
Composition of Experimental Diets (100% Dry Basis) |
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Diets |
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Item, % |
Energy Creep |
12.5% Flax |
25% Flax |
|
Wheat Midds |
55.0 |
26.0 |
-- |
|
Soy Hulls |
39.5 |
56.0 |
69.5 |
|
Flax |
-- |
12.5 |
25.0 |
|
Molasses |
4.2 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
|
Limestone |
1.3 |
1.3 |
-- |
|
Dicalcium Phosphate |
-- |
-- |
1.3 |
|
Crude Protein |
14.44 |
14.44 |
14.61 |
|
Calcium |
0.76 |
0.81 |
0.68 |
|
Phosphorous |
0.63 |
0.43 |
0.51 |
Results and
Conclusions
Flax addition, regardless of level, had no affect (P
> 0.10) on creep feed intake (6.32 ± 0.35 lbs/d). Cow and calf performance and subsequent
feedlot performance data are presented in Table 2. No differences were noted between treatments
for cow performance, nursing calf performance, or subsequent feedlot
performance. These data would indicate
that the inclusion of flax in creep feeds has no effect on calf performance.
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Table 2. Flax Creep Feed Effects on Lactating Cow
and Calf Performance |
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Diets |
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Item |
Control |
Energy Creep |
12.5% Flax |
25% Flax |
SE |
P-value |
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--Nursing Period (8/11/03 – 10/09/2003-- |
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Cow (lb/d) |
-1.02 |
-0.81 |
-0.78 |
-1.10 |
0.13 |
0.14 |
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Calf (lb/d) |
2.96 |
3.18 |
3.17 |
3.22 |
0.08 |
0.17 |
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--Backgrounding Period (10/09/03 – 1/15/2004)-- |
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Calf (lb/d) |
2.87 |
2.92 |
2.97 |
3.00 |
0.09 |
0.73 |
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--Finishing Period (1/15/03 – 6/07/2004)-- |
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Calf (lb/d) |
3.14 |
2.96 |
2.90 |
2.82 |
0.14 |
0.44 |
Literature Cited
Farren, T. B., J. S. Drouillard,
D. A. Blasi, H. J. LaBrune,
S. P. Montgomery, J. J. Sindt, C. M. Coetzer, R. D. Hunter, and J. J. Higgens.
2002. Evaluation of performance in receiving heifers fed different sources of
dietary lipid. Pages 1-4 in Proc. 2002 Cattlemen’s Day, Kansas State Univ.,
Faulkner, D.B., D. F. Hummel,
Lardy, G. P., D. C> Adams, T. J.
Klopfenstein, R. T. Clark, and J. Emerson. 2001. Escape protein and weaning effects on calves grazing meadow regrowth. J. Range Manage. 54:233-238.
Maddock, T.D., V.L. Anderson, R.J. Maddock, M. L. Bauer, and G. P. Lardy. 2003. Effect of processing flax in feedlot diets on beef heifer performance, carcass composition, and trained sensory panel evaluations. Pages 27-30 in 2003 Unified Beef Cattle and Range Research Report, North Dakota State Univ., Fargo.