Finishing cattle on ethanol co-products gives you more bang for your buck

AgricultureOnline.com
Jeff Caldwell
Agriculture.com Multimedia Editor
5/11/2010, 10:56 AM CDT

Start on corn, finish on co-products, study shows

A new study shows you may be able to finish cattle on lower-cost ethanol co-products without losing the carcass traits that ultimately fetch top market dollar.

Researchers at the University of Illinois (UIUC) say starting cattle on corn and moving to co-products later on can help better sustain profits while achieving similar high-end results.

"If you can initiate marbling at a young age with corn, calves are smaller and they eat much less, so feeding them corn for 100 days early saves on feed costs," says UIUC animal science specialist Dan Shike. "This system will use considerably less corn and achieve the same effect."

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