Abstract
Feedlot diets in the Great Plains region have changed significantly from the traditional corn and alfalfa / silage rations of the 1980s. Many of the ration changes we have made over the last several years were driven by the increased availability of co-products from the energy (distillers grains) and human food industries (glutens). Additionally, changes in agronomic practices have introduced new products in some areas (cotton being raised further North), while making some traditional products less available. Reduced availability of water for irrigation has changed cropping decisions (less corn silage). That trend will continue to impact ingredients available for feeding. As the major ingredients in feedlot diets changed, the nutrients needed to balance those rations also changed. With the protein provided from higher co-product inclusions many diets require no supplemental protein. Other ration changes were driven by ingredient market prices which caused us to more critically evaluate nutrient requirements. Undoubtedly in the future, changes in how co-products are produced and utilized will bring new challenges associated with those products and our utilization of them in feedlot diets.
Keywords: cattle, feedlot, commodity