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Sprouted wheat can be fed to cattle
Oklahoma Good news for this year's rainfall-drenched cattle operations: Sprouted wheat can be used efficiently in beef cattle rations, as long as an aflatoxin screening is performed if mold is present. The screening is important because aflatoxins are among the most potent toxic substances that occur naturally, said Dave Lalman, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension beef cattle specialist. Ingestion of aflatoxins in contaminated food or feed can result in poisoning called aflatoxicosis. "Caution and good judgment should be exercised when using feed containing as little as 60 to 100 parts-per-billion aflatoxin, though, technically speaking, 300 parts-per-billion are allowed in finishing beef cattle rations," Lalman said. "These feeds, fed over an extended period, may depress performance in cattle. Death can occur at higher concentrations." Young calves, gestating cows and lactating cows should not be fed wheat containing aflatoxin. Early indications of aflatoxin toxicity include reduced feed intake followed by reduced weight gain or weight loss. Often there is reduced feed efficiency, increased susceptibility to stress and decreased reproductive performance. Once an accurate assessment of the potential health risk has been verified, a producer still should follow a series of general guidelines when feeding sprouted wheat to cattle. Limit wheat to 40 percent or less of the total ration. Bring cattle to full feed at a slower rate and avoid using self-feeders. "Coarsely processed wheat improves digestibility," Lalman said. "Dry rolling is preferred but cracking or coarse grinding will give similar results. Fine grinding should be avoided." Including an ionophore will help reduce consumption and acidosis in growing and finishing cattle. Adding buffers such as limestone also can be beneficial. Research from around the United States has proven that sprouted wheat can be fed effectively to cattle, as long as the general recommendations are followed. Idaho researchers fed sprout-damaged wheat in feedlot diets to cattle. The incidence of sprout was between 0 percent and 25 percent, and composed 35 percent and 65 percent of the concentrate in the rations. "The different levels of sprouted wheat in the diet had no effect on animal performance and efficiency," Lalman said. Washington State University studies indicate that sprouted wheat compared favorably to a barley-based finishing ration. "No differences in average-daily-gain rates, feed-to-gain ratios or carcass characteristics were detected," Lalman said. Anyone seeking additional information on this subject should consult OSU Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet No. 3029, "Feeding High-Quality, Low-Test-Weight and Sprouted Wheat," available at http://osufacts.okstate.edu on the Internet or by contacting any OSU Cooperative Extension county office, usually listed under "County Government" in most telephone directories.
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