by Maddy Rohr, K-State Research & Extension news service

The term “alternative feedstuffs” can mean a lot of different things, but in feeding cattle, it includes edibles not commonly found in the feedbunk.

Justin Waggoner, Kansas State University (K-State) Research & Extension beef specialist, uses soybean hay as an example. He says cattle producers don’t normally feed soybean hay because soybeans are usually harvested as grain, but with recent drought conditions, producers have been using this alternative.

“This category of alternative feedstuffs is really broad and all-encompassing,” Waggoner says. “Everything from cereal-type breakfast products to chili pepper and salsa waste that would come out of a salsa factory, [and] even nut hulls. So it’s really a broad category that I think is sometimes hard to define.”

Waggoner says his discussion with producers includes knowing what products were applied to the soybeans and how the product was produced.

“We really have to understand the process of how the product was produced, [including whether there] are any artifacts or chemicals from production,” Waggoner says. “Maybe it’s even the cleaning process of that factory.”

Looking for options

When looking for alternative feedstuffs, he says it’s important to evaluate if there is something that could be a concern in the product. The other side of evaluation is logistics and knowing how much of the product is going to be produced and what the delivery expense will be, in addition to how the product is handled, stored and delivered.

“A few years ago a producer was looking at cull produce waste that was gathered out of grocery stores in large metro areas,” Waggoner says. “So then you look at whether the product is something that we need to feed within a week, or is it something whereby we can create a system to store that product on-farm and maybe get a larger volume of that product delivered.”

Product packaging is also a factor in alternative feedstuff selection, he adds. “Some of that packaging would need to be removed prior to feeding; some packaging we can process, but it may pass through the animal into manure.”

Geography plays a role in the use of alternative feedstuffs. Waggoner says many products are regionalized and not accessible to every producer. Poultry litter is considered one of many regionalized products that cattle producers have access to in Kansas.

“We do see some bakery product waste that comes out of some factories, and the analysis on those is always pretty favorable,” Waggoner says. “There’s really a gamut of products that are out there, and it just kind of depends on the scale and the volume of those products that might be available.”

“I advise producers to do a more thorough and complete analysis of the products that are out there.” — Justin Waggoner

Get an analysis

“I advise producers to do a complete analysis of the products that are out there,” Waggoner says. “That includes both the macro-, as well as the micro-minerals and, in some cases, we’ve also had some producers find some interesting elements like heavy metals that are likely a byproduct of the production process or some artifact of the process.”

Waggoner suggests producers interested in alternative feedstuffs reach out to their local extension agent to get in contact with a specialist or a nutritionist who’s familiar with how to evaluate these products. He also recommends visiting www.ksubeef.org for more resources.

Watch for a more in-depth look at alternative feedstuffs in the February 2024 Angus Beef Bulletin. If you don’t receive the magazine, you can subscribe at https://bit.ly/ABBsub. Subscriptions are free to commercial cattlemen who have received the transfer of a registered-Angus bull within the last three years. Others can subscribe for $20 per year. Angus Journal subscribers do receive a discount.

Editor’s note: Maddy Rohr is a senior agriculture communications and journalism writer specializing in animal science and industry for Kansas State University.