Answering the cattle nutrition protein question

Answering the cattle nutrition protein question Subhead New equations better estimate protein utilization by beef cattle Kay Ledbetter Wed, 07/17/2024 - 06:59 Image Body

Knowing exactly how beef cattle utilize protein is important to answering many nutrition questions producers and industry nutritionists pose to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists like Jason Smith, Ph.D., Amarillo.

Smith, an AgriLife Extension beef cattle nutritionist and associate professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science, works one-on-one with producers, AgriLife Extension county agents and other beef industry stakeholders throughout the High Plains of Texas.

One of his primary focus areas is to identify opportunities and conduct the applied research necessary to develop solutions to problems producers face. Protein nutrition is one of those areas. He hopes to empower producers with the ability to make decisions that optimize cattle productivity, are economically advantageous and promote environmental stewardship.

Protein utilization by cattle

“For years, we have had a good appreciation for the concept that cattle utilize different protein fractions to different degrees due to the rumen environment but have historically been limited in our ability to reliably predict the site and extent of protein digestion,” Smith said.

“Making strategic, informed decisions and recommendations involving protein nutrition requires us to predict how and where the animal will digest and utilize protein. Recognizing our previous limitations, filling that knowledge gap became a critical step necessary to help producers and nutritionists meet the nutrient requirements of cattle.”

“Our latest research is making us rethink the values traditionally assigned to some of our major protein ingredients,” Smith said. “We need to rethink how we measure or estimate those values. Fortunately, this project allowed our team to develop prediction equations for producers and nutritionists to use that are both highly accurate and precise.”

The research needed to address this industry wide problem was partly funded by the Texas Cattle Feeders Association and conducted at the joint Texas A&M AgriLife and U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service research feedyard and metabolism laboratory in Bushland. The team is in the process of publishing the results and has already presented their findings at several major meetings, which have been well received by the industry.