By Dr. Haley Linder
A cold, wet spring followed by a dry summer has reduced hay yields across Ohio. Heading into winter, many producers now face the challenge of stretching limited hay supplies to maintain cow condition. Fortunately, Ohio beef producers have several options for supplementing or partially replacing hay with feed co-products.
What Are Co-Products?
Co-products are feed ingredients that remain after grains, oilseeds, or other crops are processed for another primary product such as ethanol, corn syrup, soybean oil, or flour.
These feeds are excellent options for beef cattle because they provide highly digestible energy and protein at a cost-effective price. Most co-products are rich in digestible fiber rather than starch, which makes them especially well-suited for cows consuming forage-based diets as they don’t negatively affect forage digestibility.
Source : osu.edu