Colorado Reader March 2019: The Story of Colorado Beef | Page 6

What Do Cattle Eat in a Feedyard?
Cattle are amazing. They have a ruminant digestive
system. They can eat forage, like grass and hay -
things that humans cannot eat. Cattle digest this
forage and convert it to a delicious and power-
packed food. Beef is a great source for protein and
nutrients that can be enjoyed in a healthy diet. MATCH THE FEEDS
Humans need a balanced diet to be healthy. So
do animals. Cattle need the right mix of protein,
carbohydrates, fat, minerals, vitamins and water.
This balanced mix helps cattle thrive and grow. A. Grass/Hay: Grass can be
cut and made into hay for
livestock. Different types of
hay will have varying levels of
protein and fiber.
Because cattle can eat foods humans cannot digest,
they help the reduction of food waste. Crops go
through many processes for our benefit, such as
converting corn to ethanol and using vegetables to
make cooking oils. Potatoes are made into french
fries and sugar beets are processed into sugar
for human consumption. But, these processes of
creating a new product also create a byproduct.
A byproduct is a secondary product made
when another product is manufactured. These
byproducts, like potato peels, can be fed to
cattle. Another common byproduct produced
in Colorado and fed to cattle is sugar beet
pellets. Feeding byproducts to cattle keeps
these products from becoming waste, which
could end up in landfills. This makes our food
system renewable, local and sustainable.
After cattle are weaned, they are fed a ration. A
ration is a mixture of different feeds. Farmers and
ranchers work with animal nutritionists to create
the ration. Rations are made up of hay and forage
crops. High energy feeds, such as corn, are added.
The ration changes as the animal grows. The goal
is for cattle to convert feed into lean muscle.
Can you match the feed
pictured on the right with
the description below?
B. Steam Flaked Corn:
Corn is often processed with
a steam-flaker to make the
nutrients easier to digest. Corn
is a great source of energy.
C. Rolled Oats: Oats are a
good source of fiber and can
be fed during most stages of
growth.
Answer 1: ___________________
Answer 2: ___________________
Answer 3: ___________________
D. Sugar Beet Pellets: Pulp
leftover from processing
sugar beets into sugar for
humans is made into pellets
for feed for cattle and
contains energy and fiber.
E. Mixed Ration: A ration
is a mixture of many feed
sources (such as oats, corn,
pellets and ground hay)
to create a balanced diet
for the cattle to include
protein, energy and fiber.
6 - Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom
Answer 4: ___________________
Answer 5: ___________________