Nutritional recommendations of feedlot consulting nutritionists: The 2015 New Mexico State and Texas Tech University survey1

Abstract

The 2015 feedlot consulting nutritionist survey is a collaborative project between New Mexico State University and Texas Tech University that focuses on summarizing the professional practices of consulting feedlot nutritionists and updates a 2007 survey. Forty-nine consulting feedlot nutritionists were asked to participate, of which 24 completed the survey. The nutritionists surveyed service over 14,000,000 cattle annually and were representatives from individual consulting practices (54.2%), corporate cattle feeding companies (20.8%), corporate feed manufacturing companies (20.8%), or a combination of consulting practices (4.2%). The survey was completed using a web-based survey tool and contained 101 questions that were divided into sections regarding general information about the consulting practice; general cattle management; receiving cattle management, diet adaption; mixers, feed mills, and feeding management; grains and grain processing; grain by-product use; roughage use; information about supplements and microingredients; liquid feed use; nutrient formulation; feed additive use; and information used as a basis for nutritional recommendations. In most cases, the results of the current survey were similar to those reported for the 2007 survey, with a few notable exceptions such as shifts in cattle numbers and preferences for specific feedstuffs. The present study introduced a number of new questions not included in the 2007 survey that focused on management strategies used in the receiving period. Data from this survey provide insight into current nutritional and management practices of consulting nutritionists and, as in past surveys, should be useful for informing national committees that make nutritional recommendations for cattle, as well as nutrition and management strategies employed within university research settings.

A survey of recommended practices made by veterinary practitioners to cow-calf operations in the United States and Canada

“…Currently, there are several published resources in the literature that provide recommendations made to feedlot managers by consulting veterinarians regarding animal health and well-being (Terrell et al, 2011;Terrell et al, 2014;Lee et al, 2015). In addition, similar publications exist for recommendations made by consulting nutritionists for nutritional recommendations in feedlot operations (Galyean, 1996;Galyean and Gleghorn, 2001;Vasconcelos and Galyean, 2007;Samuelson et al, 2016). Although there is limited and outdated published data (Sanderson et al, 2000) that provide a description of health and production practices employed by cow-calf producers, there is no published data that describe recommendations made by veterinary practitioners to cow-calf operations.…”

Ractopamine in particulate matter emitted from beef cattle feedyards and playa wetlands in the Central Plains

“…Recent estimates imply that approximately 85% of cattle in US feedyards are administered ractopamine (Samuelson et al 2016). In cattle, administration of ractopamine via feed occurs in the last 28 to 42 d before slaughter, with daily doses of 200 to 350 mg/animal (Samuelson et al 2016). Activation of the b-adrenergic receptors leads to an increase in protein deposition and decrease in lipogenesis, resulting in increased feed efficiency, average daily weight gains and carcass weights at slaughter, and increased profits for the producer (Lean et al 2014).…”

“…Ractopamine is a synthetic b-adrenergic receptor agonist (beta agonist) approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States as a growth-promoting feed additive for beef cattle, swine, and turkeys ( Figure 1). Recent estimates imply that approximately 85% of cattle in US feedyards are administered ractopamine (Samuelson et al 2016). In cattle, administration of ractopamine via feed occurs in the last 28 to 42 d before slaughter, with daily doses of 200 to 350 mg/animal (Samuelson et al 2016).…”

Approaches to the Level and Quality of Forage in Feedlot Diets for Lambs

“…Diets for feedlot cattle with different forage source (maize silage, sugar cane and sugarcane bagasse) formulated at 15% of NDF from forage can moderate ruminal upsets without altering feed intake [4]. Also, the importance of using detergent fiber (NDF or ADF) analysis to measure roughage quality and consider NDF concentration in feeds in formulation of diets for feedlot cattle is recognized, considering that current methods of fiber analysis might not assess physically effective fiber [5]. There is limited information on level and quality of forage used in feedlot diets for lambs to obtain optimum growth performance.…”