Ethanol Blog

Ethanol Co-products Can Help Expanding Herds

Cheryl Anderson
By  Cheryl Anderson , DTN Staff Reporter

With record-high cattle prices and an abundance of feed in recent years, many U.S. cattle producers are expanding their herds. Two Iowa experts encourage producers to evaluate using ethanol co-products for feed as they rebuild herds, according to an article by Missouri Farmer Today (http://bit.ly/…).

The good range conditions and feed crop production in recent years have lowered feed costs for producers, making herd expansion possible. USDA reported the beef cows total was up 2% from last year. This expansion is expected to continue.

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Patrick Gunn, Iowa State University cow-calf specialist, recommended producers use profits to invest in new storage methods and feeding equipment to prevent feed loss and ensure profits when feed costs rise again.

Gunn also advised producers evaluate the feedstuffs they currently use, as well as use ration-balancing programs such as the Iowa Beef Center's Beef Ration and Nutrition Decisions Software program (http://bit.ly/…). Ethanol co-products such as distillers grains can prove to be a profitable decision, Gunn said.

Cheryl Anderson can be reached at Cheryl.anderson@dtn.com

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