67% Fat supplement, what's the best use?

[Otha]

I Finally had a wet chemistry analysis done on some pecans that are available to me. This is a sample of 100% pecan pieces. What I have available is different mixes of pecans and pecan shell from 5-25% shell. I figured it would be easier to test 100% pecan and then do the math for the product with different amounts of shell. Anyway what use is a high fat, high energy supplement? Every class of cattle I have right now could use some extra energy but I don't know much about the energy from fat. I've got pairs and soon to have some weaned calves. How would you use this supplement assuming it's affordable?

 

[greybeard]

I wouldn't begin to be able to answer your question, but was Ithaca New York the closest lab that could do your analysis?

 

[Buck Randall]

You can't feed much fat to cows without decreasing the rumen's ability to digest forage. The upper end of the recommended range would be 4% of the total dry matter consumed. It might be hard to manage if you don't have a way to mix it with something else.

 

[Otha]

I wouldn't begin to be able to answer your question, but was Ithaca New York the closest lab that could do your analysis?

I've tried two labs in Texas and didn't have a good experience. A dairy friend recommended Dairy One and so far they have been very helpful. They also performed a wet chemistry test quicker than A&M could do a NIR test. Took almost 3 weeks to get a NIR hay sample back from A&M.

 

[Otha]

You can't feed much fat to cows without decreasing the rumen's ability to digest forage. The upper end of the recommended range would be 4% of the total dry matter consumed. It might be hard to manage if you don't have a way to mix it with something else.

I knew there was a limit. Seems like Purina has a 10% fat block they sell but I understand the forage consumed brings to overall percentage of fat down. If 4% is the hard limit most commercial feeds I've seen have that much in them already so it wouldn't be much use.
One idea I had was mixing it with salt and putting it out free choice like people do with cotton seed meal. Might try running the numbers on 25% pecan, 25% cotton seed meal and 50% salt. That would get lots of protein and energy into some calves on dormant forage this winter.

 

[BC]

I use a DDG cube that is 28% CP and 8% fat.