Beet Pulp??

[Ryan]

I know its been discussed before, but the searches didnt really tell just what I was looking for.

I am thinking about getting some beet pulp for my show calves.

If I am going to supplement them with this for just 2 maybe 3 weeks before a show, what is the optimal amount to give them? They get one bag of feed a day.

Are there any adverse affects of giving it to them just 2-3 weeks before the show? Should I give it to them at the show or stop a day or so before the show?

Thanks in advance

Ryan

 

[CKC1586]

I am real curious to hear opinions on this as well!! What is the purpose and advantages of feeding this stuff????

 

[-bherefords]

My breeders make me feed it. I think it has something to do with makin' there tummy's bigger so they can eat more!! but don't take my word for it..

 

[Ryan]

from what I understand it expands the stomach as it expands after ingested. this will fill them out more and drop their flank some, and they will drink more water. if you do a search there are two threads here on Show Board that have a lot of info about beet pulp...

...I'm just not sure on how much I should feed them, relative to the amount of grain they already get.

 

[Ryan]

We feed it and you can tell how much fuller it makes them look.

How much do you feed compared to the show feed ration (i.e. 1 scoop beet pulp to 4 scoops feed, or something like that)

 

[kaneranch]

I through in a full scoop for every five gallons I feed. Thanks Kaneranch

 

[la4angus]

I through in a full scoop for every five gallons I feed. Thanks Kaneranch

What size scoop?

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

I believe on the bag it says to feed 20% of the feed ration.

 

[la4angus]

I believe on the bag it says to feed 20% of the feed ration.

In volume or wt?

 

[kaneranch]

I was told to always feed in weight. I am not sure how big my scope is. I think that it is 1/2 gallon mabe. Thanks Kaneranch

 

[AAOK]

I held off as long as possible, but just had to jump in on this one.

Beet Pulp has almost no nutritional value, so why feed it? We are told it will expand the stomach and drop the flank. Most people feed it wet, after it has expanded. I guess then it weighs more, so, is that how it drops the flank?

No matter what I eat, if I eat too much, my stomach expands. Maybe if I start eating dry beet pulp, my stomach will feel full and I won't eat so much of the stuff I really need (along with all the stuff that's not so good for me)

WOW!!!!!! I think I've just had an epiphany!!! Why don't we try to get our show calves to eat, and convert more of the specially formulated Show Feeds that real nutritionists work to prepare? Our Show calves might actually expand their stomachs and drop their flanks with feed that will also increase growth, bone and muscle (red meat). Intersting concept don't you think? Just ponder that for a moment.

 

[CKC1586]

I held off as long as possible, but just had to jump in on this one.

Beet Pulp has almost no nutritional value, so why feed it? We are told it will expand the stomach and drop the flank. Most people feed it wet, after it has expanded. I guess then it weighs more, so, is that how it drops the flank?

No matter what I eat, if I eat too much, my stomach expands. Maybe if I start eating dry beet pulp, my stomach will feel full and I won't eat so much of the stuff I really need (along with all the stuff that's not so good for me)

WOW!!!!!! I think I've just had an epiphany!!! Why don't we try to get our show calves to eat, and convert more of the specially formulated Show Feeds that real nutritionists work to prepare? Our Show calves might actually expand their stomachs and drop their flanks with feed that will also increase growth, bone and muscle (red meat). Intersting concept don't you think? Just ponder that for a moment.

I am glad you jumped in here, I haven't been able to figure out the use of this stuff for those very reasons.... but it seems many folks use it. So you could keep your animal full with it but they wouldn't be using/taking in as much real feed so they would lose weight?? This is a head scratcher.

 

[la4angus]

I held off as long as possible, but just had to jump in on this one.

Dangit, I was trying to see how much these young pups knew about feeding and you had to jump in and mess it up. I have to agree with you and CKC.

 

[Ryan]

At this point feeding beet pulp is still something I am exploring. I know people that feed it and feel it helps their animals look better. At the Ft. Worth Stock there will be over 320 entries in the Texas Longhorn youth show and $50,000 to be distributed throughout the classes. If feeding beet pulp might help to give the animals that I am responsible for an advantage, why not look into it? AAOK, you say it has no nutritional value but on another thread people have stated that it does, however that is not the issue here. I am just looking into a product that might help give me a competitive advantage, legally.

I still haven't gotten an answer to my original questions:
How much should I feed relative to 1 bag of grain (if you say 1 scoop: how big is a scoop, compared to a 50lb bag of grain)?
Any adverse affects if feeding just for 2 or 3 weeks before a show?

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[milkmaid]

I was told once that beet pulp is a feed that doesn't have to be gradually introduced into a diet; you can just "start feeding it". (Not that that makes a whole lot of sense to me, as I'm used to carefully changing diets to avoid an upset digestion, but who knows?) Friend of mine with horses fed it for awhile and she mentioned that, and then someone else said the same thing later. Not that many people saying it makes it correct though. lol.

I believe it's more like a roughage (like hay) than a grain (like corn), so I wouldn't think you'd really see adverse effects; it's like feeding a different bale of hay. (Maybe, LOL!)

I wouldn't see a problem introducing it into their diet 2-3 weeks before a show...it's just a different type of feed. I'd feed it like grain, so much one week, up by so much next week, up it again the following week, etc. Then gradually back off after the show. I have seen that two small scoops (say enough to fit in a coffee mug) will almost fill a 2 gallon bucket after they've been soaked, so I wouldn't be feeding a lot of it.

That's my 2 cents, no idea if it's right or not, take it for what it's worth. :lol: ;-)

 

[AAOK]

At this point feeding beet pulp is still something I am exploring. I know people that feed it and feel it helps their animals look better. At the Ft. Worth Stock there will be over 320 entries in the Texas Longhorn youth show and $50,000 to be distributed throughout the classes. If feeding beet pulp might help to give the animals that I am responsible for an advantage, why not look into it? AAOK, you say it has no nutritional value but on another thread people have stated that it does, however that is not the issue here. I am just looking into a product that might help give me a competitive advantage, legally.

I still haven't gotten an answer to my original questions:
How much should I feed relative to 1 bag of grain (if you say 1 scoop: how big is a scoop, compared to a 50lb bag of grain)?
Any adverse affects if feeding just for 2 or 3 weeks before a show?

Thanks,

Ryan

Ryan,
We fed a lot of Beet Pulp about 10 years ago. We fed all of ours dry, and mixed into our regular ration. If it was going to help, I thought that it needed to expand in the rumen, not before it was fed. In answer to your questions, all feed should be measured by weight, not by scoops. Now, I never found anybody that had a true measure of how much to add. I think the main point is to not take away any of your ration. If your calves will eat an addition 5 pounds, feed it, but just don't cut back on the good stuff. There will be no adverse effects to feeding only before a show. According to the practicing nutritionists I have visited with. Beet Pulp is mostly sugar (carb) and fiber. You will get more feed value from Hay, and will also get the fiber, but the Beet Pulp may add more weight.

I found that genetics combined with a real good feed program did a whole lot more for total volume and depth of flank in our calves than Beet Pulp. I could never see that it helped, but it won't hurt as long as you don't let it cut in to your calves normal consumption of grain. Knock yourself out!!

 

[msscamp]

The advantages of feeding beet pulp is good fiber source, high digestibility and the fact that studies have shown that it has a high probability of helping cattle to better digest roughage. It does not have to be gradually introduced. It also provides a certain amount of energy, which may account for it's properties of aiding digestion of roughage. Additionally, it's highly palatable so it tends to encourage eating. We mix it 1 1000 lb scoop to 4-5 1000 lb scoop's of ground hay.

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

The scoops I use are 2lb scoops, and I just put 1 scoop of beet pulp in the feed bucket (usually 10-14lbs of feed X2 every day).

I have definately noticed a difference in the heifer since I started giving beet pulp. It seems to have filled out the flank area, which made a huge difference when looking at her.

Now Im trying to decide if I should start feeding some to the bull or not, since he is already over 2 years old.

 

[msscamp]

We feed the mixture previously stated to everything - cows right on down to weaning calves. With the exception of the weaning calves, nothing gets grain of any kind - haven't for several years and they maintain good BS and stay fat and sassy.

 

[OldTex]

.
Now Im trying to decide if I should start feeding some to the bull or not, since he is already over 2 years old.

Take that little ole bull to the sale barn and sell him, before he breeds someone's cows and you get sued.