wheat

[KNERSIE]

Does anyone have experience feeding wheat to bulls in a growing ration? Barley and corn is getting very expensive over here, but there is an abundance of feedquality wheat available cheaply.

I know it is likely to cause more accidosis problems in sheep, would the same apply for cattle?

 

[BlackBaldyMan]

Can cause it in cattle as well, far as I know if you feed it cautiously in a cracked or rolled form will be alright, its when its ground I think is the biggest prob.

 

[KNERSIE]

please explain why ground would be a bigger problem.

Would you feed it in the same sort of mix as barley or corn?

 

[Scotty]

My best guesse is it would be like feeding flour to them. It is less digestable. Take a mason jar and throw in a big handfull or flour and you will get what I picture as the result.

 

[rk]

Fine grinding will increase the surface area. It will ferment more rapidly in the rumen, which increases the chance of bloat.

 

[msscamp]

Does anyone have experience feeding wheat to bulls in a growing ration? Barley and corn is getting very expensive over here, but there is an abundance of feedquality wheat available cheaply.

I know it is likely to cause more accidosis problems in sheep, would the same apply for cattle?

It can be fed rolled, possibly cracked - but I would not feed it whole because they don't chew it enough and it can, and probably will, cause acidosis. Whole wheat is not an acceptable feed for anything, with the possible exception of chickens.

 

[movin' on]

KNERSIE,
No offense to anyone on here but you might check with a real nutritionist with a question of this nature. I believe that wheat can be used but hear-say usually gets one nowhere.

 

[rk]

Cracked or rolled is best. Whole is safest and least likely to cause acidosis, but, in the case of wheat, digestibility is much less. The more finely it is processed, the more likely to cause digestive upset.

Consult a nutritionist or google it for info regarding how much can be used, stepping them up to it, and using roughage in the diet to best utilize and not cause digestive upset.

 

[KNERSIE]

I did check with two nutritionalists before asking the initial question, they advised against feeding wheat at any rate higher than 20%.

The reason I asked was that I could have sworn I read a thread on feeding wheat some time ago, but couldn't find it again. I was looking for real life experience rather than opinions.

The nutritionalists all work for feed companies and they get commission on sales, they will almost always advise against home mixes and always claim superior gain on thei product.

Call me cheap, but I am usually firmly against grain feeding, but circumstances sometimes dictates otherwise. Feed quality grain is cheap and easy to come by. therefore I asked if and how other people feed it.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I did check with two nutritionalists before asking the initial question, they advised against feeding wheat at any rate higher than 20%.

The reason I asked was that I could have sworn I read a thread on feeding wheat some time ago, but couldn't find it again. I was looking for real life experience rather than opinions.

The nutritionalists all work for feed companies and they get commission on sales, they will almost always advise against home mixes and always claim superior gain on thei product.

Call me cheap, but I am usually firmly against grain feeding, but circumstances sometimes dictates otherwise. Feed quality grain is cheap and easy to come by. therefore I asked if and how other people feed it.

How about rice bran it grows off nice used to be dirt cheap here.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AN128

 

[Bobg]

I feed wheat all the time. I have an old Bearcat roll mill and it rolls it pretty fine, but it's not powdery. Hammer mills are notorious for making it into flour if you don't have the right screen in.

Bobg

 

[somn]

Does anyone have experience feeding wheat to bulls in a growing ration? Barley and corn is getting very expensive over here, but there is an abundance of feedquality wheat available cheaply.

I know it is likely to cause more accidosis problems in sheep, would the same apply for cattle?

It can be fed rolled, possibly cracked - but I would not feed it whole because they don't chew it enough and it can, and probably will, cause acidosis. Whole wheat is not an acceptable feed for anything, with the possible exception of chickens.

I think you might have your information wrong about wheat msscamp. The smaller the particle size of wheat the faster the rate of digestion. With the faster rate of digestion comes an increased risk of bloat, founder, and acidosis, according to North Dakota State University and my past experience with it as a feedstuff.

KNERSIE we always found that we seemed to get best results by simply rolling it once thru the roller mill. To much rolling or grinding caused the problems listed above and the pen fed whole wheat didn't gain as well but nobody died. Pick your poisen I guess you get 6 in one hand and a half dozen in the other. Wheat needs to much babysitting as a feedstuff for me to use it in the daily ration. But understand that feeding whole wheat posses the least risk of bloat, founder or acidosis of all types of processing due to reduced digestability.

 

[rk]

Does anyone have experience feeding wheat to bulls in a growing ration? Barley and corn is getting very expensive over here, but there is an abundance of feedquality wheat available cheaply.

I know it is likely to cause more accidosis problems in sheep, would the same apply for cattle?

It can be fed rolled, possibly cracked - but I would not feed it whole because they don't chew it enough and it can, and probably will, cause acidosis. Whole wheat is not an acceptable feed for anything, with the possible exception of chickens.

I think you might have your information wrong about wheat msscamp. The smaller the particle size of wheat the faster the rate of digestion. With the faster rate of digestion comes an increased risk of bloat, founder, and acidosis, according to North Dakota State University and my past experience with it as a feedstuff.

KNERSIE we always found that we seemed to get best results by simply rolling it once thru the roller mill. To much rolling or grinding caused the problems listed above and the pen fed whole wheat didn't gain as well but nobody died. Pick your poisen I guess you get 6 in one hand and a half dozen in the other. Wheat needs to much babysitting as a feedstuff for me to use it in the daily ration. But understand that feeding whole wheat posses the least risk of bloat, founder or acidosis of all types of processing due to reduced digestability.

It's more the rate of fermentation that affects the chances of acidosis, bloat etc, rather than rate of digestion.

 

[novaman]

Does anyone have experience feeding wheat to bulls in a growing ration? Barley and corn is getting very expensive over here, but there is an abundance of feedquality wheat available cheaply.

I know it is likely to cause more accidosis problems in sheep, would the same apply for cattle?

It can be fed rolled, possibly cracked - but I would not feed it whole because they don't chew it enough and it can, and probably will, cause acidosis. Whole wheat is not an acceptable feed for anything, with the possible exception of chickens.

I think you might have your information wrong about wheat msscamp. The smaller the particle size of wheat the faster the rate of digestion. With the faster rate of digestion comes an increased risk of bloat, founder, and acidosis, according to North Dakota State University and my past experience with it as a feedstuff.

KNERSIE we always found that we seemed to get best results by simply rolling it once thru the roller mill. To much rolling or grinding caused the problems listed above and the pen fed whole wheat didn't gain as well but nobody died. Pick your poisen I guess you get 6 in one hand and a half dozen in the other. Wheat needs to much babysitting as a feedstuff for me to use it in the daily ration. But understand that feeding whole wheat posses the least risk of bloat, founder or acidosis of all types of processing due to reduced digestability.

It's more the rate of fermentation that affects the chances of acidosis, bloat etc, rather than rate of digestion.

The rate of fermentation, rate of digestion....doesn't matter its the same deal. Think of an ice cube. It will melt slowest as one solid cube but if you break it into smaller pieces it will melt considerably faster. Same with wheat or any other feed. When it is ground or rolled it leaves more surface area exposed to the rumen bacteria and therefore results in faster breakdown and greater chances of acidosis,etc.

 

[somn]

Does anyone have experience feeding wheat to bulls in a growing ration? Barley and corn is getting very expensive over here, but there is an abundance of feedquality wheat available cheaply.

I know it is likely to cause more accidosis problems in sheep, would the same apply for cattle?

It can be fed rolled, possibly cracked - but I would not feed it whole because they don't chew it enough and it can, and probably will, cause acidosis. Whole wheat is not an acceptable feed for anything, with the possible exception of chickens.

I think you might have your information wrong about wheat msscamp. The smaller the particle size of wheat the faster the rate of digestion. With the faster rate of digestion comes an increased risk of bloat, founder, and acidosis, according to North Dakota State University and my past experience with it as a feedstuff.

KNERSIE we always found that we seemed to get best results by simply rolling it once thru the roller mill. To much rolling or grinding caused the problems listed above and the pen fed whole wheat didn't gain as well but nobody died. Pick your poisen I guess you get 6 in one hand and a half dozen in the other. Wheat needs to much babysitting as a feedstuff for me to use it in the daily ration. But understand that feeding whole wheat posses the least risk of bloat, founder or acidosis of all types of processing due to reduced digestability.

It's more the rate of fermentation that affects the chances of acidosis, bloat etc, rather than rate of digestion.

The rate of fermentation, rate of digestion....doesn't matter its the same deal. Think of an ice cube. It will melt slowest as one solid cube but if you break it into smaller pieces it will melt considerably faster. Same with wheat or any other feed. When it is ground or rolled it leaves more surface area exposed to the rumen bacteria and therefore results in faster breakdown and greater chances of acidosis,etc.

I agree. I always thought digestion started in the stomach and fermentation started in the large intestine. Regardless of the order the one is directly related to the other as you mention.

 

[rk]

Does anyone have experience feeding wheat to bulls in a growing ration? Barley and corn is getting very expensive over here, but there is an abundance of feedquality wheat available cheaply.

I know it is likely to cause more accidosis problems in sheep, would the same apply for cattle?

It can be fed rolled, possibly cracked - but I would not feed it whole because they don't chew it enough and it can, and probably will, cause acidosis. Whole wheat is not an acceptable feed for anything, with the possible exception of chickens.

I think you might have your information wrong about wheat msscamp. The smaller the particle size of wheat the faster the rate of digestion. With the faster rate of digestion comes an increased risk of bloat, founder, and acidosis, according to North Dakota State University and my past experience with it as a feedstuff.

KNERSIE we always found that we seemed to get best results by simply rolling it once thru the roller mill. To much rolling or grinding caused the problems listed above and the pen fed whole wheat didn't gain as well but nobody died. Pick your poisen I guess you get 6 in one hand and a half dozen in the other. Wheat needs to much babysitting as a feedstuff for me to use it in the daily ration. But understand that feeding whole wheat posses the least risk of bloat, founder or acidosis of all types of processing due to reduced digestability.

It's more the rate of fermentation that affects the chances of acidosis, bloat etc, rather than rate of digestion.

The rate of fermentation, rate of digestion....doesn't matter its the same deal. Think of an ice cube. It will melt slowest as one solid cube but if you break it into smaller pieces it will melt considerably faster. Same with wheat or any other feed. When it is ground or rolled it leaves more surface area exposed to the rumen bacteria and therefore results in faster breakdown and greater chances of acidosis,etc.

I agree. I always thought digestion started in the stomach and fermentation started in the large intestine. Regardless of the order the one is directly related to the other as you mention.

Fermentation is part of the digestion process. Fermentation occurs mainly in the rumen. The ice cube analogy is right....increasing the surface area of grains by finely grinding will almost always increase the rate of fermentation in the rumen, producing the gasses that cause bloat. In extreme cases, the pH drops, acidity increases, and acidosis occurs.