Residue: The Value of Bypass Protein
by Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension
If you are looking to background calves or grow replacement heifers this winter, grazing corn residue and providing supplemental distillers may be a system to consider. Corn residue is an outstanding forage resource for wintering cows, but is also an option for backgrounding calves or growing heifers.
Given the typical rental rates for corn residue and the cost of distillers grains, these two feed resources together make one of the lowest cost growing rations. To understand why distillers grains are such a good supplement for growing calves, one must first understand a little about how protein is used in ruminant animals. In ruminant diets, not all protein is created equal, and this is particularly apparent for animals with high protein requirements such as growing calves.
Ruminally degradable protein is used by rumen microbes to grow (eventually, rumen microbes become a source of protein for the animal called bacterial crude protein). Ruminally degradable protein supplied in excess of the microbes’ requirements cannot be used by the animal as a source of protein. When the animal’s protein need is high, bacterial crude protein does not meet the animal’s demand, thus a source of ruminally undegradable protein (or bypass protein) is needed. Providing more ruminally degradable protein will not help in this instance.
A good example of this concept is the comparison of urea as a source of protein vs distillers grains for growing calves grazing corn residue ( Tibbits et al., 2016 ). Urea is 100% ruminally degradable, whereas the protein in distillers grains is only 37% ruminally degradable, meaning that 63% of the protein bypasses the rumen (is not degraded in the rumen) and can be absorbed and used as a source of protein for the animal itself. When a similar amount of energy (3.1 pounds total digestible nutrients/day) and protein (0.9 pounds crude protein/day) were supplied by corn plus 5% urea (4 pounds dry matter/day) vs. distillers grains (3 pounds dry matter/day), the gain of calves receiving distillers grains (1.32 pounds per day) was more than double that of the calves receiving the corn plus urea (0.53 pounds/day). The difference in gain with urea and distillers grains emphasizes the value of bypass protein (or ruminally undegradable protein) for growing calves.
Distillers grains have consistently been the lowest cost source of bypass protein in the Midwest. In addition, distillers grains are very high in energy (greater than corn). Thus, distillers grains make an ideal supplement for calves grazing corn residue. A pooled analysis of several studies reported in the 2017 Beef Report (Welchons and MacDonald, 2017) illustrates the amount of distillers grains that would need to be fed to achieve various rates of gain. Their data suggests that for a targeted average daily gain of:
• 1.1 pound/day, calves would need to be supplemented with 1.8 pounds of dry matter, which is 2 pounds of dry distillers or 3.6 pounds of modified distillers.
• 1.5 pound/day, calves would need to be supplemented with 3.6 pounds of dry matter, which is 4 pounds of dry distillers, or 7.2 pounds of modified distillers.
• 1.9 pound/day, calves would need to be supplemented with 6 pounds of dry matter, which is 6.7 pounds of dry distillers, or 12 pounds of modified distillers.
In forage-based systems, similar performance is observed with dry, modified, and wet distillers grains as long as the same amount of dry matter is fed. It is important to note that the estimates are based on calves being fed in a bunk. Feeding on the ground will increase waste, and thus increase the amount of distillers grains needed to be provided. In trials evaluating the waste with ground feeding, waste of 5% was measured for modified distillers, 20% for wet distillers, and as much as 40% for dry distillers when compared to bunk feeding.
If you are looking to background calves or grow replacement heifers this winter, grazing corn residue and providing supplemental distillers may be a system to consider.
Dairy’s Gold Rush: Replacement Heifers and Beef-on-Dairy Calves
by Karen Bohnert, Bovine Veterinarian
The ratio of dairy replacements to milking cows is at 41.9%, the lowest level since 1991. The dairy cattle market is currently experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand, creating a bustling atmosphere in the industry. As the competition heats up, market players are closely observing what is currently trending. Is it beef-on-dairy calves, or the traditional dairy replacements and fresh cows?
The answer is both, as beef-on-dairy calves are going for astronomical prices. But, according to recent insights from TLAY Dairy Video Sales, dairy replacement heifers and fresh cows have become an exceptionally hot commodity.
By hosting an online video auction on the first Friday of every month, TLAY Dairy Video Sales have established a platform where semi-loads of dairy cattle from across the US find their rightful owners. Jake Bettencourt, the manager of TLAY Dairy Video Sales, stressed the intensified demand for cattle. “In 2025, we see a completely different landscape compared to previous years,” Bettencourt explains.
Prices that seemed stable in 2022 and 2023 have now skyrocketed. Illustrating this point, Jersey springers, previously ranging between $1,400 and $1,500, have leaped significantly, affecting the cost-effectiveness of replacements.
Unpacking Current Price Trends
This evolution in market prices is evident in the recent results from TLAY Dairy Video Sales:
• Jersey fresh heifers command prices from $2,900 to $3,100.
• Jersey cross fresh heifers average between $3,100 to $3,200.
• Holstein springers average between $3,350 to $3,700 (many carrying beef-on-dairy cross calves)
• Jersey springers $2,850–$3,000.
• Holstein fresh cows range from $3,600 to $3,775.
• Mid-lactation, confirmed pregnant Holstein cows fetch around $3,500.
Bettencourt points out a growing trend: cows carrying beefon-dairy calves are realizing more value than those carrying sexed calves.
The Nationwide Dairy Heifer Inventory Crunch
In addition to the heated demand, the nationwide dairy heifer inventory is under significant strain. The recent USDA Annual Cattle Report underscores this scenario, revealing a critical shortage in the available dairy heifers as of January 1. Despite a slight upward adjustment in 2024 estimates, the inventory remains the lowest since 1978 with only 3.914 million head available — a 0.9% decrease from the prior year.
This scarcity is further exemplified by the high prices fetched by two loads of Holstein open heifers at 475 pounds that were sold off by TLAY, each bringing between $1,800 and $1,850. And a load of Jersey open heifers from Oregon at 410 pounds sold for $1,625 each, and one load of Jersey open heifers from Idaho sold at 600 pounds at $1,825.
Market Predictions and Insights
Phil Plourd, president of Ever.Ag Insights, says that the USDA’s Cattle Report published last month underscored what we all knew — and that is we don’t have a lot of heifers on hand. The ratio of replacements to milking cows is at 41.9%, the lowest level since 1991.
However, Plourd points out that financial incentives to the producer haven’t changed. “It’s a classic ‘bird in hand versus two in the bush’ situation. In this case, the bird in hand is something like $900 for a day-old beef calf. That still strikes producers as a better deal than the risks and uncertainties of raising a dairy heifer. The beef situation isn’t any different, either, with the Cattle Report showing the smallest beef inventories since 1961 and all-cattle and calf inventories since 1951. The whole situation is one of the more intriguing mysteries I’ve seen in the 25-plus years I’ve been hanging around the dairy industry,” he says.
The dairy industry’s landscape is an intriguing blend of challenges and opportunities. As Plourd anticipates, changes might arise as beef and dairy producers opt to retain 5% to 10% more heifers, providing a buffer even if incentives do not align. Navigating this intricate scenario requires a keen understanding of evolving market conditions and strategic foresight. As the industry moves forward, these shifts promise to dictate the path ahead for dairy cattle stakeholders.
Can Pine Needles Cause Abortions in Cows?
by Bethany Johnston, Nebraska Extension
Can pine needles cause abortions in cows? The short answer is “yes.” Pine needle abortion can cause significant losses for producers, but simple strategies can reduce the risk. Check and repair fences around ponderosa pine trees to prevent losses in your herd, especially during the second and third trimesters. By excluding pregnant cows, you can avoid devastating losses. Here are two real-life examples of producers who experienced premature calf losses.
• Example 1: The Prairie Blizzard. The four lone pine trees were all that remained from the pioneers who tried to settle on the prairie. During a recent blizzard that dropped over a foot of snow, it took several days for ranchers to reach their pregnant cows with hay. With drifts underfoot, the cows were tall enough to reach up and eat the pine needles out of the trees during the blizzard. A week later, half the cows prematurely lost their calves.
• Example 2: The Old Farmstead. A neighbor purchased an old farmstead, which included a pasture where a shelterbelt of trees surrounded the buildings, including pine and cottonwood trees. The buildings and wire fence that kept the cows out of the old shelterbelt had fallen down in disrepair, so the neighbor pulled the fence. His bred heifers ran there that winter, and more out of curiosity, nibbled on the pine needles. Several heifers aborted that winter.
Both producers lost calves to pine needle abortions, as the cows and heifers “slinked” or calved too early, and the fetuses died.
Why do pine needles cause abortions in cows?
Since the 1920s, cattle producers have wondered if ponderosa pine needles were causing abortions in their herds. In the 1980s to 1990s, researchers were able to determine that ponderosa pine needles did indeed cause abortions in pregnant beef cows.
Compounds in the Pinus ponderosa (or ponderosa pine tree) needles interfere with blood flow to the uterus and fetus, leading to premature births or fetal death.
Both green or dried needles from ponderosa pine trees, if ingested by pregnant cows, can be harmful. Cows would need to eat three to five pounds of needles for several days to trigger an abortion. The later the trimester, the more susceptible cows are to “pine needle abortions.” The third trimester, especially the last 30–60 days, can cause more abortions than early in the pregnancy. Low temperatures also seemed to increase pine needle consumption.
What animals are not affected by eating pine needles? Cows that are not pregnant, steers, and bulls are not affected if needles are ingested, as well as pregnant elk, sheep, or goats.
What are solutions to avoid pine needle abortion? The simplest solution is to fence out ponderosa pine trees so that cattle cannot reach the needles to ingest them.
Another strategy is to adjust the calving season, so cows are calving in the summer or late fall, when they are less likely to eat pine needles in their second or third trimester. .
