PSVIII-B-11 - Grain Processing Methods and Fiber Sources in the Brazilian Beef Feedlots

Abstract: The aim of this survey was to identify grain processing techniques and fiber sources adopted in the beef finishing diets. One hundred and forty-nine feedyards, located in 10 states, were surveyed from March 2020 to February 2021 for their feeding practices. Feedlot owners and nutritionists were interviewed by using a common survey form. The form consisted of 5 questions, including feedlot location, feedlot capacity and the number of animals serviced yearly, breed, grain processing techniques and roughage sources, and roughage: concentrate ratio. Results were tabulated in an Excel spreadsheet for each feedlot. The number of responses per question, and the mean, minimum value, maximum value, and mode (most frequently occurring value) were calculated. Feedlot capacity ranged from 300 to 40,000 (mode = 3,000) and cattle serviced yearly per feedlot ranged from 400 to 90,000 (mode = 6,000). Nellore breed and crossbreed represented 67 and 33% % of finished animals, respectively. Roughage: concentrate ratio ranged from 40: 60 to 10: 90. Thirty-four percent of feedlots adopted 20: 80 ratio, followed by 25: 75 (17.5%) and 15: 85 (14%) ratios. High-moisture corn, snaplage (grain, cob, husk, and shank), and reconstituted grain corn were used by 21, 12, and 6.7% of feedlots, respectively. Reconstituted grain sorghum was included in 4% of the diets. Thus, 43.7% of feedlots adopted grain silages in the diets. Whole-plant corn silage was the most common roughage source (59.5%), followed by sugarcane bagasse (16%), tropical grass silages (14%), and whole-plant sorghum silage (13%). Nutritionists also cited hay (8%), sugarcane silage (6%), and fresh sugarcane (3%) as roughage sources. Overall, Brazilian feedlots have used ensiling as the most important method to process grains (corn and sorghum), especially because silage machinery industry has made available new equipment. Whole-plant corn silage is the most common fiber source.