RESEARCH has found canola meal may provide an option for beef producers to supplement feed steers and still access premium prices for grass-fed beef.
Charles Sturt University (CSU) research through the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation evaluated the growth rates of steers fed a supplement ration of canola meal, a by-product of canola oil production.
CSU lecturer in the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences Michael Campbell said one of the challenges of a grass-fed beef production systems is filling the feed gap when there’s poor pasture growth and quality.
“Canola meal is palatable, cost effective and readily available so we wanted to find out how it compares with traditional supplements like grain pellets, and a wheat and cottonseed mix,” he said.
“There is an increasing demand for grass-fed beef that complies with the Pasture Fed Cattle Assurance System (PCAS).
“The advantage of using canola meal is producers can still meet the PCAS guidelines and tap into price premiums.”
PhD student Emma Lynch in 2017 completed a honours project that compared 20 Angus steers fed with a supplement ration of canola meal with 20 fed a grain pellet supplement, while also fed poor quality pasture hay for 60 days.
Ms Lynch weighed the steers every 14 days and took blood samples for fatty acid analysis. “We recorded average daily weight grain and body condition score, and there was no significant difference between the two groups," she said.
“At the end animals were killed at Teys and we got all the MSA (Meat Standards Australia) carcase data.
“We tested for IMF (intramuscular fat) and there was no statistical difference, but a slight increase in IMF in the pelleted group. A disadvantage found however was that the carcase weight was heavier in the pellet-fed group.”
Ms Lynch said they tested for omega-3 in the plasma.
“At day zero there was no difference between treatment groups, but at day 60 we tested the blood again and found significant increase in omega-3 in the plasma of the canola meal fed group compared to the pelleted group,” she said.
In January Ms Lynch will begin research into the feeding canola meal to five-month-old weaner calves and the effects of different inclusion rates of canola meal with silage. She will also look into canola meal verse grain on pasture in the practical setting.
“We are looking into feeding canola meal to allow producers to retain the no grain for the whole lifetime of the animal status, and maintain PCAS accreditation,” she said. “This allows alternatives to grain to help producers feed cattle through summer/autumn pasture feed gaps.”
Canola’s valuable by-product
Charles Sturt University student Jessica Hardie has completed a 28-day trial proving canola meal is a viable beef feed option.
Ms Hardie fed 160 Angus yearling steers, 80 on a cottonseed and wheat diet and 80 on canola meal.
Steers entered the trial averaging 285 kilograms and were fed low quality silage as roughage daily, with Ms Hardie measuring all rations herself.
“Canola meal was fed at 3.3kg per head per day while the other group got 2kg/hd/day of cottonseed and 1kg/hd/day of wheat,” Ms Hardie said.
They were weighed weekly to measure average daily weight gain (ADWG), feed intake and feed conversion ratios (FCR).
“ADWG of the cottonseed and wheat group was 1kg/hd/day, whereas the canola group put on 1.4kg/hd/day,” she said.
The canola meal fed steers had a lower FCR or a higher feed efficiency.
“Feed intake of the canola was slightly higher at 7.3kg of dry matter (DM) per head per day, compared to 7kg/DM/hd/day of the cottonseed and wheat,” she said.
“(On average) the cottonseed/wheat group finished at 318kg, while the canola meal group was heavier at 330kg.”
Ms Hardie also completed an economical analysis to compare the feed options.
“We used general market figures and calculated the steers as purchased and then sold 28 days later,” she said.
“The gross margin per steer for the canola fed animals was $90.31, which compared to the cottonseed and wheat fed at $22.41 is very profitable.”