Range Roundup: Heifer Development With Precision Supplementation

SDSU Cottonwood Field Station Winter Supplementation Trial

Figure 1. The Super SmartFeed Producer at the SDSU Cottonwood Field Station.

During the past fall and winter (2021-2022) the Super SmartFeed Producer has been used in conjunction with two SmartScales for a precision supplementation heifer development project. The objective of the study was to 1) measure real-time individual cattle performance, 2) supplement cattle on an individual basis and 3) perform an economic analysis to determine return on investment.

As a general management tool, heifers were supplemented to reach 65% of their mature body weight (MBW) by breeding and will reach 85% MBW by calving. Sixty heifers were split into two groups shortly after fall weaning. Half of the heifers were supplemented in the traditional fashion and the other half were supplemented individually using the precision feeder (Figure 1).

Figure 2. Pelleted dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS).

Animals were given time to acclimate to the feeder. All heifers grazed native rangeland while being supplemented pelleted dried distiller grains (DDGS; Figure 2). The control group was bunk fed at a rate of 5 pounds of feed per head, per day, with all heifers having access to the feed bunk at the same time. The precision group was fed individually, each animal was limited to 5 pounds of feed per head per day. The first year allowed us to evaluate the feasibility of precision supplementation versus bunk fed, including animal adaptation, time and labor commitments, and animal production differences (i.e. average daily gain).

Super SmartFeed Producer

The Super SmartFeed Producer (C-Lock Inc. Rapid City, South Dakota) is an automated supplemental cattle feeder that delivers a specified amount of feed to animals on an individual basis. The feeder is designed for any size, age or class of cattle or sheep and can handle 100 animals, depending on animal class, feed quantity and livestock performance goals (average daily gain). The feeder can be plugged into an electrical source or utilize solar energy.

Figure 3. A) Filling the Super SmartFeed Producer with DDGS at the SDSU Cottonwood Field Station for the heifer development project. B) Developing heifers eating DDGS from the Super SmartFeed Producer.

Filling the Super SmartFeed Producer can be accomplished in the pasture with a truck or wagon that has an auger, however, because the device has an off-center lid design and solar panels mounted on top, filling under a feed bin may be a challenge if there is not adequate overhead clearance (Figure 3-A). The Super SmartFeed Producer is very versatile, having tremendous potential to be used on cow-calf, stocker or bull/heifer development operations (Figure 3-B).

SmartScales

SmartScales (C-Lock Inc. Rapid City, South Dakota) are also being used at the Cottonwood Field Station (Figure 4). The SmartScales are customizable to almost any existing water source (e.g. pasture or feedlot) (Figure 5, Figure 6). The scales provide daily weight on an individual basis, which can be used to calculate average daily gain (pounds gain/day). When an animal goes to drink water and steps on the scale, the animal’s front-end weight (partial weight) is recorded and converted to full body weight through an algorithm. SDSU research has indicated that this predicted front-end weight is very precise, and, therefore, dependable. Animals can go on the scale several times a day, and the online interface averages the weights from the visits to calculate an average daily weight; this helps to reduce error from sudden changes in cattle body weight from activities like eating and drinking (rumen fill).