United States: Feed barley recommended as a good way to maximize profits

Barley can be a good way for producers to maximize profits at the marketplace, The Farm & Ranch Guide posted on January, 31.

According to Breanne Ilse, livestock research specialist at Carrington (N.D.) Research Extension Center, barley is a valuable feedstuff for beef cattle. “Barley is a complex feed, and it is high in protein and moderate in energy when used as part of the total mixed beef cattle ration,” she said at the recent barley workshops in Sidney, Mont., and in Dickinson and Minot, N.D.

Ms Ilse said feed barley regrowth can be economically feasible if producers also balance the cost of water, fencing, irrigation on pastures, and other feed-related costs.

“If the costs balance out, it is an excellent way to go,” Ilse said. “Depending on the region, producers can maximize profits by using the most available and least costly feed.”

A lot of barley is being grown in North Dakota, and when it doesn't make malt barley, it can be a useful feed for beef cattle, she added.

According to Steve Edwardson, executive director of the N.D. Barley Council, there is an upward trend in growing barley in the Upper Plain regions. Japan is one country that will continue to buy feed barley, although the country is price selective and buys much of its feed barley from Australia.

“For the last three years, the trend has been a modest increase in growing barley,” Edwardson said.

Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana all had increased barley acreage last year. However, prices for actual feed barley are still not where they should be, he said, and barley is most often purchased for feed when it doesn't make malt quality.

“About one-third of malting barley doesn't make malt grade and will go into the feed barley market,” Ilse said.

Barley can be fed as a primary source of concentrate, she said. It is higher in crude protein than corn and slightly lower in energy than corn due to its higher fiber content.

But as a part of the ration mix, it is a great feed, she added.

04 February, 2009