Cereal rye grain possesses many uses within crop and livestock production. Growers make rye part of their corn-soybean crop rotation to boost yields, while ranchers needing an alternative feed might hay it for their livestock.
Recently, a listener who plants rye as a cover crop asked the hosts of Kansas State (K-State) University’s “Cattle Chat” podcast if rye grain can be included in cattle rations. K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said “yes,” noting it depends on the class of cattle.
“Cattle can have rye grain in their diets,” he said. “It is nutritionally similar to other cereal grains like oats and barley, with a higher fiber content than wheat.”
Producers often plant rye for its cold tolerance and relatively low soil and moisture requirements. Lancaster said an after-harvest benefit includes rye grain’s ability to replace corn (one of the more expensive feedstuffs) in certain cattle diets.
“There is a study that looked at growing cattle on rye instead of corn as a grain source and those researchers saw no difference in cattle performance,” he said. “Whether it is growing replacement heifers or backgrounding feeder cattle, I think a producer could pretty much substitute all of the corn in a diet with whole rye grain.”
On the other hand, producers may not want to feed rye grain to cattle in the finishing phase of the feeding period.
“Another part of that research evaluated finishing cattle on rye grain rather than corn,” Lancaster said. “Overall, the cattle that had rye grain in their diet had a lower dry matter intake, their average daily gain was lower and feed conversion was worse.”
Producers who elect to feed rye grain do not need to have it processed before feeding, according to Lancaster.
“The same study assessed hammer milling rye versus feeding it whole. Processing did not seem to improve cattle performance, so I do not think producers need to spend the money to have it milled,” he said.
Additionally, producers should scout the rye seed heads in a field prior to feeding, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson said, to avoid health problems caused by ergot fungus.
“Rye is at a bigger risk for ergot fungus than other cereal grains,” he said. “It can be quite damaging to animals that consume it. The arteries in their body constrict, and the blood flow to their tails and feet can be restricted to a degree where they are damaged and may even fall off.
“Go out and walk through that field you are planning on feeding rye from and look at the seed heads. The fungus is a little bigger than a rye seed and will be a dark black or brown.”
Larson said even if only a portion of a field has ergot fungus, a producer should not feed any grain from that crop to livestock.
K-State veterinarian Brad White wrapped up the conversation, saying: “I think with that caution (regarding ergot toxicity) in mind—and depending on the kind of cattle you are feeding—rye can certainly be a component of a ration.” — K-State Research and Extension
