With short feed supplies from the drought – livestock producers are turning to alternative forms of feed for their cattle – including potatoes. The Wisconsin potato crop wasn’t significantly impacted by the drought because the lack of rainfall didn’t really affect the crop – since most potato growers have their crops under irrigation pivots. The dry weather even helped control pests and disease. In fact – this year’s U.S. potato crop is expected to be the largest in many years. University of Wisconsin Extension Ag Agent Ken Schroeder says there will be culling of some potatoes – and those culled potatoes have as much crude protein as shelled corn on a dry matter basis – which runs between 15 and 20-percent. That means it does take between 400 and 500 pounds of potatoes to equal 100 pounds of grain – on an energy basis.
Schroeder recommends producers feed potatoes as part of a total mixed ration for feedlot cattle along with forage, grain, minerals and vitamins slowly over a few weeks – beginning with three to four pounds as-fed per head each day – then increasing to 25 pounds per day for yearlings and 35 to 40 pounds for cows over 11-hundred pounds. Potatoes can be chopped, crushed or made into silage for cows – greatly reducing the risk of choking.
