I remember a decade or so at least when the local college was doing tests with feeding beef cattle on newpaper. I posted an article
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=28689 over in editorials a few days ago that talked about some of the BSE food safety problems in this country. A poster was incensed that the editorial said that cattle were being fed chicken manure, said it couldn't be true, so I did a search and found this:
Guidelines for Feeding Broiler Litter to Beef Cattle
http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm/ag61.html"Nutritional Characteristics of Broiler Litter
Broiler litter contains bedding material, manure, wasted feed and feathers, and it may be accumulated from one or more flocks of broilers. Table 1 gives estimates of the nutrient content of broiler litter.
snip of table
II. Handling and Processing Broiler Litter
Broiler litter to be used for cattle feed should contain at least 75% dry matter. If litter contains less than 70% dry matter, wet spots and mold can be problems. Since litter may contain scrap metal, the material should be run through a hammermill equipped with a magnet to remove objects that may cause hardware disease. In addition, the material should be screened to remove pieces of wood, glass, etc.
snip
IV. Feeding Recommendations for Litter Treated Corn Silage
Corn silage treated with broiler litter at 30% of the dry matter should provide adequate crude protein, calcium, and phosphorous for most beef cattle. A free choice supplement containing 300,000 IU of Vitamin A per pound of plain slat should be provided with the rations suggested below for several classes of beef cattle.
A. Dry, pregnant cows: Feed 35 to 40 lbs. of the litter-silage mixture per day.
B. Lactating beef cows:
Average milking ability (beef type): Feed 45 to 50 lbs. of litter treated silage per day.
Superior milking ability (dairy x beef): Feed 50 to 60 lbs. of litter treated silage per day. If cows do not consume this level of feed, 2 to 5 lbs. of corn may be fed with 45 to 50 lbs. of litter treated silage per day.
C. Stocker calves: Full feed of the litter treated corn silage. "
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Yummy