Understanding stock feed product labels

This is the percentage of urea contained in the feed. 

Fibre (%) 

Fibre is usually only presented in the analysis for products that contain predominantly plant based materials. Fibre comes from the structural parts of a plant such as the lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. 

Fibre is important for rumen function. Depending on other components of a cow’s diet such as pasture conditions, you may require a supplement that increases or reduces fibre. 

Beef cattle grazing tropical pastures usually have enough fibre in their diet which is provided from the pasture alone. 

Calcium (Ca) (%) 

Measured as a percentage and is used to balance phosphorus (P) from 1Ca:1P for maintenance to 2Ca:1P for higher growth. 

Calcium is required by cattle for bone formation, muscle action, milk production and general body processes. 

There are low levels of calcium in grains and all grasses as they mature. 

Depending on other components of the diet, class of animal and level of production you may require a supplement with additional calcium. 

Phosphorus (P) (%) 

Measured as a percentage and is a very important ingredient if your country is P deficient. 

Phosphorus is needed for bone formation, milk production, energy metabolism and general bodily processes. 

Sulphur (S) (%) 

Sulphur is measured as a percentage and is required by rumen microbes to use with nitrogen to make protein. Rumen microbes require sulphur and nitrogen in the ratio of 1S:10N. Sulphur is NOT required when cattle are fed Molasses based products as Molasses is naturally high in sulphur. 

Salt (sodium Na) (%) 

Salt is measured as a percentage and will sometimes be listed on a label as sodium. Depending on the feed product salt can be added for two reasons: 

• In high grain diets salt is added to prevent a salt deficiency from occurring, especially if cattle still have access to tropical pastures at the same time.
• In loose licks or lick blocks salt is generally added at much higher percentages than grain diets and this is to help control supplement intake. The higher the salt content the less cattle will eat, but only after any salt cravings have been addressed. 

Some high urea based lick products suggest feeding plain salt prior to introducing the supplement to ensure salt cravings are satisfied as sodium deficient cattle will find the salt an attractant and may over eat the mixed supplement. 

Magnesium (Mg) (%) 

Magnesium is measured as a percentage and is usually only listed on magnesium based supplements but on occasions some feed products will list it as part of the formulation. 

Low levels of magnesium interferes with calcium absorption and can occur when cattle graze very lush pastures but this usually isn’t very common on the North Coast. 

Potassium (K) (%) 

Measured as a percentage of the feed and is seldom presented on most feed product labels with the exception of mineral supplement products. 

A deficiency in potassium should not occur in grazing cattle as they obtain enough potassium from the pasture. Rather excessive potassium in the diet can cause milk fever. 

Use of potassium fertilisers on pastures has removed much of the need for potassium supplements to grazing cattle. Avoid high potassium supplements when cattle are grazing pastures fertilised with potassium based products. 

Cows only require 0.80% potassium in their daily dry matter intake. 

Microminerals 

Microminerals are only needed by beef cattle in very small amounts hence the term ‘micro’. On occasions these minerals may be required if there is a diagnosed deficiency and supplementation is likely to be cost effective. However because these minerals are needed in such low amounts it’s very easy to provide excessive amounts which can be toxic. 

Consult your herd veterinarian if you suspect a mineral deficiency prior to supplementing. 

When presented on feed product labels the units of measurement are typically mg/kg (milligrams per kilogram) 

Important microminerals  

Vitamins 

Vitamins are most commonly presented on stock feed product labels using the units’ iu/kg which stands for international units per kilogram. 

For beef cattle grazing green pasture, vitamin supplements offer virtually no benefit because cattle can access these from the green feed. 

When pasture is limited or unavailable e.g. feed lot situations, vitamins must be added to the diet. 

The most common vitamins required in the diet of cattle are the Fat soluble vitamins A, D and E and the Water soluble vitamins B1, B3, B12. 

Some feed products promote the inclusion of Biotin and Folic Acid, these are not required to be provided as part of the diet for cattle. 

Important vitamins 

Medication or rumen modifiers and buffers 

The most common terms you may see on cattle feed product labels that relate to either medications or rumen modifiers or buffers are outlined below. 

Quantities of rumen modifiers or buffers are presented in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) on feed product labels. 

Common rumen modifiers and buffers 

With-holding period (W)P 

Some feed products depending on their ingredients, will have a WHP statement listed on the label. It is usually because the feed product contains a medication or an ingredient that may require a length of time to pass between the time the cattle were fed the feed before they can be milked or processed for human consumption. 

Restricted animal material (RAM) 

Stock feed products manufactured for cattle and other ruminant animals will have written on the bag, container or label, “This product does not contain restricted animal material.”   

This means that there are no ingredients used in the making of the feed product that have come from animal tissues and therefore it is safe and can legally be fed to ruminants such as cattle. 

If a feed product indicates that a feed contains RAM you must prevent ruminant animals from eating it. 

These products will clearly state on the bag, container or label: “This product contains restricted animal material do not feed to cattle, sheep, goats, deer or any other ruminants.”   

Many poultry, pig and dog feeds are still manufactured with RAM products included which is allowable for these animal species. 

It is worthwhile checking all poultry and pig feeds for RAM so you are aware and can ensure that no ruminant species can access any of these feed products. Especially on small farms which often feed multiple animal species in close proximity. In this instance it would be safer to exclude ruminant animals from areas where poultry or pig feeds are fed out, or ensure that poultry and pig feeds purchased also do not contain RAM. 

Directions for use 

Depending on the feed product there will often be directions for how to safely feed it. Ensure you read and understand these directions prior to feeding any stock feed supplement and if you still aren’t sure ask the supplier or your advisor. 

Directions for use often state how to introduce the feed, feeding rates, protection required of the feed from weather particularly for urea-based supplements and any possible health concerns to be aware of. 

There can often be instructions that say that the product is only suitable to be fed to cattle. This can be presented in wording such as: “Feed only to cattle”. 

The reason for this is often to do with the formulation of the feed product. In particular the rates of minerals or medications included in the product are included at a level which is only suitable and safe for cattle. 

These rates or products can be toxic to animals of other species if they consume the feed.