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The Phosphorus Requirements of Beef Cattle

University of Idaho

Abstract

Investigations were begun in 1933 to study the need of adding phosphorus supplements to practical beef cattle rations typical of Idaho feed-lots. Three years of experimentation, by adding bonemeal and mono-calcium phosphate to various rations balanced with different combinations of dried molasses beet pulp, barleys, oats, alfalfa and corn silage indicated that phosphorus supplements were not needed under these conditions (1, 2). In a few cases, the addition of a phosphorus supplement lowered the rate of gain and increased the feed requirements (2). Many questions and problems that arose in these more practical studies stimulated further study by using more restricted rations to determine the actual minimum phosphorus requirements of beef cattle.

It is the purpose of this paper to make a brief progress report on the findings to date relative to the requirements of phosphorus for fattening beef cattle to insure rapid and efficient gains.

EXPERIMENTAL

This experiment was designed to study the phosphorus requirements of beef cattle by using a basal ration adequate in all dietary essentials, excepting phosphorus, thus making phosphorus the limiting factor in the rations.

^* Credit is due E. F. Rinehart, R. F. Johnson, and H. P. Magnuson for their assistance and helpful suggestions. These experiments were conducted at the Idaho Sub-Experiment Station, Caldwell, Idaho.