Last week we discussed the changes in forage quality for grazing stocker calves and selecting the right supplement to match the calf’s needs and pasture deficiencies (When Summer Grass Starts Running Out of Gas, Cow Calf Corner July 20, 2026). After selecting the right type of supplement, the next decisions are how to deliver it and how much to feed. Supplement rate should be based on the production goal, forage conditions and expected response, not simply on the amount printed on a feed tag.
Feeding 1 or 2 pounds/day of high-protein supplements can be very effective for calves grazing late-summer pastures when adequate forage is still available. Across OSU summer-grazing studies, low-rate supplementation commonly increased average daily gain by about 0.5 to 0.8 pound per day. The average response was approximately 0.56 pound per day, requiring about 2 to 3 pounds of supplement for each additional pound of gain.
Increasing supplement rate can produce additional gain, but efficiency usually declines. In OSU research conducted on western Oklahoma rangeland, feeding 2 pounds per day of dried distiller’s grains (DDG) cubes increased gain by 0.6 pound per day compared with unsupplemented steers. Feeding 4 pounds increased gain by 0.8 pound per day, only 0.2 pound more than the 2-pound rate. Feeding 6 pounds increased gain by 0.95 pound per day, only 0.15 pound more than the 4-pound rate. Thus, each additional pound of supplement produced a smaller increase in gain. At higher feeding rates, part of the added supplement replaces forage rather than adding to total intake. This substitution effect can be useful when the objective is to increase stocking rate in a normal year or maintain cattle numbers when forage is limited, but it changes the economics.
Delivery method also matters. Hand-fed cubes generally provide more uniform intake and make it easier to control the dose of minerals and feed additives. Self-fed tubs can reduce labor and delivery costs, but their higher purchase price must be balanced against those savings. In a recent OSU comparison, cattle fed extruded distiller’s grains in self-fed tubs provided once per week or as cubes fed 3-times per week had similar gain and supplement intake. However, the tub cost substantially more per pound of feed. Self-feeding became competitive only when savings in travel and labor offset the greater feed cost.
Supplementation is a powerful tool but must be tailored to meet specific objectives. The response to supplementation depends on forage availability and quality. Producers must decide whether the objective is correcting a protein deficiency, increasing individual gain, stretching forage, increasing carrying capacity, or delivering a feed additive. The most profitable rate is not always the highest rate—it is the rate that produces the desired response at an acceptable cost.
We discuss the changes in forage quality during the late summer and selecting the right program to support your herd and management goals on SunUpTV from July 18, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN7jOrC_YhI&t=78s
