Molasses-Based Feeds and Their Use as Supplements for Brood Cows
F.M. Pate and W.E. Kunkle, University of Florida
Introduction
Molasses-based supplements have been fed to cattle in Florida for decades. In the early years these supplements consisted of molasses alone, but the formulation of molasses supplements progressed and now includes the addition of crude protein, minerals, vitamins, feed additives and intake limiters. A molasses-based mixture can be a high crude protein supplement added to concentrate feeds, a medium to high crude protein supplement fortified with minerals and vitamins fed in a lick-wheel tank or an energy supplement fed in open troughs to cattle grazing pasture or native range. It can be a simple mixture of molasses and urea, or a complex mixture containing molasses, other liquids, natural protein, non-protein nitrogen, phosphorus, several trace elements, vitamins or other feed additives.
While diversity of formulation has been a strong point of molasses-based mixtures, it has also created confusion. Each of the preceding examples can be useful under certain conditions, but of limited value in other situations. For a supplementation program to be successful the class of cattle to be supplemented and the quantities of nutrients supplied by other feeds (forage or other supplements) must be known. Then a proper molasses-based supplement can be selected and fed in quantities to supply needed nutrients.
