Eric Bailey encounters plenty of stories about farmers’ mishaps with alternative feeds, but one involving mayonnaise tops them all.

The University of Missouri Extension beef nutrition specialist shared how Jim Humphrey, a colleague and fellow Extension beef specialist, had a unique experience with a farmer eager to get his hands on a cheap load of food waste.

The farmer purchased a massive batch of mayonnaise that was past its shelf life. But when the truck arrived, he realized it came not in a free-flowing bulk semi-liquid state, but rather in airtight packages.

Reality set in. Before adding the high-fat condiment to the beef cattle ration, he had to tediously unpackage the entire semi load.

Over the years, Bailey visited with several producers who tried out unconventional feeds to save money. From brewer’s grains, to vegetable scraps, to bakery leftovers, even to expired Skittles — there’s an appeal to turning low-cost waste into animal nutrition.

But for every good deal, there’s a trade-off.

“There’s a reason these unconventional options are cheaper, whether it’s extra time to process or logistics, farmers must look at those factors around alternative feeds,” Bailey says.

But he adds there is one thing farmers need to focus on in this market: the nutritional profile of the product.

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Snacks work in cattle diets

Brewer’s grain, a byproduct of the beer brewing process, is similar to distillers grains from ethanol production. It contains additional fiber, often based on ingredients such as barley and hops, and is widely fed to cattle.

However, other byproducts, like processed snack foods, require farmers to take a deeper dive into nutritional value and rate of consumption.

“The vast majority of these are going to be really high in sugar, carbohydrates and starch,” Bailey says.

Take Fig Newton cookies or expired candy bars, for example. Both contain refined carbs and sugars making them high-energy, but they also are very quickly digested by cattle.

“Rapidly digestible sugars can lead to rumen acidosis if fed in large amounts without proper balance,” Bailey cautions.

With these types of feeds, Bailey recommends starting slow and limiting inclusion to about 10% of the total ration based on a dry matter basis.

Backing the baker

Whether bread, doughnuts or bagels, bakery waste is a go-to alternative feed, primarily with dairy farmers.

“It’s pretty consistent,” Bailey explains. “It is usually flour that’s had some fat added to it and processed into some form for human consumption.”

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Farmers can actually feed these types of products to cattle “as is,” without drying or even removing the wrappers. Bailey explains that many of these products are dry, ground and added to a total mixed ration.

“The weight of the wrapper is tiny relative to what’s inside,” he adds. “It is really shredded and doesn’t impact cattle consumption.”

However, he noted that feeding rate is often limited due to the high amount of cooked starch.

A University of Wisconsin-Extension guide places an upper feeding limit at 20% of concentrated dry matter, and 10% of a total mixed ration on a dry matter basis.

But not all food waste offers the same level of stability.

Hold veggies in check

Another popular alternative feed is vegetable waste from grocery stores, but this food waste can vary wildly.

“Because these are wet products that have very short shelf life in the store,” Bailey says, “they also have very short shelf life on the farm.”

Farmers sometimes end up with one load of high-fiber lettuce, while the next is full of juicy peaches or tomatoes, which can affect cattle digestion.

For inconsistent unconventional feeds like this, Bailey warns producers to proceed with caution.

“Farmers need to keep an eye on how it is changing from load to load. I’ve seen some wild swings in the nutrient composition,” he adds. “Be conservative with inclusion rates because you can end up with a bunch of digestives upsets.”

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Bailey advises producers to work closely with a nutritionist, particularly when introducing or frequently changing byproduct feeds, to help ensure consistency in the diet. Reliable nutrient profiles allow farmers to manage cattle health and performance more effectively.

When looking for ways to reduce feed costs and even provide environmental benefits by repurposing food waste, alternative feeds can be a viable option. Bailey says it’s all about balance, consistency and knowing cattle nutritional needs.

His bottom-line advice: Don’t get too ambitious. Start small, visit with a nutritionist and monitor your cattle closely.

Word of caution regarding cost

Bailey emphasizes the importance of considering the “return on hassle.”

Some byproducts, like the mayonnaise, are more challenging to handle than others. In cases like this, farmers must evaluate whether the cost savings justify the additional effort.

“If it only cuts my feed costs by 5%,” he says, “then I’m going to say the juice is not worth the squeeze.”