Over the past 15 years there has been an increase in the craft beers trade and contruction of micro-breweries throughout the North State. One of the byproducts of the brewing process is wet brewers grain (WBG), which must be disposed of in a biohazard manner because it has been through the fermentation process. Disposal can be costly for breweries; however, WBG is an excellent source of protein and energy for cattle. Thus, utilizing WBG as a feedstuff for cattle grazing annual rangelands may provide an additional source of income for breweries and significant cost savings for cattle producers.

Researchers in the College of Agriculture at CSU, Chico in collaboration with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, CA), UC Cooperative Extension agents, Glenn Nader and Josh Davy, and the Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center (SFREC) are working to determine the effect of supplementing nursing cows with either WBG or molasses tubs on cow body condition, reproduction, and calf performance.

During the 2014 and 2015 grazing seasons (i.e., ~ November 1 - January 30), 50 angus-influenced cows and their calves were randomly sorted into two treatment groups. Control cows received ad libitum access to a 29% CP (crude protein) molasses protein tub and the treatment group was supplemented three times per week with WBG (29% CP). Both the control and treatment supplements offered 1.5 lbs CP/hd./day. Cow body weight, body condition scores, and calf body weight were collected in 28 day intervals.

The third and final supplement study will begin this November at SFREC; however, preliminary results indicate that WBG is an efficient source of protein for cows grazing winter annual rangeland. In addition to investigating this important nutritional interaction, this collaboration has provided an excellent outdoor classroom for Chico State students pursuing a degree in animal science and land resource management. Students are able to gain hands-on research experience by helping to collect animal performance data as well as vegetation samples from the pastures where the cows are grazing.