• Limit wheat to 40% or less of the ration in backgrounding and finishing diets.
• Limit durum to 30% or less of the ration in backgrounding and finishing diets.
• Ionophores should be used with wheat-based finishing diets to improve feed efficiency and reduce
the risk of acidosis.
• Buffers such as limestone and sodium bicarbonate may be useful in alleviating or preventing digestive
upsets.
• Adapt cattle to wheat-based diets incrementally, starting with low levels (10 to 15%) and then gradually increasing the wheat level up to 30% (durum) to 40% (hard wheats).
• Wheat should be coarsely rolled or cracked, but not finely ground, for optimum performance.
• When used as a supplement for beef cows, hard wheat levels should be kept under 5 to 6 pounds
per head per day (3.5 to 4.5 pounds for durum).
• When used as a supplement, wheat should be fed every day (as opposed to every other day or every
third day).
• Do not use wheat in creep rations. The rapid rate of starch fermentation increases the risk of digestive
problems such as acidosis, founder, and/or bloat.
• Wheat should not be fed in self feeders.
• Damaged wheat (sprouted, frosted, drought-stressed, vomitoxin infested) can be fed after careful inspection and laboratory analysis of the condition and quality of the grain.