NOP 5017-3

Photo courtesy of USDA-NRCS

NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM

Dry Matter Demand Tables

For Classes of Beef Cattle

Adapted from: "Nutrient Requirement Tables," from Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle: Seventh Revised Edition: Update 2000, by 

Subcommittee on Beef Cattle Nutrition, Committee on Animal Nutrition, National Research Council, 1996, Washington, D.C.: National Academies 

Press. Copyright 1996 by National Academy of Sciences.

www.ams.usda.gov/nop

(202) 720-3252 Date Issued: February 12, 2010
NOP 5017-3

Cows, Lactating

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Table of Contents

BEEF CATTLE DRY MATTER INTAKE REQUIREMENTS

Beef Cows

Table 2-1: Daily Dry Matter Demand (DMI) in Pounds (lb) and Percent (%) of Body Weight 

for Beef Cows of 1,000 - 1,400 lb Mature Body Weights and 10 - 30 lb of Milk 

Production/Day

Growing and Finishing Cattle, Steers and Heifers

Table 2-3: Daily Dry Matter Demand (DMI) in Pounds (lb) and Percent (%) of Body Weight 

for Growing and Finishing Cattle at Finishing (Slaughter Stock) or Maturity (Replacement 

Heifers)

Replacement Heifers

Heifers, Pregnant

Table 2-2: Daily Dry Matter Demand (DMI) in Pounds (lb) and Percent (%) of Body Weight 

for Pregnant Replacement Heifers of 1,000 - 1,400 lb Mature Body Weights

Growing and Finishing Cattle

NOP - DMD Tables, Beef 2 Date Issued: February 12, 2010
NOP 5017-3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1,000 lb Mature Weight, 10 lb/d Peak Milk

21.60 22.10 23.00 22.50 22.10 21.70 21.10 21.00 20.90 20.80 21.00 21.40 21.60 lb

2.16 2.21 2.30 2.25 2.21 2.17 2.11 2.10 2.09 2.08 2.10 2.14 2.16 % Body Weight

1,000 lb Mature Weight, 20 lb/d Peak Milk

24.00 25.00 25.40 24.40 23.50 22.70 21.10 21.00 20.90 20.80 21.00 21.40 22.60 lb

2.40 2.50 2.54 2.44 2.35 2.27 2.11 2.10 2.09 2.08 2.10 2.14 2.26 % Body Weight

1,000 lb Mature Weight, 30 lb/d Peak Milk

26.40 27.80 27.80 26.40 24.90 23.70 21.10 21.00 20.90 20.80 21.00 21.40 23.60 lb

2.64 2.78 2.78 2.64 2.49 2.37 2.11 2.10 2.09 2.08 2.10 2.14 2.36 % Body Weight

1,200 lb Mature Weight, 10 lb/d Peak Milk

24.40 24.90 26.00 25.60 25.10 24.80 24.20 24.10 24.00 23.90 24.10 24.60 24.64 lb

2.03 2.08 2.17 2.13 2.09 2.07 2.02 2.01 2.00 1.99 2.01 2.05 2.05 % Body Weight

1,200 lb Mature Weight, 20 lb/d Peak Milk

26.80 27.80 28.40 27.40 26.50 25.70 24.20 24.10 24.00 23.90 24.10 24.60 25.63 lb

2.23 2.32 2.37 2.28 2.21 2.14 2.02 2.01 2.00 1.99 2.01 2.05 2.14 % Body Weight

1,200 lb Mature Weight, 30 lb/d Peak Milk

29.20 30.60 30.80 29.40 27.90 26.70 24.20 24.10 24.00 23.90 24.10 24.60 26.63 lb

2.43 2.55 2.57 2.45 2.33 2.23 2.02 2.01 2.00 1.99 2.01 2.05 2.22 % Body Weight

1,400 lb Mature Weight, 10 lb/d Peak Milk

27.10 27.60 28.90 28.50 28.00 27.70 27.20 27.00 26.90 26.80 27.00 27.60 27.53 lb

1.94 1.97 2.06 2.04 2.00 1.98 1.94 1.93 1.92 1.91 1.93 1.97 1.97 % Body Weight

1,400 lb Mature Weight, 10 lb/d Peak Milk

29.50 30.50 31.30 30.30 29.40 28.60 27.20 27.00 26.90 26.80 27.00 27.60 28.51 lb

2.11 2.18 2.24 2.16 2.10 2.04 1.94 1.93 1.92 1.91 1.93 1.97 2.04 % Body Weight

1,400 lb Mature Weight, 10 lb/d Peak Milk

31.90 33.30 33.70 32.30 30.80 29.60 27.20 27.00 26.90 26.80 27.00 27.60 29.51 lb

2.28 2.38 2.41 2.31 2.20 2.11 1.94 1.93 1.92 1.91 1.93 1.97 2.11 % Body Weight

DMD, lb

DMD as % Body Weight

DMD, lb

DMD as % Body Weight

DMD, lb

DMD as % Body Weight

DMD as % Body Weight

DMD, lb

DMD as % Body Weight

Adapted from: "Tables 21, 22, and 23," from Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle: Seventh Revised Edition: Update 2000, by Subcommittee on Beef Cattle Nutrition, Committee on Animal Nutrition, 

National Research Council, 1996, Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. Copyright 1996 by National Academy of Sciences.

Abbreviations used in table: DMD = Dry Matter Demand, kg = Kilogram, lb = Pound, d = day 

DMD, lb

DMD as % Body Weight

DMD as % Body Weight

Table 2-1. Daily Dry Matter Demand Requirements 

in Pounds and Percent of Body Weight 

Beef Cows 

1,000 - 1,400 lb Mature Body Weights and 10 - 30 lb of Milk Production/Day

Months Since Calving

DMD, lb

DMD as % Body Weight

Average

DMD, lb

DMD as % Body Weight

DMD, lb

DMD, lb

NOP - DMD Tables, Beef 2 Date Issued: February 12, 2010
NOP 5017-3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1,000 lb Mature Weight

16.7 17.2 17.7 18.2 18.7 19.4 20.0 20.7 21.3 18.88 lb

1.67 1.72 1.77 1.82 1.87 1.94 2.00 2.07 2.13 1.89 % Body Weight

1,100 lb Mature Weight

18.0 18.5 19.0 19.5 20.1 20.8 21.5 22.3 22.9 20.29 lb

1.64 1.68 1.73 1.77 1.83 1.89 1.95 2.03 2.08 1.84 % Body Weight

1,200 lb Mature Weight

19.3 19.8 20.3 20.9 21.5 22.2 23.0 23.7 24.4 21.68 lb

1.61 1.65 1.69 1.74 1.79 1.85 1.92 1.98 2.03 1.81 % Body Weight

1,300 lb Mature Weight

20.5 21.0 21.6 22.2 22.9 23.6 24.4 25.2 25.9 23.03 lb

1.58 1.62 1.66 1.71 1.76 1.82 1.88 1.94 1.99 1.77 % Body Weight

1,400 lb Mature Weight

21.7 22.3 22.9 23.5 24.2 24.9 25.8 26.6 27.4 24.37 lb

1.55 1.59 1.64 1.68 1.73 1.78 1.84 1.90 1.96 1.74 % Body Weight

Abbreviations used in table: DMD = Dry Matter Demand, lb = Pound 

Adapted from: "Table 20," from Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle: Seventh Revised Edition: Update 2000, by Subcommittee on Beef Cattle Nutrition, Committee on Animal 

Nutrition, National Research Council, 1996, Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. Copyright 1996 by National Academy of Sciences.

DMD as % Body Weight

DMD, lb

DMD, lb

DMD as % Body Weight

DMD, lb

DMD as % Body Weight

DMD, lb

DMD as % Body Weight

DMD as % Body Weight

Table 2-2. Daily Dry Matter Demand Requirements

in Pounds and Percent of Body Weight 

Pregnant Replacement Heifers

1,000 - 1,400 lb Mature Body Weights

Months Since Conception

Average

DMD, lb

NOP - DMD Tables, Beef 3 Date Issued: February 12, 2010
NOP 5017-3

Current Body Weight, lb lb % Body Weight

300 10.1 3.35

350 11.3 3.23

400 12.5 3.12

450 13.6 3.03

500 14.8 2.95

550 15.9 2.89

600 16.9 2.82

650 17.9 2.76

700 18.0 2.58

750 18.9 2.53

800 20.2 2.51

850 21.0 2.47

900 21.8 2.44

950 22.6 2.39

1,050 24.5 2.33

1,150 26.1 2.27

Daily DMD

Adapted from: "Tables 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19," from Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle: 

Seventh Revised Edition: Update 2000, by Subcommittee on Beef Cattle Nutrition, Committee 

on Animal Nutrition, National Research Council, 1996, Washington, D.C.: National Academies 

Press. Copyright 1996 by National Academy of Sciences.

Table 2-3. Daily Dry Matter Demand Requirements

in Pounds and Percent of Body Weight

Growing and Finishing Beef Cattle

1,000 - 1,400 lb at Finishing (Slaughter Stock)

or Maturity (Replacement Heifers)

Abbreviations used in table: DMD = Dry Matter Demand, lb = Pound

NOP - DMD Tables, Beef 4 Date Issued: February 12, 2010