Bypass protein is protein that escapes digestion in the rumen of cattle. Bypass protein has potential economic advantages when included in beef cattle diets. Lightweight and stressed cattle have the greatest ability to use bypass protein. It is doubtful that bypass proteins will prove to be beneficial for finishing cattle that weigh more than 800 pounds with normal intake.
Protein is expensive.
What happens to this nutrient inside cattle is somewhat of a mystery. Studies within the last decade have greatly increased the knowledge concerning protein nutrition in growing-finishing cattle. Protein utilization by cattle. Exploring the Rumen Figure 1 represents a schematic summary of protein use by cattle and may explain where bypass proteins have potential in beef cattle diets. The true or natural protein contained in grains, soybean meal, cottonseed meal and forages is shown with dots.