Feeding rice straw to cattle may help solve two vexing problems facing California agriculture. Because of the drought and the high cost of hay, cattle producers are looking for alternative feeds. The rice industry, meanwhile, is looking for alternatives to burning rice straw. According to Monte Bell, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Glenn County, some cattle ranchers have baled and fed rice straw to their stock for as long as 40 years. One Willows rancher told Bell he could increase the carrying capacity of his pasture by 30 percent by feeding his cattle rice straw. Many other Glenn County producers either feed or graze their cattle on rice straw, with very few reported problems. Rice straw is worth up to 75 percent the value of alfalfa for maintenance and about 42 percent for weight gain, Bell says. Rice straw alone, however, is too low in energy, protein and minerals to meet all the nutritional requirements of cattle.