Feed and Feedstuff - Lecture Notes

Feed and Feedstuf Forms of Feed • Include: dry: hay, grains, oilseed, straw, corn husks, soybeans, and hulls green: pasture and green chop high moisture: haylage, wet byproduct feeds, roots, tubers, and silages Feed: grains and byproducts eaten by the animal Processing Feed • Can increase the rate of passage through the digestive tract • Can be hammer milled, steam flaked, or rolled • Increases the surface area for digestion and energy content Feed Processing Methods • Grinding • Dry Rolling, Cracking, Crimping • Pelleting • Steam Flaking Fodder • Is defined as feed for livestock • Refers to food given to the animals, rather than food they forage for themselves • Includes: hay straw feeds, sprouted grains legumes Corn • Is the most common and abundant cereal grain • Is high in energy but relatively low in protein • Is often used because of the relatively low cost • Helps increase milk yield in dairy cattle Soybean Meal • Is high in protein and energy • Contains 50% protein • Has a good balance of amino acids for feeding ruminants and non-ruminants • Is the product remaining after extracting most of the oil from whole soybeans Cottonseed Meal • Is a byproduct of the cotton industry • Is made by removing the oil from the cotton • Is a good source of protein and energy • 8-10% crude protein content Fun Fact: Cottonseed hulls are commonly fed to cattle as it is. Grain Sorghum or Milo • Is produced in areas where water is not available for corn to survive • Has a hard seed coat, which must be processed to provide nutrients to the animal • Nutrient value is about 95% of the value of corn • Contains 8-12% crude protein Crude Protein: an estimate of the total protein of a feed includes nitrogen-containing substances such as ammonia, amino acids, and nitrates Wheat • Is a popular cereal grain but is generally too expensive • Has a good balance of amino acids • Has an energy content similar to corn • Grows in many areas and is used as a feed while it is growing as well as a grain • Is 13-14% crude protein content Oats • Are the most popular feed for horses • Have a large hull which makes it less digestible and is usually removed when processed • Are an ideal grain for starting cattle on feed because of its high fiber and hull content • Reduce the problem associated with colic from other grain Hull: the outer covering of a seed or fruit Barley • Is commonly used in feedlot diets in cattle • Is also a vital component of horse feed • Has more protein and fiber with less metabolizable energy • Outside hull makes it less digestible than corn, wheat, or milo • Contains 12-13% crudes protein content Rye • Is primarily grown for grain but occasionally for hay or pasture • Has a reasonably bitter taste which animals take a while to get used to • usually is mixed with other grains • Contains 12-13% crude protein content Triticale • Is a crop species resulting from a plant breeder's mix between wheat and rye • Is used primary as animal feed • Is more palatable than rye Hay • Is grass which has been cut, dried, and bailed into small or large bails for fodder • Is often used when there is not enough rangeland or pasture to graze due to weather • Is also used if the animal is unable to access pastures, such as when animals are kept in a stable or barn Hay • Common grasses include: fescue, Bermuda grass, brome grass , Matua coastal Legumes • Are used for their high protein content • Are both used in pastures and grazed by livestock • Include: Alfalfa clovers vetches Pellets (Compound Feeds) • Are blended from various raw materials and additives • Are formulated according to the specific requirements of the target animal • Contain a complete diet in each pellet • Differ in size depending on animal size