Unit 7: Common Feeds For Livestock (Cram)

What are the three categories of livestock feed?

1. Forages

2. Energy supplements

3. Protein supplements

What part of green plants is used for forages?

Above ground

Forages generally contain more than ___ % crude fiber

18

What substance in forages makes them have decreased digestibility?

Lignin

Which two macro minerals are forages high in?

1. Calcium

2. Potassium

True or false: Forages are generally higher in trace minerals than most concentrates

True

Do forages have more or less fat–soluble vitamins than most concentrates?

More

Which water soluble vitamin are forages generally high in?

B–vitamins

In general, total fiber content of a plant with age, this ______ its feeding quality for livestock

decreases

The quantity of forage produced (yield) _____ with time

increases

What type of carbohydrate are younger plants high in? Give an example

Digestible, like starch

What types of carbohydrates are older plants high in? Give two examples

Less digestible, like cellulose and lignin

Area of land on which there is growth of forage suitable for animals to graze

Pasture

What are some of the benefits of putting animals on pasture?

Decreased likelihood of nutritional deficiencies, less disease transmission (not in close confinement), lower costs for facilities, animals get exercised (not as over–conditioned)

Grass used for pasture that will grow back in subsequent years

Perennial

Grass used for pasture that must be seeded every year

Annual

What group of pasture forages include clover and alfalfa, and are generally higher in protein, vitamins, and some minerals than most grass species?

Legumes

What do legumes use to convert atmospheric nitrogen to a form of nitrogen the plant can then use to grow? What is this process called?

Bacteria living in their roots, nitrogen fixation

Term for forage that is cut, cured (dried), gathered, and utilized for feed

Hay

What is the ideal range of moisture content for hay that preserves its nutritional value?

15–18%

What can happen if hay has a moisture content of over 20%?

Mold or fire

What is the most important determinant of the nutritional value of hay?

Stage of maturity when it is harvested (more mature = less digestible)

What is the range of loss of yield that is normal for hay?

20–40%

Where does hay suffer more nutritional losses, inside or outside?

Outside, 30–35% from UV damage

What are some grass hays?

Timothy, orchard grass, tall fescue, smooth brome grass, and green barley and oats

How is the quality of legume hays usually determined?

Amount of leaf in the hay

What are two type of crops that have been harvested and stored at moisture levels higher than 20% and are preserved through microbial fermentation in anaerobic conditions?

1. Silage

2. Haylage

What is the range of moisture content for silage?

70-75%

What is the range of moisture content for haylage?

50-60%

What bacterial genus commonly grows in silage?

Listeria

Which is easier to produce in areas that experience heavy rainfall, hay or silage?

Silage

What kind of crops is silage made from? Give some examples

Cereal grains, like corn, barley, or oats

What kind of crops is haylage made from? Give some examples

Forages, like grasses and legumes

Which is allowed to dry in the feild before being stored, silage or haylage?

Haylage

Storage facility used to provide an anaerobic environment in which the fermentation of the silage or haylage can take place

Silo

What type of silo is this?

Bunker silo (also called pit or trench silo)

What kind of silo is this?

Tower Silo

What type of silo is this?

Temporary silo (also called bagged silage)

Why should silage not be fed to horses?

High risk of botulism which horses are very susceptible to

What are some advantages of using silage?

Reduced losses of nutrients (leaves falling off), not weather dependent, less fire hazard, less internal parasites

What are some of the disadvantages of using silage?

More labour intensive, special equipment needed, too heavy to transport, experience is required

What are the three factors that have the greatest influence on the energy value of a feed?

1. Starch content

2. Fiber content

3. Fat content

What are the two energy supplements most commonly used?

1. Cereals

2. Fats

What amino acid are most cereal grains deficient in?

Lysine

Cereal grains have about 10% protein, is this protein availible to all species of livestock?

No. It is not of a sufficient quality for non–ruminant livestock (ie. horses)

What are the five cereal grains commonly used in animal feeding? Remember: Barley Regulates COW (because it has a high fiber content)

1. Barley

2. Rye

3. Corn

4. Oats

5. Wheat

Which cereal grain is the one most commonly fed to livestock worldwide?

Corn

Of the cereal grains, corn is the lowest in _____

protein

Why is wheat not fed to poultry?

It contains alot of the NSP hemicellulose, this turns into a thick gel when combined with watery. It thus results in sticky droppings

What is the most commonly fed cereal grain in Canada?

Barley

Because of the fibrous hull that clings tightly to barley, the _____ content is higher and the _____ value is lower than that of corn or wheat

fiber, energy

Which cereal grain is the most popular for feeding horses, because the high fiber content reduces the risk of colic?

Oats

Despite the low quantity (less than 10%), oats have the highest quality _____ of any cereal grain

protein

What are the three fat based energy supplements?

1. Peas

2. Molasses

3. Fat

Which amino acid are peas deficient in?

Methionine

How many times more protein do peas have compared to most cereal grains?

2 times (23%)

Fat has ____ times the energy content of any cereal grain

2.25

What are the two main groups of protein supplement sources?

1. Plant sources

2. Animal sources

What are the three plant sources of protein?

1. Soybean meal

2. Canola meal

3. Linseed meal

What is the protein content of hulled and dehulled soybean meal respectively?

Hulled: 44% Dehulled: 49%

What is the range of protein content of canola meal?

35-40%

Canola meal has less lysine and higher levels of methionine. This makes it a good supplement for which diet?

Pea diet. Because peas are deficient in methionine

What is the protein content of linseed (flaxseed) oil?

35%

What does flax contain that has human health benefits when hens deposit it in their eggs?

Omega-3 fatty acids

The transmission of which disease is the reason why it is illegal to feed meat meal from a ruminant back to a ruminant?

Mad Cow disease

What are some of the commonly used sources of animal protein?

Meat meal, blood meal, fish meal, and dehydrated milk products