Livestock Feed / Feedstuffs

Livestock Feed / Feedstuffs

Unit 4: Lesson 14

Livestock Feed & Feedstuffs

• AKA: Fodder

• Defined as the food GIVEN to animals, rather than the food they find for themselves

• Includes: Roughages, Concentrates, and Additives

Open Ended

Another term for feed/feedstuffs...

Roughages

• Contain more than 18% crude fiber

• Critical part of a ruminant's diet & function

• Vary in palatability, digestibility and nutrient content

• Commonly found in Legumes & Non-Legumes

Multiple Choice

How much crude fiber do roughages contain?

• 20%

• 19%

• 18%

• 16%

Legumes

• Contain roughly 18% protein

• Increase nitrogen content in the soil

• Made of leaves, stems, and stalks

• Seeds are used as concentrates

• Examples: Alfalfa & Clover

Alfalfa

• High in protein content and dietary carbs. Provides energy

• Rich in mineral content

• Available in the following forms: Hay, Silage, Greenchop, Pellets, Cubed Products or Grazing

FUN FACT

Protein content can be determined by the stage of growth of the plants at the time of harvest. The more IMMATURE the plants are when harvets, the HIGHER the protein content.

Multiple Choice

Alfalfa is LOW in protein content

• True

• False

Open Ended

Name one form alfalfa can be found in...

Clover

• Highly digestible and contains a high amount of protein

• Used for grazing pasture and is often found in hay bales

Non-Legumes

• Medium to Low protein content, lower in minerals and are mainly grasses and cereal grains.

• Often require additional feed to meet an animal's nutrients requirements.

Open Ended

What is one of the two main non-legumes?

Non-Legumes Examples

• Triticale

• Grain Sorghum or Milo

• Wheat

• Barley

• Rye

• Corn

• Oats

Triticale

• A hybrid breeder's mix crossing wheat and rye

• Mainly used as a hay source

• More palatable than rye

Open Ended

What does palatable mean?

Grain Sorghum or Milo

• Produced in areas where water is not available for corn to survive

• Has a hard seed coat which must be processed to improve the nutrients available to animals 

• Has a relatively low-quality protein

• Contains 8 to 12 percent crude protein

Multiple Choice

How much crude protein does grain sorghum contain?

• 9-10%

• 7-9 %

• 5-6%

• 8-12%

Wheat

• Used for grazing and grain

• Popular cereal grain - generally too expensive

• Protein content superior to corn & grain sorghum

• Soft Wheat (West USA) has 10-11% protein

• Hard Red Winter Wheat (Great Plains) has 12 to 14 % protein

Multiple Choice

Where is SOFT wheat found in the USA?

• Northwest

• West

• South

• East Coast

Barley

• Used in diets of feedlot cattle

• Strong component of horse feed

• Contains water-soluble carbs which are poorly digestible and lowers energy content

• The outside hill makes it less digestible than corn, wheat, or mil

• Contains 12-13% crude protein content

Multiple Select

Barley is commonly found in what species diet(s)?

• Swine

• Cattle (feedlot)

• Horse

• Chicken

Rye

• Primarily grown for grain - occasionally for hay or pasture

• Fairly bitter taste

• Normally mixed with other grains

• Contains 12-13% crude protein content

Multiple Choice

Rye tastes sweet.

• True

• False

Corn

• The most common and abundant cereal grain

• High in energy but low in protein (8-10%)

• Often used because cost efficient

Oats

• Possess the highest quality protein of all the cereal grains (13-14%)

• Contains a large hull - less than digestible

• Ideal for starting cattle on feed because of high fiber and hull content.

What is a HULL?

Outer covering of a seed or fruit

COMPLETE EXIT TICKET!