Forages . Food of Herbivores

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Forages . Food of Herbivores
Dr. Donna Amaral-Phillips Introduction to Animal
and Food Sciences Agent In-Service
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Examples of Additives Sodium
Bicarbonate Yeast Monensin
Additives
Minerals Vitamins
Grains to make Concentrate Mixes
Forages - Foundation
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Additives
Minerals Vitamins
Forages -
Grains to make Concentrate Mixes
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Why??? 1st- Animal health 2nd- Economics
Additives
Minerals Vitamins
Grains to make Concentrate Mixes
5-10 cents/lb
Vs.
Forages - Foundation
2 cents/lb
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Quality of Forage

• Changes with
• Stage of Maturity
• harvested or grazed

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Quality of Forage

• Changes with
• Stage of Maturity harvested or grazed
• Growing conditions-
• Temperature
• Rainfall
• Fertility
• Species (ie. Legume vs grasses)
• Variety (ie. Differences between corn silage
  varieties)

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Forage Quality Determined by testing forages
for their nutrient content .not by visual
appraisal
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Sampling Forages

• Starts with taking representative samples
• Hay samples
• Square Bales - 20 bales cored using a hay probe
• Round bales- 2 samples of 10 different bales
  using a hay probe
• Baleage-
• Same as hay samples
• Combine samples in bucket and send a quart bag to
  lab

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Variation seen in different bales of mixed
legume/grass hay (avg 20 bales)
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Forage Samples

• Corn silage
• Fresh versus fermented samples
• Taking samples from piles or bags

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Use common sense when sending samples to the lab

• Silage or Baleage Samples
• Especially during the hotter months
• Send samples the beginning of the week so they
  are in the lab by Friday
• Do not leave samples in the sun ie. on the
  dashboard

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Use common sense when sending samples to the lab

• Hay samples
• ALWAYS use a hay probe to take samples
• Do not send grab samples of hay to the lab
  educate farmers on the proper way to take
  meaningful samples
• Hay Testing Van at field days Bring a bale of
  hay to test .

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Alfalfa Hay
Coleman and Milligan, 1989
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Forage Analysis Reports- Terminology

• Dry matter (moisture)
• Fiber Content
• ADF (acid detergent fiber)
• Composed of cellulose and lignin
• Lignin indigestible
• Relates inversely to digestibility
• NDF (neutral detergent fiber)
• Composed of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin
• Relates inversely to intake

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Forage Analysis Reports- Terminology

• Protein Content
• Crude protein (nitrogen times 6.25)
• Degradable protein- (RDP)
• Degradable protein proteins and nitrogen broken
  down in the rumen
• Used to make microbial protein with an energy
  source
• Must request on wet chemistry analysis

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Forage Analysis Reports- Terminology

• Energy values
• Always calculated numbers not measured in the
  lab
• Calculated using
• ADF (ie. KY Dept of Ag)
• Equation with protein, fiber, fat, and
  nonstructural carbohydrates (ie. Dairy One)

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RFV versus RFQ

• RFV- Relative Feed Value
• Equation uses ADF and NDF values to calculate dry
  matter intake and digestible dry matter
• RFQ- Relative Forage Quality
• Different equation calculated from dry matter
  intake and TDN (total digestible nutrients)
• adds digestibility of NDF fraction

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Forage Laboratory Methods

• Wet Chemistry
• Near Infrared (NIR)

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Forage Laboratories- Wet Chemistry

• Measure
• Dry Matter and Crude Protein (really nitrogen
  content x 6.25)
• Fiber- ADF and NDF
• Minerals if requested
• Calculated Values
• Energy NEL or TDN
• Calculations based on equation that uses either
  ADF or all nutrients

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Forage Laboratories- NIR

• Machine calibrated through equations to generate
  values for CP, ADF, and NDF
• Based on these values -- estimates minerals
• Equations used to estimate energy

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What to run

• Basic analysis -- dry matter, ADF, NDF, crude
  protein
• RDP (degradable protein), Ca, P, Mg
• Trace Minerals
• Must use wet chemistry for RDP and minerals
• Troubleshooting Complete analysis

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Checks for Grain Mixes

• Must be analyzed by wet chemistry
• Individual Farmer- Check feed company
• Basic Analysis- only comparison to feed tag
  crude protein
• Remember feed tag on an as fed basis

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Checks for Grain Mixes

• UK Regulatory Services- will take samples
• County bids for mineral mixes- check to see they
  meet specs
• Claims associated with livestock deaths or
  decreased performance
• Need to get samples of the feed which caused the
  problem

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Lower Quality Forages

• Costs
• Decreased performance May not be seen until
  later
• Lower body condition score
• Eat less of the forage
• Feed more grain

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Alfalfa Hay ---115 versus 152 RFV

• Energy limits milk more often than protein
• At 5 lbs of hay to Dairy cow
• Decrease milk by 1.5 lbs
• Afford to pay 80/ton more

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Alfalfa Hay ---115 versus 152 Relative Feed Value

• Intake drops on lower quality hay
• Instead eat 2 lbs of 115 RFV hay
• Milk drops 7 lbs

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Lactating
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Mature Herefords fed Extremely Poor Quality Hay
(53 ADF, 4.2 CP)
J. AnSci 65557
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SilageCorn Silage
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For Best Silage at Harvest.

• Goal- Use up oxygen so that anaerobic bacteria
  can predominant
• Keep Knives sharp
• Correct length of chop
• Fill Silo Quickly
• Bunkers--- Pack, Pack and Pack some more
• Cover immediately after filling --- Tires touch
• Repair holes in plastic

Proper moisture content
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Proper Moisture Content --- Importance

• Dry Silages--
• Result in poor packing
• Excessive heating during fermentation--
• Decrease protein and energy content
• Problems with heating in feedbunk
• Carmelized- tobacco smell (analyze for ADIN
  content)

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Proper Moisture Content --- Importance

• Add water at time of filling!!!
• 4 gallons of water needed per ton of silage to
  rise moisture content 1 unit
• Example 5 ton wagon of silage needs 200 gallons
  of water to change moisture 10 units

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Proper Moisture Content --- Importance

• Wet Silages--
• Seepage losses-- losing nutrients
• Highly acidic silage-- Decreased dry matter
  intake
• Silage lower in starch-- higher in fermentable
  sugars ---- Rumen bugs see different substrate
• Clostridial fermentations when

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Bunker or Silage Bag Management

• Let silage ferment 3 to 4 weeks before feeding
• Daily remove
• Minimum of 3 to 4 inches cool months
• Minimum of 6 inches summer/early fall

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Bunker or Silage Bag Management

• When feeding -- minimize amount of oxygen allowed
  to enter silage
• Trim feed with tractor buckets from top to bottom
• No loose feed left in front of silo face

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Test Forages
Allocate forages based on animal needs
Balance Rations
Feed animals balanced ration
Evaluate Performance
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Additional Information
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Well Preserved Silage
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Listeria (Circling Disease) bacteria grow when pH
4.8
From Kung- 17th Alltech Symposium
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From Kung- 17th Alltech Symposium