Animal feed is crucial for keeping livestock healthy and productive. Animals like chickens, pigs, horses, and cattle all need a balanced diet to grow and do well. The right feed can greatly improve an animal’s growth, reproduction, and overall health.
This article will explain the different types of animal feed and their uses, from common options like grains and forage to special feeds with vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. In addition, we’ll review how to pick the best feed for different animals, like pellets for poultry or supplements for horses to help readers understand basics of animal nutrition.
Common Types of Animal Feed
Animal feed comes in various forms to meet the nutritional needs of different livestock. Each type has unique characteristics and benefits for animal health.
Compound Feed
Compound feed is a mix of different feed materials made to meet the nutritional needs of animals. It is created based on the animals’ growth stages, physical needs, and uses. Compound feed manufacturers study what animals need nutritionally and produce customized feed. This kind of feed helps use safe and affordable resources.
Blended Feed
Blends have gained popularity for farmers due to their time efficiency and cash flow benefits. They consist of a mix of straight feeds that can be fed through trough feeding systems or as part of a mixer wagon diet. Blends require only one storage bin or bay, which simplifies storage and reduces labor costs for on-farm mixing.
Grains
Cereal grains are an important component of animal feed. Barley, corn, oats, rye, and sorghums are grown almost entirely as animal feed in North America and northern Europe. These grains are fed whole or ground, either singly or mixed with high-protein oil meals or other by-products, minerals, and vitamins to form a complete feed for pigs and poultry. These can also serve as a dietary supplement for ruminants and horses.
Pellets
Pelleting is a process that involves steam-conditioning mixed mash and then compacting it through a die. Pellets offer benefits like reduced feed wastage, increased nutrient intake, and improved nutrient digestibility. This process usually strengthens growth rate and feed efficiency by about 10 percent. Good pellet quality is linked to durability, with a target pellet durability index of over 90 percent for pelleted diets.
Silage
Silage is preserved pasture grass that has been fermented to keep as many nutrients as possible. It is crucial for feeding cows and sheep when pasture is poor like during the dry season. The silage-making process involves cutting the grass, chopping it into smaller pieces, and compacting it to remove oxygen. Fermentation must occur under acidic conditions around pH 4-5 to maintain nutrients and produce a palatable food for livestock.
Specialized Animal Feed
There are various types of specialized animal feed designed to meet the nutritional needs of different species. Below are some examples of specialized forms of feed!
Milk Replacers
Milk replacers substitute for mother’s milk in young animals, providing easily digestible proteins, energy sources, vitamins, and minerals to support the animal. These replacers can be used for species like calves, goat kids, lambs, foals, and even puppies and kittens to offer extra protein and energy.
Supplements
Animal feed supplements improve nutrition and address specific health needs. For pigs, essential nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Supplements like phytase can boost phosphorus availability in plant-based feeds, reducing mineral excretion. In aquaculture, nucleotide supplements serve as an alternative to antibiotics, improving body weight gain and feed conversion in fish and shrimp. Protein ingredients produced through enzymatic hydrolysis provide high concentrations of bioactive peptides and better palatability.
Medicated Feed
Medicated feeds have special medications to help with animal health issues. For example, medicated chick starter feed contains amprolium, which helps baby chicks build immunity against coccidiosis by stopping the coccidia parasite from multiplying without killing it. It’s important to use medicated feed only to prevent infections, not to treat existing ones. Additionally, some animals, like waterfowl, should not be given medicated chick feed because they could overdose on amprolium.
Organic Feed
Organic feeds are made from ingredients grown using natural methods to avoid synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Certified by organizations like the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) to meet strict organic standards, these feeds support sustainable farming practices and animal welfare. For example, organic poultry chickens typically live twice as long as chickens bred for meat on intensive farms. Organic cows must have at least 60% forage in their diets, encouraging more natural feeding behaviors.
Choosing the Right Feed for Different Animals
Choosing the right feed for different animals is important for their health. Each species has certain nutritional needs that must be met with a balanced diet. This section looks at the specific feed requirements for poultry, cattle, horses, and swine.
Poultry Feed
Poultry need different types of feed based on their age and purpose. For baby chicks, starter feed with 20-24% protein is necessary for the first six weeks. After six weeks, they switch to grower feed, which has 16-18% protein to support their growth. Laying hens require layer feed that includes extra calcium for eggshell formation. Feed comes in various forms, including mash, crumble, and pellets. Mash has a fine texture and is easy for baby chicks to digest. Crumble is coarser than mash but not as compact as pellets, so it’s good for transitioning between feed types. Pellets are the most common form of chicken feed as they hold their shape well and reduce waste.
Cattle Feed
Cattle feed mainly consists of farm-grown grains, protein supplements, and pasture grass, which provides fresh vegetation and roughage. Hay and silage are important for maintaining health. For cattle in heavy work or production, concentrates like cereal grains and commercially mixed feeds provide necessary energy. Mineral supplements are good for various bodily functions. Proper feeding improves feed intake, digestion, health, and overall performance in cattle.
Horse Feed
Horse feed requirements depend on the animal’s activity level and purpose. Performance horses need more energy, higher quality protein, and balanced electrolytes compared to horses at maintenance. Forage is essential for all horses, making up 1.5-2% of their body weight daily to maintain digestive health. For horses in heavy work, concentrates provide additional energy, but it’s important to limit the amount to 0.5-1% of the horse’s body weight daily to prevent digestive issues. Fat-based feeds can be a safe and effective energy source for performance horses.
Swine Feed
Swine have a simple digestive system and require a diet primarily composed of grains and protein supplements. The main nutrients needed for pig growth include energy, protein, minerals, vitamins, and water. Corn and soybean meal form the basis of most pig diets, providing energy and essential amino acids. Young pigs use most of their feed for growth and maintenance while mature animals use it primarily for maintenance and reproduction. The protein content in swine feed is particularly important, with soybean meal being a common source. Minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iodized salt are also essential for swine growth.
Animal Feed and Livestock Health
Animal feed is important for livestock health. This article covered various types of feed, such as compound feed, grains, pellets, silage, and specialized feeds like milk replacers, supplements, medicated feed, and organic options. Different animals and life stages have unique nutritional needs. Proper feed selection improves growth, reproduction, and well-being, helping farmers and caretakers support their livestock well.
DeWitt County Producers is a trusted agricultural cooperative dedicated to supporting farmers and ranchers in DeWitt County and surrounding areas. We provide high-quality feed, seed, fertilizer, and other essential farming supplies. Our knowledgeable team offers expert advice and personalized service to help you achieve optimal results for your agricultural needs. As a member-owned cooperative, we are committed to enhancing the productivity and success of our community’s producers. For more information, visit dewittproducers.com.
