Livestock Feeding Programmes

1) Identify (using pictures) and describe 10 or more common feedstuffs for farm animals (cattle, sheep and pigs).

Roughages/Forages.

Silage:

Silage consists of green succulent forage that is harvested while retaining high moisture content, and stored under anaerobic conditions in a silo or ‘clamp’, whereby air is excluded. Modern methods, produce bails of silage, wrapped in plastic to exclude air in much same way, but are easier to handle and store. The fodder then undergoes a fermentation process, lowering the ph value to around 4.5 -5, which acts to preserve or basically ‘pickle’ the silage through the production of lactic acid, amongst others. Typically, silage from grass is cut three times a year, with the first harvest in May being the most nutritious, before the plant goes into seed production.

By this method a farmer can preserve excess forage from the growing season, and is important as it makes up the bulk of feed for ruminants such as sheep and cattle during the winter months, when grass growth is minimal. Some crops such as maize and barley are grown exclusively for use as silage. (Living Countryside.)

Good quality silage typically has a moisture content of around 75% at the time of ensiling, with an energy value of around 11.2MJ per kg (ME) and a protein value of 140g per kg of dry matter (DM). A good farmer will have his silage analysed for this and nutrient content to enable an effective feeding plan to be produced. (farm-direct, 2001)

Silage with a higher DM content from around 30-45% is often referred to as Haylage, and is useful as feed in equine applications.

In many cases an additive such as a microbial inoculant, which help to start the fermentation process, are included at the time of ...

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http://www.ukagriculture.com/production_ 1

Pigs are monogastrics, and omnivorous, and can be fed a wide range of feed. However it is now illegal to feed pigs’ animal protein in the UK.

Again, as with sheep, Body condition scoring is an essential tool when formulating and controlling nutritional requirements of pigs. Both boars and sows need to be fit and healthy to achieve an optimum of 2.5 production cycles per year.

3) Review the available feeding systems and methods for storing feed on the College farm (or similar). Consider cattle, sheep and pigs.

4) Demonstrate a practical ability to design and implement a feeding programme. Here you should briefly summarise a practical example of where you have been involved in planning a ration for a group of farm animals and have taken part in feeding these animals either on the College farm or elsewhere.