VTS150--Alden

1. Feedstuffs
Large Animal Nutrition
Swine, Sheep and Goats

2. Feedstuffs
 Feedstuffs- any component of a diet (
ration) that serves some useful
function
Functions:
1. Provide source of nutrients and
energy
2. Combined to produce rations
3. Modify characteristics of diet

3. International
Feed ID System
 System for classifying feedstuffs
based on descriptive characteristics
 Based on the primary nutrient
provided by the feedstuff
 Each feedstuff is assigned an
International Feed Number ( IFN)

4. There are 8 international
Feedstuff classes
 1. Dry Roughages
 2. Pasture Range and Grasses
 3. Ensiled Roughages
 4. High Energy Concentrates
 5. Protein Sources
 6. Minerals
 7. Vitamins
 8. Additives

5. 1. Dry Roughages
Characteristics:
1. Bulky feed that has low weight per
unit of volume
2. High crude fiber content, low protein
and fat digestibility
3. Contains greater than 18% crude
fiber and less than 70% total
digestible nutrients

6. Dry Roughagae Examples
 Hay- legume ( alfalfa), grass
legume, non legume
 Straw and chaff
 Corn cobs
 Cottonseed hulls
 Shells and hulls
 Sugarcane byproducts
 Paper and wood byproducts

7. 2. Pasture and Range
grasses
1. Grazed plants
2. Soilage or greenchop
3. Cannery and food crop residues

8. 3. Silages and Haylages
- fermented, high moisture feed made
from the entire plant. Stored in silos
Examples:
1. corn, sorghum
2. Grass, grass-legume, legume

9. 4. High Energy Concentrate
 Cereal grains
 Beet and citrus pulp
 Molasses
 Animal, marine and vegetable fats
 Roots and tuber

10. 5. Protein Supplements
Contains greater than 20% crude
protein
1. animal, avian, marine sources
2. Milk and by-products
3. Legume seeds
4. Brewery and distillery by-products
5. Urea, ammonia

11. 6. Mineral supplements and 7.
Vitamin supplements
 Must be added by sources that animal
is able to absorb
 Vitamin concentration in plants and
animal tissues varies greatly
 Plants: vitamin concentration affected
by harvesting, processing and storing
 Animals: liver and kidney are good
sources of most vitamins

12. 8. Additives
Non- nutritive ingredients added to
stimulate growth or performance or
improve the efficiency of feed
1. Added in very small quantities
2. Antibiotics, antifungals, antimicrobials
3. Buffers, colors, flavors
4. Probiotics
5. Hormones, enzymes

13. Estimating Nutritional Value of a
Feed
Goal: estimate how well nutrients in
feedstuffs matches the animal’s needs
Three methods for Estimating
1. Chemical Analysis
2. Digestion and Balance Trials
3. Feeding Trials

14. Chemical Analysis
 Subdivides the components of the
feedstuff into general groups (
protein, water, carbohydrates, lipids, m
inerals, vitamins) to estimate the
relative amount present
 Problem: Doesn’t estimate how well
the animal utilizes the feed

15. Digestion and Balance Trials
 Measures the digestibility of a feed
 Feed consumption and fecal excretion
are measured over period of time
 Problem: Not a true measure because
feces contain sloughed cells and
tissue

16. Feeding Trials
 Used extensively
 Usually done before chemical analysis
or digestion and balance trials
 Can evaluate growth, egg
production, wool production

17. Swine Nutrition
 Porcine
 Monogastric ominivore
 Terms
1. Sow – adult female
2. Boar- adult male
3. Piglet- young pig
4. Gilt- sexually mature female, no litter
yet
5. Barrow- castrated male

18. Swine Nutrition- Water
 Neonates 80% water, finishing pigs 55%
water
 Requirement is influenced by many
factors ( environment, moisture content
of feed, urine output, etc.)
 General guidelines 1-11/2 quarts of water
per 1 lb of feed consumed
 Lactating sows require more for milk
production
 Water quality affects consumption, high
total dissolved solids can cause
diarrhea, high levels of sulfates should
be avoided

19. Swine Nutrition- Energy
 Required for buildup of lean and fat tissue
 Nursing pigs- most energy from fat and sugar
in milk
 Growing pigs- most energy from cereal grains
 Sows and finishing pigs- some energy is
gained from volatile fatty acids from
fermentation in large intestine
 Dietary need is directly related to body weight
 Amount of feed consumed ad libitum is
controlled by energy content of diet

20. Energy source feedstuffs for
Swine
 Cereal grains ( especially swine)
 Damaged grains
 Grain by- products
 Purified sugars ( sucrose, lactose for
piglets)
 Fat ( tallows, animal and vegetable
fats)
 Processed food waste

21. Swine Nutrition – Protein and
Amino acids
 Pig carcasses contain 50% muscle.
About 8% of the whole body is edible
protein
 Pigs need 10 essential amino acids to
maintain tissues
 Amino acids required are
arginine, histidine, isoleucine, lysine, met
hionine, leucine, phenylalanine, threonin
e, tryptophan, valine
 Lysine is the first limiting amino
acid, high requirements, low content in
feedstuffes ex. Corn
 Most diets are based on soybean meal
due to its higher lysine content

22. Protein Source Feedstuffs in
Swine
 Plant proteins: soybeans
 Animal proteins: by-products of meat
packing industry, fish meal, dried milk
products
 Bacteria
 Synthetic amino acids

23. Swine Nutrition- Minerals
Highest Mineral Needs
Ca and P- usually fed as limestone and oyster
shells
NaCl- inadequate amounts suppress feed
intake
I- soybean and grain diets
deficient, supplement required
Fe- injected in piglets to prevent anemia- lasts
3 weeks, milk is iron deficient
Mg- required in growing pigs, present in
feedstuffs
Z- supplemented to prevent parakeratosis

24. Swine Nutrition- Vitamins
 Vitamin A- supplement 2-3 times need
because corn has low Vit A and it breaks
down with processing, dehydrated alfalfa is a
good source
 Vitamin D- absent in most feedstuffs, expose
pigs to sunlight or add sun cured hays or fish
oils to diet
 Vitamin E – required in all life stages, legume
hay, green forage and cereal grains are good
sources
 Vitamin K- present in feeds, synthesized by
hind gut fermentation but pig must have
access to feces. Supplement added to
prevent hemorrhaging in newborns

25. Vitamin, Mineral and Additive
Source Feedstuffs in Swine
 Mineral- trace mineral salt
 Vitamin- alfalfa meal, fermentation by
products, animal protein
 Additives: antibiotics, anthelmintics etc

26. Nutritional Diseases in Swine
 Amino Acid Deficiency:
anemia, edema, immunocompromise,
impaired growth
 Parakeratosis: Occurs between the 6-
16th week of life. From low zinc, high
calcium diet; bilateral abnormal
keratinization of the skin, forming
horny scales; starts as brown spots on
underside

27. Swine Feeding Management
 Pre-breeding: gilt is bred at 7-8 mos. Flushing 1-2
weeks prior to breeding increases ovulation and litter
size, high antibiotics added to diet
 Gestation: normal nutritional needs for first two
trimesters. Majority of growth is in last month.
Overweight sows are more likely to crush piglets
 Farrowing: include laxatives to prevent constipation
when in farrowing crate; wheat bran or dried beet pulp
10-15% of diet; high antibiotics
 Lactation: nutrient requirements 3-4 times higher than
during gestation, produce 2.5 lbs milk per piglet; if feed
restricted can suffer bone fractures and paralysis
 Nursing pigs: all nutrients from sow’s milk for first 2
weeks. Must supply iron( injectable) Begin eating dry
food at 2 weeks

28. Sheep Nutrition
 Ovine
 Ruminant Herbivores
 Terms:
Ewe- female of reproductive age
Ram- intact male of reproductive age
Lamb- young sheep of either sex
Wether- neutered adult male
Mutton- meat derived from adult sheep

29. Sheep Nutrition- Water
 Water is limiting nutrient in many
areas
 Water quality is more important to
sheep than any other livestock
species ( stagnant, odor, high bacterial
or mineral content)
 Water intake is influenced by
feed, vegetation, protein
intake, environmental
temperature, amount of rain, dew, or

30. Water Requirements for
Sheep
 1 gallon of water per 4 lbs of dry feed
consumed
 More water when air temp is above
70F
 Less intake if water temp is <40 or >
50F
 Lower requirement where there is
daily rain, heavy dew or soft, wet snow
 Lower requirement for those eating
silage, succulent or range forage

31. Sheep Nutrition- Energy
 Insufficient energy from low intake or
poor quality feed
 Energy deficiency reduces
growth, fertility, wool quality, death
 High energy needs:
- Immediately before and after lambing
- Flushing ewes and rams for breeding
- Finishing lambs

32. Energy Source Feedstuffs for
Sheep
 Good quality pasture, hay, silage
 Grains: barley, corn, wheat, oats and
milo
 Precautions: when feeding wheat
grain- lambs susceptible to acute
indigestion

33. Sheep Nutrition- Protein
 Usually quantity is more important
than quality due to bacterial
conversion in rumen
 Microbial protein synthesis supplies
protein needs except when lactating or
very young lambs
 Add extra protein feeds when pastures
are mature or when feeding creep
rations

34. Protein source feedstuffs for
sheep
 Green pastures, soybean
meal, cottonseed meal, alfalfa
hay, urea ( sometimes0
 Urea levels: < 1% of total ration
 No urea in young lambs, creep
rations, straw, poor quality hay or
lambs on limited feed

35. Sheep Nutriton- Minerals
Highest Mineral Needs
NaCl- usually provided ½-1/3 lb per ewe
per month
Ca, P – highest need during
lactation, provide leafy legumes for
Ca, grains for P
I- usually provided in salt
Co- more in legumes than grasses
Se- small difference between deficiency
and lethal toxicity, muscular dystrophy
Zinc- high needs for normal testicular
development

36. Sheep Nutrition- Vitamins
Vit A- can store excess for 6-12 months
Vit D- fast growing lambs kept inside
may show problems
Vit E- low selenium leads to Vit E
deficiency
Vit K- synthesized by rumen
Vit C- synthesized by tissues

37. Vitamin and Mineral Feedstuffs
in Sheep
Vitamins- green feeds, germs of
seeds, sun-cured hays
Minerals- leafy legumes, grains, trace
mineral and salt mix

38. Sheep Nutritional Diseases
Enterotoxemia type D- intestinal toxins
present in blood; caused by stress and
sudden diet changes; vaccinate lambs
prior to weaning
Urinary calculi- common in rams and
wethers in drylot; results from Ca/P
ration imbalance and decreased water
intake

39. Sheep Feed Management
Pre-breeding: ewe is flushed for 4-6
weeks, 2 weeks prior to breeding and
continuing for 2-3 weeks after bred;
flushed on either high quality pastures
or ¼ to ½ lb of grain or pellets per day;
treat for internal parasites and trim
hooves
Gestation- 70% of fetal growth happens
in the last 6 weeks of gestation

40. continued
Late pregnancy feed requirement
-50% more feed if single lamb
-75% more feed if twin lamb
-Add grain to high roughage diet, more energy
Lactation- maximum milk production 2-3 weeks
post parturition; feed three times her
maintenance requirements; must have
increase protein intake to make milk
Nursing lambs- born with non functioning
rumen; colostrum is a must within first 12-18
hours. If no ewe colostrum, can use fresh
cow colostrum. Creep feeding used for early
weaning and getting lambs to market

41. Goat Nutrition
 Caprine
 Ruminant Herbivore
 Terms
Doe- female
Buck- intact male
Kid- baby goat, either sex
Wether- castrated male
- Inquisitive feeding behavior
- Raised for meat, milk, fiber and hides

42. Goat Feeding Behavior
 Confinement feeding: will pick through offered
feed and eat what they want
 This results in 2 important effects:
1. Composition of consumed diet differs from
formulated diet
2. Goats will eat more if they have more to
select, so offer less feed to force them to
choose more of the diet
Range feeding: active forager, browses all plant
types including
trees, shrubs, grasses, creating a browse
line. Will sometimes defoliate one type of
plant; goats grazing hilly terrain have higher
energy requirements than those on level
terrain

43. Goat Nutrition- Water
 Requirements
- Intake is related to feed intake and
feed intake correlates to productivity
- Free access to good quality water
- More sensitive to water quality, won’t
touch fecal/urine contaminated water
- Lactation increases needs

44. Goat Nutrition- Energy
 Wide variances among
breed, productivity, production and
size
 Mostly from carbohydrates and low
levels of fat, high fat inhibits rumen
fermentation
 Excess fat is stored in the body
around internal organs
 Consume more dry matter then other
livestock species

45. Energy Source- Feedstuffs for
Goats
 Forages: alfalfa hay, bermuda grass
hay
 grains: corn, sorghum, oats
 molasses

46. Goat Nutrition- Protein
 Most expensive component of diet
 Needed to support rumen
fermentation and supply amino acids
 Unlike fat, excess is not stored
 Vary with developmental stage
 Protein source feedstuffs for goats
- Soybean meal, fish meal, cottonseed
meal and sunflower meal

47. Goat Nutrition- Mineral
 Ca and P are two major minerals-
needed for bone development and
milk production
 Mobilize bone stores for high needs
 Phosphorus need is met due to goats
high selectivity in diet
 Only salt should be provided free
choice
 Lush pasture is deficient in
magnesium

48. Goat Nutrion- Vitamins
 Only Vit A is likely to be deficient
 Occurs in confinement fed goats in dry
cold weather
 Occurs in range fed goats when
vegetation contains little or no green
plant material

49. Goat Nutritional Diseases
 Enterotoxemia type D- can occur after
high intake of immature succulent
forage. Toxin is produced by
Clostridium perfringens type D
 Urinary calculi- can occur when Ca
and P rations are unbalanced