Choosing a Feed and Feed Supplier

Organic feed is different

The conventional feed industry largely relies on a simple diet of corn, soybeans, food industry and animal byproducts and mineral supplements. This situation is motivated by its simplicity, lower storage and processing costs and lower cost of inputs. But it has driven conventional farming to monocropping or at best the dual cropping of corn and soybeans with a strong dependency on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and genetically engineered crops. The livestock industry has moved to the factory farming of animals in narrow confinement, the use of growth regulating antibiotics and hormones and the forced feeding of cheap grain. Since WWII, livestock production in North America has been managed as a marketing channel for excess grain production.

The organic farmer manages livestock in a sustainable way with minimal off-farm inputs. The feeding program is designed to match the animal’s biological profile. Organic animal husbandry practices and feeding programs enhance the animal’s health, immune system, natural behaviour and stress management. The results are reduced disease pressure, improved longevity and greater sustainability. The consumer appreciates the difference with great tasting food, attractive colour and texture and improved nutritional value in the animal product.

Organic nutrition, especially with ruminants, is primarily based on forages. In most cases, the grain component of the diet is a mixture of coarsely ground grains and seeds, rather than pelleted byproducts. Not only does the feed look good, it also smells great. In conventional feeds, molasses is often added to make the feed palatable. The molasses is needed to mask the flavour of unpalatable ingredients such as feather meal, animal fats, urea and other industrial food byproducts. In contrast, organic feed is made up of natural ingredients that animals like to eat.

The natural looking feed allows for more natural feeding behaviour, with frequent nibbling rather than fast feeding. With poultry, non-pelleted feed has many advantages. It takes more time and exercise for birds to eat mash. Abnormal behaviours such as cannibalism and feather picking are much less common in flocks fed mash, compared to pellets. With ruminants, coarsely ground and rolled grains are better for rumen health than pelleted feed.

Organic feeds exclusively use certified organic grains, oilseeds, plant products, plus organically acceptable mineral and vitamin supplements. Unlike most conventional livestock feeds, certified organic feed does NOT contain:

• Genetically modified crops (GMOs)
• Antibiotics
• Coccidiostats
• Growth hormones
• Animal protein or animal fats
• Urea
• Pesticides
• Preservatives or anti-mould agents

At this time, organic standards in the USA and Canada allow the use of synthetic vitamins and amino acids as long as they are not produced by GMO’s nor contain GMO carriers. 

Each animal prefers a specific texture

Organic farmers respect the biological makeup of animals and select feeds and feed textures that match the digestive system of each species.

• Coarse cracked grains are an optimal compromise between the animal’s preference for whole grains and the farmer’s requirement for quick digestion and good feed conversion. The gizzard of a chicken can break up whole grains with the help of some grit, but cracked grains greatly improve feed efficiency. Most adult poultry prefer cracked grains over fine meal. The feed manufacturer needs to maintain a consistent cracked grain texture with a precise roller mill without adding fine materials such as soybean meal, as these ruin the intended course texture and tend to separate in the feed handling system. Goats are particularly fussy about grain texture and sometimes demand a whole grain mix. Cows and beef can adapt to a grain meal, but the cracked grain matches the slow digestion process of the rumen. Avoid whole grains with cows since they do not chew the grain and most of it will end up in the manure.
  
• Finely cracked grains are reserved for young poultry that are too small to swallow the coarse cracked grain. A grain is rolled twice to achieve this crumbled texture. This is different from the meal produced a hammer mill as young chicks do not appreciate a fine meal.
  
• Dusty feeds are sometimes refused by goats, sheep and cows, even though the grains may be coarsely cracked. Cracked corn can be very dusty when the starch breaks away from the kernel. Poultry will leave the starch in the bottom of the feeder and the farmer incurs the cost of such waste. Seek a feed manufacturer that can control the dust and fines by rolling the grains with precision, using properly adjusted equipment. Organic soybean oil can be added to the feed to control the dust, add energy and give a nutty flavour to the feed. Molasses will control the dust and produce a sweet feed, but organic molasses is still very expensive.
  
• Grain meals are produced by a hammer mill and are usually reserved for hogs, a monogastric animal with quick and inefficient digestion. Some dairy farmers ask for corn meal for their cows hoping for quicker energy release and better feed conversion, but the meal should only be a limited portion of the diet. The presence of grain in the manure is perhaps the sign of a digestion problem, such as overfeeding grain. Feeding a meal in order to eliminate grain in the manure may not be effective, as the farmer simply cannot see the fine meal in the manure. Large contemporary feed mills have standardized hammer mills in favour of a high throughput with minimal adjustments and involvement from the operator. While its low cost of operation may show up in the price of the feed and the biased recommendations of the feed vendor, organic farmers should still consider the biological requirements of their animals when selecting a feed texture. Seek out a feed manufacturer that has developed flexibility and precision in the feed manufacturing process.
  
• Pelleted feeds are another invention of the feed industry. It was the only way to incorporate rendered animal and food byproducts that would otherwise be unpalatable. Pellets have the advantages of ensuring consistency between morsels and eliminating particle separation. While an organic feed can be pelleted and still be free of these animal and food byproducts, it somewhat defeats the purpose and cannot compete with a high quality coarsely cracked grain mix in terms of flavour, smell and colour. Pelleting is extremely energy dependant as grains are hammered into a meal, moistened to make it sticky, pressed into a pellet and then dried to preserve its shelf life. The heat involved in the process may have a detrimental effect on the naturally occurring vitamins and enzymes.
  
• Sprouted feeds consist of sprouted whole grains, just enough for the germ to appear. These feeds are moist and easy to digest. The starches are converted to sugar and the protein content increases. This is live food with a rich enzyme and vitamin content. For both humans and animals, it is the best nutrition you can offer. But it involves a lot of work at the farm as no feed mill can offer a sprouted feed. The feed mill can offer whole grains or whole grain mixes. The farmer does all the work in measuring out the feed, adding water, draining and managing the sprouting. It is labour intensive and is very time sensitive as sprouted feeds must be consumed at the right stage of sprouting and before mould develops. Some farmers will briefly moisten milled feeds for poultry, to activate the germ, soften the grain pieces, improve the feed conversion and ensure that the birds do not leave the fines in the feeder.

Not all farms are alike

Many farms produce their own forages and maybe some of their own grains. They also have garden residues, root crops and processing byproducts to offer to their livestock. In these cases, time would be well invested in reviewing the animals’ overall diet and requesting custom grain mixes to complement the on-farm feed. Individual grains, either whole, cracked, or meal, are available to perform on-farm mixes. Custom orders can be expressed in terms of specific ingredient grains and minerals or desired nutrient levels. For example, a farm with its own cereals may request a protein supplement of soybeans, flax, peas and a mineral supplement.

Consult your feed supplier to review your needs and be prepared to order a certain quantity to ensure that your special order is feasible. Select a feed supplier that respects the specific nature of each species with appropriate ingredients and feed textures. Choose one that provides education and support to organic operations and that is able to prepare custom mixes to suit the unique needs of your farm.

Using the feedbag information as a management tool

Learn to read the feed tag or label on the bag – it is very helpful. Do not purchase feeds blindly; not all feeds are equal. Study the labels and understand the feed’s impacts on your farm as your herd or flock has specific needs. The ingredient list on the feedbag is as important as the ingredient list on the food package in the grocery store. It is your right to know what you are buying. Do not let the feed manufacturer hide behind a general statement such as “Contains grains and grain products”. As discussed earlier, a diverse protein source is important to supply the essential amino acids. Look for soybeans, flax, peas, alfalfa and wheat. The ingredient list should tell you if there is already kelp in the feed thus possibly making your purchase of kelp redundant. The guaranteed analysis is the sum of all the nutritional values of the ingredients. Again, it is up to you to know if the calcium level is satisfactory for your farm environment.

Freshness is necessary for optimal nutrition

No wonder a feed mill has such a nice grain smell, as everything is fresh. We do not however have much scientific data telling us about the shelf life of mashed grains. We do know that feed lasts longer when it is stored in a dry, cool, aerated location and protected from sunlight. Choose such a location in the barn, preferably on a wood floor, or on wooden pallets, away from the wall. Outdoor feed bins should be located under a shade tree, or on the north side of the barn away from the sun. Set moth and rodent traps and provide ample access to cats or rodent-catching dogs. Keep the area clean and pick up fallen grain quickly.

Whole grains can be stored in aerated silos for a few years and still maintain their freshness and nutritional value. However, as soon as a kernel is broken to make feed, the air will start to slowly oxidize the nutrients, natural oils and the vitamins. The mashed grain will absorb moisture and go stale. Organic grains and feeds do not contain preservatives or pesticides, so the farmer must exercise vigilance in managing the quality and freshness of the feed.

Farmers should replenish their grain feed each month to maintain optimal freshness. However, because of distance or other logistical issues, farmers may need to stock feed for longer periods. Feed may still have a decent value for two to three months in the summer and perhaps up to five months in the winter. Again, study the feedbag label and look for the packaging date. This tells you how long it has been sitting on the floor at the feed store and you must factor that delay into your supply cycle.

If in doubt about a product’s freshness, look for signs of problems: a rancid smell or taste, discolouration, visible mould, clumping, or visible webs left by meal moth larvae. If there is neither a visible sign nor odour, the feed should be safe but may have lost some of its nutritional value. A feed store may offer an old bag at a discount and it may still be worth the discounted price.

Clean heavy grain provides superior nutrition

Harvesting high quality grain is a challenge for any farmer. Weeds mature at the same time as the crop. The weather often plays havoc with the crop during the growing season and the harvesting period. The custom combine operator is used to relatively weed-free fields of corn and soybeans and has difficulty handling weedy cereals. The combines themselves are no longer equipped with scour cleaners to remove weed seeds.

The grain crop will inevitably come in with a fair share of weed seeds, pods, chaff, straw and immature grains. If the feed manufacturer takes the field crop as it is, then the foreign material reduces the bushel weight of the grain, dilutes the nutritional value of your feed, adds a bitter taste from certain weed seeds and chaff, creates a dusty feed, increases the proportion of fibre versus energy in the feed and propagates unwanted weeds on your farm.

Ensure that your feed manufacturer properly cleans the cereals and soybeans before making feed. Corn is rarely cleaned and can come with a bit of cob and stock. The density of the bag of feed will improve as well as the nutritional value and the palatability of the product.

Be consistent with your feed supply

Animals are creatures of habit – they do not like sudden changes in their diet. More than that, abrupt changes in feed rations can be harmful, even lethal, to ruminants and horses. The organic grain industry is relatively small and has yet to develop depth and consistency. Inventories are difficult to manage as crops vary with the weather and market pressures can eat up reserves quickly. Some organic feed mills are notorious for running out of ingredients and having to substitute grains. Since the price of organic grain is about double that of conventional grain, feed mills are very sensitive to costs just as their customers are. Sometimes feed mills will delay expensive purchases for too long and then run out of important ingredients. They may also seek out cheaper byproducts and jump on good deals when they can find them. Therefore, the feed product may often change from one batch to the next, so you’ll find the label conveniently listing grains and grain byproducts as the major ingredient. You will see the impact immediately as animals reject the new product, go off feed for a while and suffer a slow down in production.

Select a feed supplier who is dedicated to organic agriculture and has the resources and focus to keep consistent inventories of the diverse ingredients. Question your supplier on their infrastructure, storage capacity, inventory management and purchase and pricing policies. Besides offering a consistent product to your animals, insist on stable pricing for the production season to help you establish stable prices for your customers.

Organic is a choice, not a sideline

You chose to manage your farm organically for some very important reasons, which are probably above niche marketing and making a quick buck in the premium priced organic market. Your decision deserves the support of suppliers and manufacturers with a similar mind set and value structure. Select a supplier who is committed to the development of organic agriculture, is focused on the complexity and challenges of the organic farm system, has the infrastructure to maintain stable inventories of diverse ingredients and has the flexibility and attention to detail to satisfy the diverse needs of your mixed farm.