What Makes a Good Feed?

Soybeans are the leading source of protein, with 40% protein by weight and 20% oil as an excellent energy source. They are relatively easy to grow, provide a good yield and deliver excellent profitability to the crop farmer. Soybeans contain a natural enzyme called trypsin that inhibits digestion and must be neutralized with heat to make the soybeans digestible.

Roasted soybeans are simply whole soybeans, or full fat soybeans that are heated in a roaster to neutralize the trypsin, stabilize the oil to delay rancidity and improve the palatability. It gives the beans a nutty flavour and some people like to crunch on them. Roasting also increases the proportion of bypass protein versus soluble protein thus helping cows digest soybeans with the forages in the intestines instead of the rumen. Some poultry and dairy farmers prefer roasted soybeans over soybean meal due to the higher energy content and less processed nature of roasted soybeans.

Soybean meal is the output of a cold press that extracts about half the oil for the food market and produces a fine meal for feed. The mechanical press generates enough heat by friction to neutralize the trypsin. Therefore the energy content is reduced and it does not have the high level of bypass protein compared to roasted soybeans. It is fine for meal feeds and pellets, but many farmers do not like it in a coarse mash as it separates easily and creates feeding problems. Soybean meal is preferred for certain waterfowl that cannot tolerate a high oil content in their diet.

Okara is the byproduct from the processing of soybeans into tofu or soymilk. The solids are collected, dried and sold into the feed industry to avoid throwing away important nutrients. But the drying process is a heavy consumer of energy. The okara has lost much of its nutrient value; the protein level is down to about 28%, the energy content is relatively low and the fibre content is very high. Some feed mills use it as a cheaper source of protein, while others avoid it because of its lower nutritional value and because the fine texture creates problems in coarse mashes.

Corn is the leading feed grain as the primary source of energy due to the large starchy kernels, low fibre content and relatively low protein content. Many organic crop farmers have shunned corn because of its reputation for being a drain on the land and because of its conventional dependency on agrochemical inputs. But corn has an important role in a good organic crop rotation, provides excellent grain yield and delivers a very profitable return. Open-pollinated corn is becoming more popular because of its higher protein, sugar and mineral contents. Farmers appreciate its lower seed cost and the independence from the transnational hybrid corn seed suppliers.

Organic crop producers are sometimes avoiding corn in their rotation because of a lack of nitrogen in the soil and because of the presence of genetically modified (GM) corn around them. They prefer to avoid corn than run the risk of GM contamination in their crop. Even those farmers who choose to produce corn, can only do so infrequently in long rotations. Contrary to the conventional market, the organic market is often short of corn. Therefore, livestock farmers and feed mills may reduce their consumption of corn for lack of supply and increase the proportion of small grains. When dairy farmers order cornmeal at Homestead Organics, we purposely include 25% of small grains in the cornmeal for these very reasons. Secondly, we need to support the organic crop farmers when they include cereals in their rotation as these improve the soil’s tilth and organic matter content. As well, the dairy cows react well to the extra fibre in the corn meal as it paces the release of energy instead of providing a spike shortly after feeding.

Barley, oats, wheat and other small grains are secondary feed ingredients. They offer only about 8-12% protein, but they run a close second to corn as a supplier of energy. The fibre content of oats and barley is much higher due to the heavy hull. Hulless barley and oats are gaining ground among crop producers, but most of these grains are sent to the market for human consumption. Livestock producers may eventually benefit from the higher protein content of the hulless grains when increased production succeeds in supplying the feed market. Oats are often considered as a soothing health food for livestock because of the high vitamin and mineral content. They have been forgotten by large segments of conventional farmers, but are enjoying a comeback among organic farmers. Wheat offers about 12% protein and readily available energy but it must be used with caution in diets for mammals as it causes a hardening of the udder and teats. It should be kept under 10% of dairy rations because the gluten can gel and form a ball in the stomach.

Rye is sometimes used in feeds for ruminants at a level usually less than 25% of the grain feed. It is a good source of iron and folic acid and is said to help with circulation and increase the amount of fat in the milk. Rye is to be avoided for poultry as the complex carbohydrates and heavy fibres are difficult to digest. The rye also causes sticky manure that creates balls on the feet of the chickens.

Triticale is a cross between rye and durum wheat, therefore a good source of protein with a lower gluten level. It is easier to digest than rye for poultry, an excellent source of energy for ruminants and higher in protein than corn.

Peas contain about 22% protein and are a good complement to the amino acid profile of soybeans. The carbohydrates contribute as much energy as small grains. Ruminants react very well to peas. Many dairy farmers like to grow a mix of cereals and peas as silage or a grain harvest. Hogs do very well on ground peas also. However, poultry do not have the natural enzymes to digest peas and lentils. Poultry raised on the prairies are often fed these pulses for the lack of soybeans, but their feed includes a heavy dose of enzymes.

Flaxseed is the richest known source of omega 3 fatty acid, which has beneficial effects on heart health and the immune system. It contains about 20% protein and 20% oil plus a good quantity of lignans, which are thought to protect against certain types of cancer in humans by interfering with the effects of estrogen. Flax serves as an excellent protein complement to soybeans. Raw flaxseed is very difficult to digest because of its hard shell. Freshly ground flax is very prone to rancidity; in any case, raw flax is very expensive. So the feed mill uses flax meal; the residue after flax seed is crushed to remove most of the oil for the food market. It is affordable, contains about 32% protein and 8% oil and has a reasonable shelf life. Omega eggs, now available in the grocery store, come from chickens eating a large proportion of flax seed in their diet. Without getting into the cost of testing and marketing omega eggs, all your farm animals should have some amount of flax meal in their diet.

Sunflower meal and canola meal are also residues from the extraction of oil for the food market. But they are not commonly available, have lower protein at 24% than flax meal and can add a bitter taste to the feed and an aftertaste to the milk. So they are limited to 8% of dairy feeds, if they are used at all.

Dehydrated alfalfa is an excellent way to put forage into the diet of animals such as poultry and hogs that do not have easy access to roughage, such as during the winter. It contains about 16-20% protein and lots of good fibre. The natural beta carotene is an excellent health supplement and leads to golden egg yolks.

Buckwheat is higher in protein than other cereals and is a good energy source, so much that it is sometimes called a hot feed, causing irritable skin and energy spikes. Dairy cows appreciate a small amount in the feed, but light skinned animals, particularly hogs, horses and Saanen goats can develop skin rashes and sensitivity to sunlight.

Spelt is an excellent alternative to wheat in the diet and is sometimes referred to as a health food. The heavy hull improves the fibre content and eliminates the digestion problem of wheat for ruminants. Horses, cows and goats really like the taste of spelt. Poultry however would have difficulty swallowing the large kernel with its heavy hull and the cost of dehulling would make it too expensive for the poultry feed market.

Wheat mids or shorts are the byproduct of sifting whole wheat flour to obtain white flour and are made up of wheat bran, germ and flour. They are a good source of protein at 16% and include many minerals thanks to the germ and endosperm of the wheat kernel. Some feed mills make the error of using too much of this cheap byproduct as filler for their feeds. Ruminants still have problems digesting it when it exceeds 10% of the diet. The fibre is not available in the rumen. The very fine particles mix poorly with a coarse grain texture and cause separation; many poultry and ruminants leave it in the feeder.

Crab meal is the dried residue after the removal of meat from crabs. It is very expensive and is subject to some restrictions in organic standards depending on the source and the method of processing. It is very high in protein at 40-50% but it is especially valuable as a source of methionine, an essential amino acid that is often deficient in poultry diets. Instead of crab meal, most organic feed mills use a synthetic methionine, currently allowed by organic production standards.