Cottonseed

Cottonseed is an oilseed produced from the ginning of cotton from March to July each year. It is the most popular feed supplement for ruminants (especially cattle) on the Northern Tablelands of NSW providing high levels of both protein and energy. It is easily handled and does not require silos or augers for storage. Due to the large nature of the seed, it can be fed directly onto the ground in piles or trails. Much of the energy of cottonseed comes from its 16–21% oil content (from the seed only, without lint). The high oil content limits the proportion of cottonseed that can be used in the total ruminant diet. When feeding cottonseed it is therefore necessary to ensure adequate amounts of roughage are available. Recommended intakes of cottonseed are in the order of 10–20 per cent of the total dry matter intake and certainly not more than 30%. Levels above 30% will upset micro-organisms in the rumen reducing digestibility and leading to ill-thrift. Generally ruminants will self-limit their consumption of cottonseed because of the oil content. The addition of 1% lime when feeding aids in the utilisation and digestion of cottonseed. In a non-drought situation, paddock feed in the form of standing dry grass is usually adequate however during drought when paddock feed is gone, adequate roughage will need to be provided.

Faba Bean

Faba beans are a winter pulse crop grown throughout the grain belt on the eastern seaboard of Australia. They are harvested in October/November each year and have a protein content of 24-26%. Faba beans are primarily grown for human consumption but often find their way into the stockfeed market. In recent years faba beans have become very popular for trail feeding to sheep as they are a large size (about the size of a baked bean) and there is little wastage. They are usually priced very attractively compared to other high protein pulses such as lupin and like lupin they store very well. They are however more susceptible to in-crop heliothus damage and the beans that find their way onto the stockfeed market often have a small amount of heliothus damage. This in no way affects the nutritional value of the faba bean. They have a high starch content and are therefore a good source of energy. When blended with corn in a 25:75 mix this makes a very good ration for ewes. Care needs to be taken when augering faba beans. Because of their large kidney-shaped size they have a tendency to become wedged between the flights and the barrel of the auger. This mainly happens in smaller diameter augers (less than 6 inch) and can be avoided by reducing the flow of beans into the auger.

Barley

Barley is a winter cereal grain harvested from October-December each year. It is fed to livestock primarily to provide starch (carbohydrate) for energy, rather than protein for growth. Acidosis (grain poisoning) concerns are less with barley than with wheat because barley has a higher fibre content than wheat. However care still needs to be taken when feeding barley. Feeding barley works well when there is some short green feed available (often the case during winter) from which the animal can access protein. During times when green paddock feed is not available, a higher protein component ie faba beans, cottonseed meal etc. may need to be included with barley. This will increase the overall protein level of the ration. The optimum level of protein across a ruminant’s total diet (including any rough paddock feed) is 14-16%

Barley has a digestibility of 50-60% however CSIRO studies have revealed that rolling barley can increase digestibility to 80-90% as long as adequate roughage is included in the diet. The energy value of a feed can be measured by its metabolisable energy content (MD), expressed in megajoules per kilogram of dry matter (MJ/kg). Metabolisable energy is calculated from feed digestibility and estimates the total energy available to the animal.

Wheat

Wheat is a winter cereal grain grown extensively throughout Australia’s grain belts. It is harvested in November/December each year. Wheat is a low fibre grain making it highly digestible and capable of delivering high levels of animal production when fed correctly. The rapid rate of starch digestion means that considerable care must be taken when feeding wheat in order to avoid acidosis and reduced or erratic intake patterns. It is recommended that wheat should make up no more than 40% of the diet.
Wheat should be fed in conjunction with more fibrous or slowly fermenting grains such as barley and with adequate roughage mixed through the ration. It is important to adapt cattle to wheat so that over-consumption is avoided. Adapt cattle by introducing wheat into the ration at low levels (10 to 15% of the diet) and increasing the level in steps or increments (10, 20, 30, up to 40%) after a period of one to two weeks of constant intake and appetite. The addition of 1.5% lime in the ration will help digestion. Wheat will deliver strong results when careful attention is paid to feed processing, ration formulation, and feeding management. Wheat has a digestibility of 60-70% when fed as a whole grain. CSIRO studies have shown that cracking or rolling wheat will increase digestibility to 80-90% when fed to cattle with adequate roughage available.

Lupin

Lupin is a winter pulse crop grown in central and southern NSW. It is harvested in November/December each year and has a high protein content of approximately 30-32%. Lupin have a very tough outer kernel and therefore store exceptionally well. Weevils are not able to penetrate the kernel however they can live in the dust and foreign material. There are two types of lupin. Firstly, the broad-leaf varieties (mainly ulbus, ultra and keiv) which are larger and slightly higher in protein (only about 1%). Secondly, the narrow-leaf varieties (mainly gungaru and merit). The broad-leaf varieties are usually more expensive because they are grown for the human consumption market. Most deliveries for stockfeed are the narrow-leafed varieties and they are well suited to trail feeding on the ground. Because lupin have such a high protein level they can be fed in lower quantities to achieve the same result.

Oats

Oats are generally a lower quality feed grain that tend to be quite variable in their quality, protein and energy levels. Howevercthey have some characteristics that make them particularly useful in some situations. Firstly, because they have a lower energy level, acidosis (grain poisoning) is generally not a concern. Secondly, they have a high fibre content which means they are a good source of roughage during drought. Rolling oats for sheep or cattle increases digestibility only marginally and is generally not necessary. Energy levels of oats increase as their volumetric weight increases. Generally, a weight of at least 38 lb/bu. is required to provide a useful level of energy. Grazing varieties of oats often have volumetric weights below 35 lb/bu. meaning that these types are really only useful as roughage. Oats alone can be fed to ruminants for maintenance. However, supplementation will be required for high levels of performance in growth, fattening and lactation.

Corn

Corn is a summer crop harvested from late January through until June each year. It has the highest level of metabolisable energy (ME) of all grains (14%) and hence is a very popular feed for ewes in late pregnancy when energy demands are high. Protein levels of corn depend upon growing conditions (including soil type and fertiliser usage) and whether the crop was irrigated or dryland. Irrigated crops tend to have a larger grain size but lower protein level, while dryland crops are generally higher in protein but may have a smaller grain size. Protein is in the range of 8-12%. Cracking corn for sheep is generally not necessary as the corn is cracked by the sheep during consumption.

Sorghum

Sorghum is a summer crop harvested from late January through until June each year. It is primarily used as an energy source as it normally provides the cheapest form of energy in a stockfeed ration. It is therefore a popular component in poultry and feedlot rations. In an average year sorghum is usually the cheapest grain available but it is often relatively low in protein ie. below 9%. Because it has a relatively small grain size there is a higher than normal wastage factor if sorghum is trail fed on the ground for sheep or cattle feed. It is better utilised when fed out of a trough. The digestibility increases by rolling and increases markedly by ‘wet’ processing (steam flaking, reconstitution). The general rule for rolling grain is that smaller grains (ie sorghum) deliver the most benefit when rolled, especially when fed to cattle. Sorghum grain is ideal for cattle for the Japanese market because it promotes pearly white fat with ideal texture.