Grains of energy to Ruminants

Can someone explain to me why you would choose to feed grains to an animal that naturally eats grass and legumes? I am fairly new to dairy (about 7 years) but we have never fed our animals any grain, antibiotics, pharmaceuticals or anything but what we grow in our pastures for them to graze. Does the grain increase milk production and are there side affects of feeding the animal something it was never intended to eat naturally?

Dr.Sharma has raised very valuable forum for discussion.I feel,if dairy nutritionists take active part in this forum,it will be much useful for all concerned. Dr.S.S.Chousalkar Mumbai,India

The digestive system of ruminants is for 100 % forage To meet the demand of protein and energy in the required DM Grains and concentrate ration is supplemented. if we opt for only forage diet then we have to see quality forage in Tthe shape of Alfalfa hay /Rhodes grass hay and maize silage.To me we shall feed ruminants with 70 % quality forage and 30% concentrate ration which shall fulfill DM,ENERGY AND PROTEIN.

Thanks, John for sharing your experience. Keeping the ruminant away from grains will definitely keep them in natural habitat. I strongly feel that let the rumen work what it is supposed to do. We should not damage the rumen function with the intention of boosting energy for production only. Energy is extremely important for Maintenance (depending on size of animal), Production (depending on density of milk alveoli in udder - breed character) and Reproductive needs. Mostly underfed energy levels to high producing animal abort at 6-7 month of pregnancy and vets try to relate with Brucellosis. Until or unless we find putrefied (embedded with pus) foetus, we should not suspect brucella invasion. Real underlying cause for abortion or stillbirth is deficiency of energy needs which goes high around 6 month of pregnancy owing to development of various organ formation of calf. Source of compact and condensity of energy source must be taken care of. As animals have limited capacity of rumen. So content of feed becomes extremely important. Oils and fat are compact source of energy almost 3 times higher than grains. Dosage and form of oils should be decided on production capacity which can be measured by flushing or challenge feeding in transition and adaptation phase.

A couple of comments on the recent postings.John, your philosophy is closely aligned with mine. We have many organic clients in both dairy (cows and goats ) and dry stock. One of the issues we see here with grain feeding (and this was the foundation of our consultancy business) is the very low levels of most trace elements meaning the greater the percentage of the diet the more supplementation required. John, if you have not, I'd encourage you to have your pastures tested for a complete mineral profile including all trace elements. Embracing nature is ideal and you've achieved great success from what you describe. There are reports that over the course of a year, a wild buffalo will consume over 100 different species (probably an understatement) and that compares with probably less than 10-15 being generous in our intensive pastoral farming here. The key restriction with your focus on natural production lies in your soils, (chemistry, physics and biology (soil flora and fauna)). If your soils are depleted or deficient in any mineral this will be your major limiting factor. Dr Sharma, if abortion or stillborth is a major problem, please consider the effect of deficiency of two trace elements - iodine and selenium. I am not sure of the levels of selenium in your area but I understand iodine deficiency in humans was such a problem a National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme. We have had one case with 5% stillbirths in a herd not long after a dietary change that completely changed the iodine supply levels. They were borderline to start with and the dietary change tipped the balance. Selenium is an essential co-factor in the thyroid use of iodine from inactive to active thyroid hormone conversion and this is related to the whole energy issue you describe. You may well have covered this off, but if not, it may be worth considering.

Well, this thread is proving to be quite interesting and many different dimensions of the issue have been brought to light through this discussion. My trade is not animal nutrition but from a different perspective, I have a comment to make. This is the global FOOD SECURITY situation which has been exacerbated by the use of grains for ethanol production and rapid population growth, as well as poor management of grain produce both in the developed and developing countries. In this case scenario where both children and adults are suffering from malnutrition and consequent health issues, feeding of grains to livestock for higher milk or meat production adds to causing food grain shortages and price hikes globally. In addition, forced genetic improvement and modifications to increase livestock productivity by corporate genetics from the North and its flow to the South is another important factor which causes intensively farmed animals (poultry and livestock) to need higher energy levels to offset their maintenance and production requirements of growth and milk production. Although this contributes to ensuring food security through the production of more milk and meat relatively at low prices but paradoxically contributes to food grain shortage due to human - animal competition. This is also worth mentioning that for 90% of world middle and poor class population, food grains serve as the major source of their staple diet except for a RICH DINING with plenty of animal food sources as a part of their regular diet. Due to this imbalance of rich and poor dynamics the richer are suffering from serious health issue to excessive use of meat and dairy foods as against the poorer who suffer from energy deficiency due to price hikes in wheat and other staple grains. In view of these considerations, there needs to be short, medium and longterm strategies in place to gradually develop a system where we can strike a balance between our commercial and ethical/humanitarian responsibilities through at least alleviate hunger, malnutrition and its consequent death loss especially in children and developing animals most feed efficient for equivalent milk and meat production

Good twist in the discussion. There must be a change in use of grain feeding to livestock to check health status of richer and poor. I had seen the families who are unable buy the sufficient amount of milk (even half liter). These families don't fulfill the requirement of IMCR and requirement fulfilling families (the rich) are facing the serious health problems. There the livestock industry should work on 1. Reduced use of grains 2. Feed conversion efficiency 3. ..................

Very interesting discussion.I would like to add one more point at this stage It is the need of the hour as the prices of grains are shooting up and milk prices are going down globally experienced veterinary doctors ,nutritionists and formers together should thiink and come out with a solution to replace grains with suitable fodder varieties such that input cost to cut down.

To Dr Sharma; I read carefully the opinions, written in forum by some researchers and farmers. Can I get some information about roughage and milk yields of dairy cattle in your country before sharing my ideas?

In concentrate ration also most of the company using grain to supplement energy . In tropical and subtropical countries energy requirement is more because of High temperature .Enery reqiured to mentain body temperature . From my opinoiun energy suplmentation through grain is important ,Instead of fresh grain mash we tried fedding of sprouted grains which resulted in increase in 2 lit of milk per day per animal in early lactation hence feeding of sprouted grains are deffinately usefull for crossbred and buffaloes to boost of milk yield in Indian condition because fodder is low quality .Grains will not only produce lactic acid but it also promot production of [propionic acids in the rumen during fermentation which improve the glucose synthesisi and milk yield will increase .If the concentrate is more that 50% of total diet on dry matter basis then there will limitation on feeding of grains .But in Indian condition No one feeding more that 50% concentrate on dry matter basis & roughages are more in the ration of cows and buffaloes . Dr. Jadhav R.S. Subject matter specialist (vety.science ) KVK,Baramati,Pune ,Maharashtra

To some extent, I agree with Dr. Madan. But at the same time, this is not feasible in entire geography of India or the world, because Good quality forage is not available everywhare throughout the year. Second thing, only forage feeding can not be at par with grain mixed feeding in terms of milk production. I had been a part of such project, where no concentrate was fed to animals and they were kept only on greens. Per animal productivity in that farm was about 14-15 lit per day, while highest milk production per cow in India is approx 55 Lit/day from Punjab, which was kept on grain base. As per farm economics justification, a fine balance of concentrate and roughage is always better that any other method for a commercial dairy farm. I also don't think that viral diseases like FMD was less in case of wild cattles, because even now wild ruminant (deers and antelopes) are suffering from FMD and they act as carrier for this disease. Incidences of metaboilic disorders are certainly increasing, which are mainly due to faulty management systems in farm. I think a combination feeding with good managemnet is always superior than any other method for better profitability.

Answer is quite simple. A report on similar topic has also been published in China. If you want to increase production you have to feed quality nutrients. On forage you have to accept available production. Keeping in view Ruman capacity you can met the high yields requirements, so you have to opt grains.

Ruminant Feeding Types Based on the diets they prefer, ruminants can be classified into distinct feeding types: concentrate selectors, grass/roughage eaters, and intermediate types. The relative sizes of various digestive system organs differ by ruminant feeding type, creating differences in feeding adaptations. Knowledge of grazing preferences and adaptations amongst ruminant livestock species helps in planning grazing systems for each individual species and also for multiple species grazed together or on the same acreage. Concentrate selectors have a small reticulorumen in relation to body size and selectively browse trees and shrubs. Deer and giraffes are examples of concentrate selectors. Animals in this group of ruminants select plants and plant parts high in easily digestible, nutrient dense substances such as plant starch, protein, and fat. For example, deer prefer legumes over grasses. Concentrate selectors are very limited in their ability to digest the fibers and cellulose in plant cell walls. Grass/roughage eaters (bulk and roughage eaters) include cattle and sheep. These ruminants depend on diets of grasses and other fibrous plant material. They prefer diets of fresh grasses over legumes but can adequately manage rapidly fermenting feedstuffs. Grass/roughage eaters have much longer intestines relative to body length and a shorter proportion of large intestine to small intestine as compared with concentrate selectors. Goats are classified as intermediate types and prefer forbs and browse such as woody, shrubby type plants. This group of ruminants has adaptations of both concentrate selectors and grass/roughage eaters. They have a fair though limited capacity to digest cellulose in plant cell walls. Carbohydrate Digestion Forages On high-forage diets ruminants often ruminate or regurgitate ingested forage. This allows them to “chew their cud” to reduce particle size and improve digestibility. As ruminants are transitioned to higher concentrate (grain-based) diets, they ruminate less. Once inside the reticulorumen, forage is exposed to a unique population of microbes that begin to ferment and digest the plant cell wall components and break these components down into carbohydrates and sugars. Rumen microbes use carbohydrates along with ammonia and amino acids to grow. The microbes ferment sugars to produce VFAs (acetate, propionate, butyrate), methane, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide. The VFAs are then absorbed across the rumen wall, where they go to the liver. Once at the liver, the VFAs are converted to glucose via gluconeogenesis. Because plant cell walls are slow to digest, this acid production is very slow. Coupled with routine rumination (chewing and rechewing of the cud) that increases salivary flow, this makes for a rather stable pH environment (around 6.0). High-Concentrate Feedstuffs (Grains) When ruminants are fed high-grain or concentrate rations, the digestion process is similar to forage digestion, with a few exceptions. Typically, on a high-grain diet, there is less chewing and ruminating, which leads to less salivary production and buffering agents’ being produced. Additionally, most grains have a high concentration of readily digestible carbohydrates, unlike the more structural carbohydrates found in plant cell walls. This readily digestible carbohydrate is rapidly digested, resulting in an increase in VFA production. The relative concentrations of the VFAs are also changed, with propionate being produced in the greatest quantity, followed by acetate and butyrate. Less methane and heat are produced as well. The increase in VFA production leads to a more acidic environment (pH 5.5). It also causes a shift in the microbial population by decreasing the forage using microbial population and potentially leading to a decrease in digestibility of forages. Lactic acid, a strong acid, is a byproduct of starch fermentation. Lactic acid production, coupled with the increased VFA production, can overwhelm the ruminant’s ability to buffer and absorb these acids and lead to metabolic acidosis. The acidic environment leads to tissue damage within the rumen and can lead to ulcerations of the rumen wall. Take care to provide adequate forage and avoid situations that might lead to acidosis when feeding ruminants high-concentrate diets. Acidosis is discussed in detail in Mississippi State University Extension Service Publication 2519, “Beef Cattle Nutritional Disorders.” In addition, energy as a nutrient in ruminant diets is discussed in detail in Mississippi State University Extension Service Publication 2504, “Energy in Beef Cattle Diets.” Protein Digestion Two sources of protein are available for the ruminant to use: protein from feed and microbial protein from the microbes that inhabit its rumen. A ruminant is unique in that it has a symbiotic relationship with these microbes. Like other living creatures, these microbes have requirements for protein and energy to facilitate growth and reproduction. During digestive contractions, some of these microorganisms are “washed” out of the rumen into the abomasum where they are digested like other proteins, thereby creating a source of protein for the animal. All crude protein (CP) the animal ingests is divided into two fractions, degradable intake protein (DIP) and undegradable intake protein (UIP, also called “rumen bypass protein”). Each feedstuff (such as cottonseed meal, soybean hulls, and annual ryegrass forage) has different proportions of each protein type. Rumen microbes break down the DIP into ammonia (NH3) amino acids, and peptides, which are used by the microbes along with energy from carbohydrate digestion for growth and reproduction. Protein digestion in the ruminant Excess ammonia is absorbed via the rumen wall and converted into urea in the liver, where it returns in the blood to the saliva or is excreted by the body. Urea toxicity comes from overfeeding urea to ruminants. Ingested urea is immediately degraded to ammonia in the rumen. When more ammonia than energy is available for building protein from the nitrogen supplied by urea, the excess ammonia is absorbed through the rumen wall. Toxicity occurs when the excess ammonia overwhelms the liver’s ability to detoxify it into urea. This can kill the animal. However, with sufficient energy, microbes use ammonia and amino acids to grow and reproduce. The rumen does not degrade the UIP component of feedstuffs. The UIP “bypasses” the rumen and makes its way from the omasum to the abomasum. In the abomasum, the ruminant uses UIP along with microorganisms washed out of the rumen as a protein source. Protein as a nutrient in ruminant diets is discussed in detail in Mississippi State University Extension Service Publication 2499, “Protein in Beef Cattle Diets.” Importance of Ruminant Livestock The digestive system of ruminants optimizes use of rumen microbe fermentation products. This adaptation lets ruminants use resources (such as high-fiber forage) that cannot be used by or are not available to other animals. Ruminants are in a unique position of being able to use such resources that are not in demand by humans but in turn provide man with a vital food source. Ruminants are also useful in converting vast renewable resources from pasture into other products for human use such as hides, fertilizer, and other inedible products (such as horns and bone). One of the best ways to improve agricultural sustainability is by developing and using effective ruminant livestock grazing systems. More than 60 percent of the land area in the world is too poor or erodible for cultivation but can become productive when used for ruminant grazing. Ruminant livestock can use land for grazing that would otherwise not be suitable for crop production. Ruminant livestock production also complements crop production, because ruminants can use the byproducts of these crop systems that are not in demand for human use or consumption. Developing a good understanding of ruminant digestive anatomy and function can help livestock producers better plan appropriate nutritional programs and properly manage ruminant animals in various production systems. References Church, D. C. ed. 1993. The Ruminant Animal Digestive Physiology and Nutrition. Waveland Press, Inc. Prospect Heights, IL. Oltjen, J. W., and J. L. Beckett. 1996. Role of ruminant livestock in sustainable agricultural systems. J. Anim. Sci. 74:1406-1409. Parish, J. A., M. A. McCann, R. H. Watson, N. N. Paiva, C. S. Hoveland, A. H. Parks, B. L. Upchurch, N. S. Hill, and J. H. Bouton. 2003. Use of non-ergot alkaloid-producing endophytes for alleviating tall fescue toxicosis in stocker cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 81:2856-2868. Van Soest, P. J. 1987. Nutritional Ecology of the Ruminant. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, NY.