Introduction Feeding has been evolved to be an important tool to in feeding to support animal production. When the production enhancement was considered a task in animal industry balanced animal rations were developed. The ration consists of forages, grain, protein meals and other concentrate feeds. The above ration may contain elements required and not required by the animal. It was arduous t...
the lick UMB,UMMB Lick Block Technology is very good technique for livestock and sheep/goat farmers but this is not so common.to make it common among the farmers is need of the day for better farm production. i also tried this products among the farmers but they adaptation ratio is very low. DR.MUHAMMAD SHAFIQUE DAIRY CONSULTANT,PAKISTAN
farmer user,ecofriendly tool and tech.i am working in equines and we r giving just raw salt normally called in india pakitani namak.all over world this salt is used for horses as lick salt block.if we add some imp mineral and vitamin like biotin.
Interesting article about Lick Block Technology. A new aspect in animal feeding indeed.. Good job Dr
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Amarnath
8 de diciembre de 2011
Certainly Lick Block Technology would be a new tool for feeding the animals relating to its productivity. The concept to open the Oesophageal groove by keeping the lick block at an elevated place is overwhelming. Instead, can we use copper sulfate in the lick to induce the Oesophageal groove?
And also, it would be appropriate if we provide the total requirement of the animal/day by adding concentrates(perhaps processed) in the lick block, which we can provide in atleast 3 piece meals to the animal/day.
But the NPN sources should be supported by more carbon chains which is present in roughages, though.
Dear All, I am pleased to read the comments on my article Lick Block Technology. I would like to stress here that unless the lick block is produced with a good feed technology it will get defeated. In the past Molasses blocks were prepared with village technologies just to make a hard block. The characters of palatability, lickability, hygroscopy, homogeninty etc are not looked into. Just like compounded feed lick blocks should be produced in well designed plants with stringent quality control. I have developed technology and could be able to transfer to those who are interested. Please write to me pgkjohn@gmail.com
Dr. John rightly said that Lick Block Technology were introduced before but the technology is not widely accepted by the farmers due to some reasons. The feed cost is increasing so that dairy farmers do not rear the female calves. This technology can help dairy farmers by producing the calf starter licks and other nutrient licks so that the calf and heifer rearing cost can be minimized. In case of small animals the licks will be like blessings from God because day by day the gaucher land is decreasing so the animals are starving. Nowadays there is lot of animal movements across India for starting dairy farm, export pf sheep & goat. If this technology is used in manufacturing product like complete feed lick that will help to feed animals during transportation.
Traceminerals with sodium chloride lick block(brick) have been and commonly being used in Punjab and other northernpart of India and have shown positive results,should be promoted in other places.
Dear All,
Salt licks are manufactured in lick plants by companies and sold to farmers. The lick block technology advocates a better approach to animal nutrition. The universities who spend huge funds for several feeding concepts ignore such advantageous technologies. Like feed companies lick block plants should come for development. The universities and ICAR spent millions for straw treatment and could not get a single farmer to do it. Transfering technologies directly to farmers would defeat it miserably.
Thank you for Informative article about Lick Block Technology. Lick feeding is based on concept of Nutritional wisdom of animals that is animal can consume nutrients as per its physiological requirement. I believe that Lick feeding most commonly used in free range and small ruminants. The technology is poorly reached in farmers due to some issues of palatabilty , hygroscopic, homogenicity, hardness. I think , if we overcome these issues, this technology will be wonderful. Because sometimes due to likes and dislikes of palatabilty of animals, it may cause toxicity and deficiency , respectively. If higly hygroscopic, rain or winter season, leaching of nutrients will take place. Please continue your valuble information to our feed industry.
Thanks and regards Dr.Thirumeignanam Animal Nutritionist Chennai drgnanam80@yahoo.co.in; thirumeignanam.duraisamy@kemin.com
Dr John deserves all the solutes for revisiting UMB technology with value addition which was intoduced more than 2 decades before. but it was not adopted by small scale farmers who was the target group.The animals in the farms of commercial/corporate sector already get balanced feed as the owners on one side they understand the importance of balanced feed while on the other they can afford due to their better cash flow. The technology was aimed for small scale farmers whose animals are mostly underfed and UMB was supposed to serve as feed suppliment for this catagory.
Though process of technical transfer in such section itself is a very slow process due to many factors major being lack of education and lack of business mind set in such community.
For underfed animals especially these UMB tries to fill the gap of different feed ingredients required for economical production by the animal.Among other factors is poor cash flow of the farmers which does not allow him to buy such ingredients and then due to lack of confidence he does not want to take risk of using especially urea which in his opinion may kill his animal. Further he compares any cash input with return in cash which in his case is not seen easily as due to being underfed such block improves the health of the animal but does not produce cash instantly. This technology has larger scope to include many other ingredients to achieve desired results. I preffer to mix mineral mixture in it to supply essential elements for the maintence and growth of my animals which all result in higher production. Further i also try to add Nicotine sulphate and copper sulphate whic keeps my animals free from any worm infestation. Important point is what Dr John has mentioned that while you have a scope of increasing valuable ingredients it must remain PALATABLE for the animal.To handle this issue coop.socities and famers groups should take this responsibility of preparing scientifically UMB for distribution among the farmer members at cost effective price and its use should be constant to make realize its benifits to the farmers in cash terms. Occasional use of UMB may help improve the BCS of the animal but farmer may not realize its benifit in cash however constant use of these UMBS will certainly give many productive benifits including cash benifits to small scale or subsistence livestock farmers.
Once I again solute to Mr John for writing such beautiful as well as useful article
Dear Dr Khan, Pleased with your comments.The most disgusting factor is no one is ready to consider Lick Block Technology as a hitech product manufactured in a enginnering plant. I take all the care while formulating to keep the palatability, nutrient density, lickability, non hygroscopy.hardness. Today farmers buy commercial feed. I hope if hitech licks are made available they may be willing to use it. . After a long years over 40 in the feed technology development I feel that no onw is interested in technologies but to make money by cheeating poor farmers.As I had started my carrier attending the sick animals housed is dilapedated sheds. I used to enjoy to see the smiling face of poor farmer while I remove the calf from a torn uterus. Later, I accepted feed mill profession to support the farmers by enhancing milk production. We the scientits should fight for farmers aand select right technology for them.n
Sure,
This is very cheap technology for benefit for poor dairy farmers.
Presently prices@ INR 50/- per 2.5 Kg Block ex factory.
If anybody interested, we can provide turn key solutions.
I am in search for a Professional who can guide me for lick block technology. As it is a cheap technology and can be helpful to dairy industry. I would like to set up a manufacturing plant in my home town. Contact me on my mail id.
Regards,
Mr.Prashant Mehta
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