Ioannis MavromichalisIoannis Mavromichalis, Ph.D., is an animal nutrition industry consultant. To contact Mavromichalis, email [email protected].From the Author - Page 72PoultryHigh-fiber diets for broiler versus layer chicksHigh-fiber ingredients, like distillers grains and wheat bran, are often priced suitably to feature at high levels in feed formulas for young poultry. But, adding such ingredients in diets for chicks from broiler or layer lines is bound to give different results, as evidenced by a recent study.HomeSweet and sour piglet feed — a new ideaPiglets will always go for a sweet feed. That is, if they are given a choice, or if the alternative contains a foul-tasting or bitter ingredient.HomeFeed quality: Controlling lipid rancidityOxidation of fats and oils (rancidity) is a natural process: a reaction between unsaturated fatty acids and free oxygen. Certain oils, such as soy and corn oil that are used frequently in animal feeds, are especially rich in unsaturated fatty acids.HomePrecision formulation with lentilsOff-quality lentils occasionally become available as animal feed. With 25 percent crude protein and approximately 40 percent starch, they are a very interesting, albeit scarcely known, ingredient, suitable for all monogastric species.HomeBringing down protein cost in four stepsCorn being relatively cheaper than soybeans has always been the norm; only during these last years the balance was upset, but cereal prices have started dropping, although there is a long way before we get back to old times. Focus this year is shifting toward ways of checking protein cost in feeds, and this could be done in four ways, not all of them applicable in each case, but worth considering.HomeFrom the lab to the feed databaseIn the last blog we discussed how each nutritionist/formulator finds one or more feed composition tables to use as a guide or first step in establishing a comprehensive nutrient database. But what happens once this preferred set of feed nutrient specifications is identified?Feed Mill ManagementQuality issues with bakery mealBakery meal can originate from one single industry or be a mix of by-products from many different industries. If the number of raw materials is large enough to ensure not a single ingredient dominates the mix, then careful mixing can provide a fairly stable nutrient composition.HomeFinding the perfect feed composition tablesVery recently, I received an email from a student asking me about the “perfect feed composition tables.” It reminded me of myself, many years ago, when as an undergraduate I was asking one of my professors the exact same question. His answer? He was still looking for them himself.SwineCurrent thinking in pig feed formulation practicesThe pig industry is going through a prolonged rough patch. Difficult times call for drastic measures and this is the perfect time to think about serious savings on feed costs by implementing an extreme re-evaluation of every farm’s nutrition program. This article provides a brief summary of the main points to ensuring feed is being formulated based on the most modern and economic methods.HomeDigestibility of phosphorus and calcium in meat, bone mealMeat and bone meal (MBM) is a by-product of the meat industry providing for a disposal venue to unmarketable animal parts. Apart from its high protein content, MBM contains high levels of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), the latter being the third most expensive nutrient in most diets.CommoditiesHow to predict the response of NSP enzymes in wheat-based dietsWheat is a major staple in most poultry and pig diets, surpassed only by corn, worldwide. Yet, unlike corn, wheat is rather rich in non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) that are quite difficult, if not impossible, for monogastric animals (poultry and pigs) to digest efficiently.Formulation & NutritionTime to review feed formulasIn my years as a commercial nutritionist, I had made it a habit to review all my product formulas twice a year. Now that I work for myself, and I produce my own piglet feeds, I kept this routine and I use the slow time of December (and again in June) to review my formulas.Previous PagePage 72 of 78Next Page
