Benefits to test feeds

Feed is an essential material to supply nutrients for the performance, health, and welfare of animals. Given the animals have quite different nutrition requirements due to various types, growing phases, and environments in which they are maintained, producers should feed their animals carefully to optimize the feeding programs. Regular testing makes it easier to monitor and manage nutrients taken by animals. What are the benefits of doing so? Agrocares gives you 4 reasons to test your feed.

1.   From understanding to improving

Feeds are the nutrient source of animals. The first step to maximize the efficient use of nutrients and ultimately profitability is knowing the nutrient content of feeds. Since a better understanding of what is fed to animals is fundamental to improving the feeding strategy, and therefore better animal performance and production can be achieved.  

2.   Reduce feed cost

Nutrient content of feed ingredients/silage is the key factor of formulation of diet to realize a precision feeding and promote efficient feed use.

• Avoid underfeeding

Underfeeding animals may help reduce the cost. However,  underfeeding will have a negative effect on animal health and restrict animal production (meat, milk, or eggs etc.).

• Avoid overfeeding

The overfeeding nutrient will waste feed and increase the cost, and at excessively high amount may be toxic or cause adverse health effects. In addition, Underutilized nutrients by animals will also burden the environment.

• Evaluate feed quality

The nutrient content is an important index for evaluating feed quality. Feed price can be evaluated according to the nutrient content information, which is beneficial to the control of the feeding cost.

Agrocasres solution can determine the nutrient content of feed material quickly and accurately on a regular basis, which make it possible to adjust the formulation in time, to meet the nutrient requirement and reduce waste at the same time.

3.   Reduce environmental pollution

Feed nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, are lost into the environment through manure. The emission of methane and nitrous oxide from manure is also to some extent dependent on the nature of feed being fed to livestock. The pollution from manure emission in livestock production has been a big concern recently. Reformulation of ruminant diets is one of the major strategies to reduce enteric fermentation and some methane emissions. Knowing the nutrient content of feed provide necessary information to the nutritionist to adjust the formulation of diet.

4.   Ensure the consistent feeding

Changes in feed intake amounts, times, and environment in which animals are maintained will disrupt the routine of animals and lead to stress or even healthy problem in animals. Therefore, minimizing the changes in the feed and environment is important to reduce stress, stay healthy, and guarantee high yield milk/meat/egg production. Nutrient content testing enables the monitoring of feed taken by animals and is the basis of keeping consistency.