By Bing Guo, El Mehdi El Ouahli, John Dunne, Pierre-André Geraert
We are presently going through a challenging period of high prices of raw materials and a limited availability of some of these materials. The use of less common raw materials that are readily available, and potentially less expensive, can be an alternative to traditional protein and energy sources and may help reduce the pressure on feed costs. However, new types of ingredients need extra attention to be paid to make sure they are suitable for feed processing, are free of contaminants, and can deliver the right amount of nutrients to the animals for an optimal performance and health.
According to recent Rabobank figures (2022), soybean still dominates the world markets, with the US, Brazil and Argentina being the three largest producers. Soybean meal is one of the main ingredients in animal diets around the world because of its nutritional value, its stability in quality and availability, and has hence been called ‘the gold standard’ in animal feeds. However, with the double digit spikes in market prices observed over the last year, soy is – metaphorically – not far behind from being equally valued as real gold.
Because of the soaring prices (together with with environmental concerns about soybean production amongst others), animal nutritionists and farmers are looking for new ways to reduce feed costs. This is not an easy task, as there is a limited availability of alternative protein sources, such as rapeseed meal, sunflower meal, peanut meal and cottonseed meal.
In spite of their limited availability, the use of alternative ingredients has become a must in most regions in the world. When replacing soybean meal (completely or partly) with alternative ingredients (often from new and different suppliers), it is crucial to determine their nutritional value and their overall quality. Using alternative and less common feed ingredients can be particularly beneficial from a cost and nutritional perspective, but it may require paying extra attention to find the best way to use them in animal diets. Alternative ingredients may have a fickle and inconsistent fiber and protein level (see Table 1), can contain elevated mycotoxin levels and may react differently in (already existing) feed processing equipment. It should be kept in mind that there are no bad feed ingredients, and they should simply be used in the right way.
Canola/rapeseed meal |
|
---|---|
Cottonseed meal |
|
Sunflower meal |
|
Copra (coconut) meal |
|
Palm kernel meal |
|
DDGS |
|
Using alternative or new feed ingredients can have an effect at different levels (and on the costs) in feed production plants. Before making the decision to start using something new, it is necessary to know that the ingredient is safe to use, compatible with the existing plant equipment and should not increase the feed processing costs. This can be a challenge, as new ingredients may come in smaller quantities (smaller bags for instance), may be sourced from different regions, and may not be suitable for storage in silos. This can lead to the requirement of more manpower and a greater storage space.
The density of the material, its resistance to pests and molds, and the levels of shrinkage can also deviate from those of commonly used ingredients. Moreover, the feedstuff properties (such as hardness, moisture content, fiber content and particle size) can have an effect on the throughput (kg/hour) and energy consumption of the feed processing equipment. For example, some alternative ingredients may require a longer mixing time, thus leading to an increase in energy costs. Using alternative ingredients can also increase the quality control costs, as more feed analyses are on average conducted on unknown raw materials.
The performance and health of animals can also be compromised when ingredients are contaminated. The presence of molds, bacteria and oxidized lipids are examples that can lead to severe nutrient losses, reduced palatability and reduced feed intake levels. When there are mycotoxin producing molds present in the feeds, the effects on animals’ performance and economic losses can be even more serious. Mycotoxins are a particular challenge for alternative feed ingredients, and even a low inclusion rate in the diet can contribute to the final risk. Such commonly used alternative ingredients as DDGS, wheat bran and wheat millings, all have a relatively high risk of containing mycotoxins. However, all types of raw materials are prone to molds and mycotoxin formation, which depend on the weather conditions, crop production, harvest, transport, storage conditions and feed processing. There is also a lack of rapid test kits to test mycotoxins in alternative materials, and it takes longer to monitor a diverse range of variable quality materials. It is recommended to test the finished feeds more often when different (new) ingredients are used and to not use too many new ingredients at once, thus avoiding multiple challenges at the same time.
Several effective approaches are available to help make the right decision when using alternative feed ingredients in times of volatile and uncertain market conditions.
Adisseo offers a variety of solutions that are key to making alternative feed ingredients work in animal diets. These solutions include NIR services (Adisseo’s Precise Nutrition Evaluation platform), digestibility boosters and products to manage feed preservation and mycotoxins. The positive effect of Adisseo’s multi-NSPase (Rovabio®) on dry matter degradability has been shown in an in vitro trial. Table 2 shows the results of adding enzymes on the dry matter degradability and variance.
Number of samples | DM degradability without enzymes (%) | DM degradability with Rovabio® (%) | Difference (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wheat | 13 | 58.0 ± 7.1 | 86.2 ± 2.3 | 28.2 |
Wheat DDGS | 23 | 41.3 ± 6.0 | 50.9 ± 5.5 | 9.6 |
Corn DDGS | 16 | 20.5 ± 12.1 | 26.7 ± 13.4 | 6.2 |
Cassava | 9 | 50.5 ± 18.7 | 70.3 ± 14.6 | 19.8 |
In summary, the use of alternative feed ingredients is currently increasing due to the high prices of such commonly used ingredients as soybean meal. However, the availability of alternative feed ingredients, such as rapeseed meal and DDGS, is still way below the previously produced volumes of soybean meal and can differ in quality.
Therefore, the quality and nutritional value of alternative feed ingredients should be carefully monitored. Variations in the protein and fiber contents, higher risks of mycotoxins and the presence of some bitter components may lead to lower feed intake levels, and to losses in nutrients. A cheap ingredient may therefore end up being an extra cost, because of the loss of animal performance. The use of feed additives (such as Rovabio®), regular testing of the nutritional values with quick methods (NIRS as PNE) and regular testing of the finished feeds for contaminants all help to control the problems that arise when using feed ingredients that are new to the nutritionist, farmer and animals.
We look forward to discussing our products and solutions with you individually to help you make better informed decisions when you are thinking of using alternative feed ingredients in your feed formulations.
Product names and availability may vary by region, please contact your local Adisseo representative for more information.
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Product names and availability may vary by region, please contact your local Adisseo representative for more information.
Cereals used as feed ingredients contain indigestible fractions fibers which lower feed digestibility. Breaking down these components requires specific enzymes to be added into the feed. This is crucial to avoid the loss of valuable nutrients and its economic and environmental impact.
Rovabio® is a range of enzyme solutions that improves the digestibility of feedstuffs from vegetal origin for animals, poultry and swine. Rovabio® delivers cost savings and animal performance while contributing to a better breeding environment, for more sustainability.
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