1. Swine, Sheep and Goat nutrition
Feedstuffs
Swine, Sheep and Goat nutrition

2. Feedstuffs
Definition- any component of a diet ( ration) that serves some useful function
Functions
Provide source of nutrients and energy
Combined to produce rations
Modify characteristics of diet

3. Eight Classes of Feedstuffs
Dry roughages
Pasture and range grasses
Ensiled roughages
High energy concentrates
Protein sources
Minerals
Vitamins
additives

4. 1. Dry Roughages Bulky feed that has low weight per unit volume
High crude fiber content, low protein and fat digestibility
A feed is classified as a roughage if it contains >18% crude fiber and <70% total digestible nutrients
Ex:
Hay: alfalfa or grass
Straw and chaff
Corn cobs

5. 2. Pasture and Range Grasses
Grazed plants
Dormant plants
Growing plants

6. 3. Silages and Haylages
Fermented, high moisture feed made from the entire plant, stored in silos
corn, sorghum
Grass, grass-legume, legume

7. 4. High Energy Concentrate
Cereal grains ( milling byproducts of cereal grains)
Beet and citrus pulp
Molasses
Animal, marine, vegetable fats
Roots and tubers

8. 5. Protein Supplements Contain > 20% crude protein
Animal, avian, marine sources
Milk and by-products
Legume seeds
Urea

9. 6. Mineral supplements 7. Vitamin supplements
Must be added by sources that animal is able to absorb
Vitamin concentration in plants and animal tissues varies greatly
Plants: vitamin concentration affected by harvesting, processing and storing
Animals: liver and kidney are good sources of most vitamins

10. 8. Additives
Non-nutritive ingredients added to stimulate growth or performance or improve the efficiency of feed
Added in very small quantities
Antibiotics, antifungals, antimicrobials
Probiotics, buffers
Colors, flavors
Hormones, enzymes

11. Estimating Nutritional Value of a Feed
Goal: estimate how well nutrients in feedstuff matches the animals needs
Three methods for estimating
Chemical analysis
Digestion and balance trials
Feeding trials

12. Chemical Analysis
Subdivides the components of the feedstuff into general groups ( protein, water, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins) to estimate the relative amount present
Problem: doesn’t estimate how well the animal utilizes the feed

13. Digestion and Balance Trials
Measures the digestibility of feed
Feed consumption and fecal excretion are measured over period of time
Problem: not a true measure because feces contain sloughed cells and tissue

14. Feeding Trials Used extensively
Usually done before chemical analysis or digestion and balance trials
Can evaluate growth, egg production, wool or milk production

15. Break Time!! Q

16. Swine Nutrition- Water
Neonates- 80% water, finishing pigs 55% water
Requirement is influenced by many factors ( environment, moisture content of food, urine output etc)
General guidelines- 1-1 ½ quarts of water per 1 lb of feed consumed
Lactating sows require more water

17. Swine Nutrition- Energy
Required for buildup of lean and fat tissue
Nursing pigs- most energy from fat and sugar in milk
Growing pigs- most energy from cereal grains
Sows and finishing pigs- some energy from VFA ( volatile fatty acids) from large intestine
Amount of feed consumed ad libitum is controlled by energy content of diet

18. Energy Source Feedstuffs in Swine
Cereal grains ( especially corn)
Damaged grains
Grain by-products
Purified sugars ( sucrose, lactose for piglets)
Fat (animal and vegetable fats)

19. Swine Nutrition- protein and amino acids
Pigs need 10 essential amino acids to maintain tissues
Most porcine diets are based on corn and soybean meal, corn is low in lysine
Amino acid requirements for protein accretion is higher than for maintenance
Plant protein sources: soybeans

20. Swine Minerals Ca/P- limestone and oyster shells
NaCl- inadequate amounts suppress feed intake
I- require supplementation, soybean and grain deficient
Fe- injected in piglets, milk deficient, lasts 3 weeks
Mg- usually present in diet
Z – supplemented to prevent parakeratosis

21. Swine Vitamins
Vit A- supplemented due to def. in corn, breaks down with processing, dehydrated alfalfa is a good source
VitD – absent in feedstuffs, expose to sunlight or use sun-cured hays or fish oils in diet
Vit E- req throughout life, legume hay, green forage, cereal grains
Vit K- synthesized in hind gut fermentation (need access to feces), supplement in confinement

22. Water requirements 1 gallon per 4 lbs of dry feed consumed
More water when air temp is > 70F
Less intake if water temp is <40 or > 50F
Lower requirement with daily rain, heavy dew or soft wet snow
Lower requirement when eating silage, succulent or range forage

23. Energy for Sheep
Insufficient energy from low intake or poor quality feed
Energy deficiency reduces growth, fertility, wool quality, death
High energy needs:
Immediately before and after lambing
Flushing ewes and rams for breeding
Finishing lambs

24. Sheep nutrition- protein
Usually quantity is more important than quality due to bacterial conversion in rumen
Microbial protein synthesis supplies protein needs except when lactating or very young lambs
Green pastures, soybean meal, cottonseed meal, alfalfa hay, urea ( sometimes)

25. Minerals for sheep NaCl- usually provided ½ to ¾ lb per ewe/month
Ca/P- highest need during lactation, provide leafy legumes for Ca, grains for P
I in salt, Co in legumes
Se- narrow margin of safety, deficiency leads to white muscle disease
Zinc- needed for normal testicular development

26. Vitamins for sheep Vit A- can store excess for 6-12 months
Vit D- fast growing lambs kept inside may show problems
Vit E- low selenium leads to Vit E deficiency
Vit K- synthesized in rumen
Vit C- synthesized by tissues

27. Goat feeding behavior Confinement feeding- will pick and choose
Goats will eat more if they have more to select, so offer less feed to force them to choose more of the desired diet
Range feeding- active forager, browses all plant types including trees, shrubs, grasses. Will sometimes defoliate one type of plant.

28. Goat nutrition- water Requirements
Intake is related to feed intake and feed intake correlates to productivity
Free access to good quality water
More sensitive to water quality
Lactation increases needs

29. Goat nutrition- energy
Mostly from carbs and low levels or fat ( high fat inhibits rumen fermentation)
Excess fat is stored in the body around internal organs
Consume more dry matter than other livestock species

30. Goat nutrition- protein
Most expensive component of diet
Needed to support rumen fermentation and supply amino acids
Unlike fat, excess is not stored
Vary with developmental stage
Protein feedstuffs for goats: soybean meal, fish meal, cottonseed meal, sunflower meal

31. Goat nutrition- minerals
Ca/P – needed for bone and milk production
Phosphorus is met with high diet selectivity
Only salt should be provided free choice
Lush pasture deficient in magnesium

32. Goat nutrition- vitamins
Only vitamin A is likely to be deficient
Occurs in confinement fed goats in dry cold weather
Occurs in range fed goats when vegetation contains little or no green plant material