livestock supplement: which is the best for your herd?

livestock supplement: which is the best for your herd? Kimia Roshd Sepahan

what is a livestock supplement?

Livestock Supplement is the most important part of the dietary concentrate. In addition to filling the deficiencies in the basic ingredient of dietary, livestock supplements, also increase the digestion and absorption of the basic ingredients of the diet. improving feed efficiency, health, reproductive performance, and survival of producers in the market. are some benefits of feeding livestock supplements?

types of livestock supplements?

Type of Livestock Supplements, include enzymes, buffers, amino acids, fatty acids, and. minerals, and vitamins. Mineral and vitamin supplements are the most abundant and widely used type of supplement in livestock.

Vitamin livestock supplement

Vitamins are essential nutrients that are used in small amounts for the normal functioning of body cells. Some of them are present in the diet and others are made in tissue or by rumen microbes. So far, 14 vitamins have been identified in nature, which are essential for animals. They are divided into two groups; water-soluble vitamins (B, C) and fat-soluble vitamins (K, E, D, A).

Vitamin livestock supplement

What is the necessity of using vitamin supplements?

Successive droughts have decreased the quantity and quality of green fodder in livestock rations, and increased the incidence of infectious diseases, especially in newborn calves. For this reason, it is necessary to use vitamin supplements include, A, B, Nisin, biotin,… etc.

Livestock Mineral Supplement

Mineral elements are included in 5% of the animal’s body weight. 24 elements out of 90 elements have been introduced as necessary to maintain the survival of livestock. In addition to their important role in the livestock feeding system, they have structural, catalytic, and physiological roles in the animal tissue system.

Minerals are divided into two groups based on the amount of their consumption in the body:

  • Macro minerals: are included calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, chlorine, potassium, and sulfur. Their concentration in the diet reaches more than 100 ppm
  • Micro minerals are included: copper, zinc, manganese, iron, cobalt, iodine, selenium, chromium, fluorine, arsenic, nickel, and vanadium. Their concentration in the diet reaches less than 100 ppm.

The necessity of using mineral supplements?

Research has shown that the dry fodder consumed in many farms is deficient in elements such as copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium, and to some extent manganese. This deficiency around calving causes disturbance in the metabolism of livestock, a decrease in milk production, an increase in the incidence of retained placenta, an increase in sensitivity to metabolic diseases, and an increase in cases of death in calves. For this reason, using them as a feed supplement is recommended for livestock.

ماده معدنی عملکرد
روی رشدنرمال استخوان و غضروف
بهبودی زخم
انتقال دی اکسید کربن به گلبول های قرمز
رشد و فعالیت ارگان های تولیدمثلی
مس متابولیسم آهن، رشد استخوان تشکیل کلاژن و سیستم دفاعی بدن
عملکرد مناسب قلب
تنفس سلولی
تولیدمثل
منگنز متابولیسم عمومی و رشد استخوان، غضروف و بافت های همبند
فرایند نرمال لخته شدن خون
حفظ تولیدمثل نرمال
ایجاد توانایی کاربرد تیامین
کبالت ضروری برای تولید ویتامین B12
کاربرد مواد مغذی
تولید گلوکز در کبد
سلنیوم حفظ سلامت تولید مثلی
مکانیسم دفاعی بدن در مقابل عفونت
ایجاد پاسخ نرمال به استرس
حفظ کیفیت و ارزش غذایی گوشت

Fatty Acids Livestock Supplements

Fats are essential nutrients in animal nutrition. Fatty acids in the diet of ruminants are supplied from three sources: seeds, fodder, and oil supplements. Among the roles of fatty acids, can be mentioned supplying energy, affecting physical properties and membrane function, and creating covalent balance in the protein structure. Regulation of genes by influencing the activity of receptors, influencing intracellular signaling by activating the transcription factor, and producing mediators. such as prostaglandins, are also among the functions of fatty acids.

Fatty Acids Livestock Supplements
Fatty Acid Metabolism in Ruminants

The necessity of using Fatty acids supplement

The amount of fat in the rations of livestock is usually low. The livestock, especially the lactating livestock, experience a negative energy balance and suffer from a lack of essential fatty acids Therefore, the proper use of fatty acid supplements with a suitable profile and without negative effects on rumen fermentation, will improve animal performance and their health in sensitive periods.

Fat Metabolism in The Rumen, Fatty acids supplements
Fat Metabolism in The Rumen

Amino Acids Livestock Supplement

20 amino acids are involved in making body proteins The animal body is not able to make all of them (essential amino acids). These amino acids should be supplied through food to the required extent. The lack of essential amino acids causes a stop in protein synthesis, but the lack of non-essential amino acids compensated in the body through transaminases. In addition, amino acids activate important biochemical and metabolic processes of body cells. A deficiency of amino acids reduces livestock performance. At first, the animal compensates by increasing its feed consumption, but after a few days, the imbalance of its amino acids leads to a decrease in feed consumption. For the mentioned reasons, it is necessary to use amino acid supplements in the diet of livestock.

Amino Acids Livestock Supplement
The role of amino acids in muscle protein formation and immune system function

The necessity of using amino acid supplements

The researchers believe the production of microbial protein in the rumen is not responsible for the milk protein and tissue of today’s high–producing livestock _ Lysine and methionine are the most limiting amino acids in current dairy diets. because there are not enough in the small intestine for milk production metabolism. Histidine is the first limiting amino acid in diets where grasses and legumes are their basic fodder. To survive in the industry by increasing feed yield and improving the quality of milk, livestock farmers need to balance the amino acids in their diet. and the use of amino acid animal supplements for their livestock.

Buffering Supplement (Buffer Livestock Supplement)

Buffer is a weak acid with its salt or a weak base with its salt. This supplement prevents strong changes in the concentration of acid or base ions. They prevent rumen pH fluctuation and acidification when consuming rations with a high percentage of concentrate. Buffers also increase fiber digestion by increasing the ratio of acetate to propionate in the rumen.

Buffered Livestock Supplements Features
The Benefits of Using Buffered Livestock Supplements in Feeding Dairy Cows

The necessity of using buffer

Replacing silage fodder with long fodder, feeding high levels of grains (to supply the energy of today’s high-yielding livestock), and feeding acidic feeds like corn, are characteristic of the ration of industrial herds. The use of buffers in order to maintain the pH of the rumen in a limited range and to prevent the occurrence of subclinical acidosis is necessary for these industrial herds. In addition to this, in the new research, binding aflatoxins is also mentioned. as its characteristic The above significant cases have highlighted the need to use this supplement.

Enzyme Supplements (Enzyme livestock supplement)

The most common enzymes used in the animal husbandry industry as an effective animal supplement are fibrinolytic enzymes. They are used due to their positive effect on feed digestibility, rumen fermentation, and microbial protein synthesis. Commercial enzymes are produced by various species. They are produced from bacteria and fungi in liquid and solid cultures and through the fermentation process. These enzymes are added to TMR, silage, and dry fodder or injected directly into the rumen.

Enzyme Supplements (Enzyme livestock supplement)

The necessity of using enzyme supplements

The high cost of livestock feed and its low quality has pushed livestock farmers to use biological products. These products improve digestion and increase feed quality and efficiency. On the other hand, enzymatic biological processing has been favored by farmers in recent years because of its low cost and no harm to the environment.

What is the best livestock supplement?

  1. It is the most economical livestock supplement in the market.
  2. Its ingredients are combined based on the assessed needs and problems of the herd (based on the results of the soil and water test, the season, and the history of diseases in the herd, etc.).
  3. It contains flavorings and other useful ingredients and they are actually tasty.
  4. It is easy to digest.
  5. It does not contain harmful bacteria.
  6. It is completely hygienically produced.

How is the price of livestock supplements determined? (Costing Supplements)

The price of livestock supplements usually is determined based on the formula and the amount of consumption (which is influenced by feeding management, storage conditions, herd age, and water quality), the quality of the materials, brand popularity, the type of packaging and the type the purchase (direct and indirect). When buying a supplement, the producer must pay attention to the total cost of the supplement per head of livestock and the short-term and long-term profit from it (for example, increasing conception rate in dairy cattle and decreasing weaning day in calves).

How to make livestock supplements?

One of the most effective technologies in the livestock husbandry industry has been the production line of livestock supplement. Advances in genetics and breeding have created limitations in livestock performance. supplements produced with the best quality and with the most accuracy overcome these limitations to a large extent.

Features of the high-quality livestock supplement production line

  • Raw materials: The most important and effective factor in the production of animal supplements is the quality of raw materials and their compounds.
  • Tanks: They are suitable in terms of volume, material, and slope.
  • Weighing systems uses very special weighing scales with the lowest error and is compatible with the PLC system.
  • Premix mixers are made of steel and have the highest precision for producing a uniform product.
  • Mixing mixers have different pedals with different lengths and angles and made product with the lowest cv.

Is adding the supplement to well-balanced rations necessary?

Today, Milk and meat production has increased due to genetic and management improvements in the recent decade. On the other hand, the quality and level of fodder in the livestock diet have decreased because of successive droughts. Hence the NRC recommendations will not be responsible for high-yielding livestock, especially in sensitive periods such as the transition period. Deficiency in the supply of necessary nutrients leads to the occurrence of various diseases, increasing the cost of medicine, and reducing the performance of livestock. Therefore, compensating for the lack of regulated rations through the consumption of high-quality supplements at a reasonable price seems to be a logical reason.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Milk and meat production has increased due to genetic and management improvements in the recent decade. On the other hand, the quality and level of fodder in the livestock diet have decreased because of successive droughts. For the 2 reasons mentioned above, it is necessary to use supplements in livestock feeding.

Vitamins and minerals, enzymes, fatty acids, amino acids, and buffers, …, are common supplements used in the livestock industry. Vitamin and mineral supplements are the most widely used livestock supplement.

The best livestock supplement is the most economical, the most nutritionally productive, the least dangerous, the healthiest, and the most digestible.

The price of livestock supplements usually is determined based on the formula and the amount of consumption, the quality of the materials, brand popularity, the type of packaging and the type the purchase.

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