AGRICULTURAL
Energy remains the most important and most expensive feed component. That is
why a grain farm has a competitive advantage in respect of animal production.
Table 1: Composition of feed sources produced on a grain farm.
FEED SOURCE
Moisture Starch Sugar Oil Crude Prot. NDF Lignin ME
% % % % % 8 % 15 % 0.5 MJ/kg
14 31 1.1 13.4
Maize Meal 90 74 1.7 4.5 Hominy Chop 87 41 6 7 Maize silage 33 30 0.2 3 7 44 2.7 10.8
Green pasture (oats) 25 8 7.8 3.8 11 58 2.4 9.2
Maize Cob Meal (milled) 92 12 0 0.6 4.5 88 6.3 8.6
Standing Hay (Smuts Finger) 92 1 0 2.3 15 57 3.4 8.6
Green pasture (Rhodes grass) 25 0 0 2.2 9 75 6 8.5
Whole maize plant (cut and milled as ‘Stoek’ maize) 92 6 0 0.6 4 85 7.5 8.1
Grass (hay) 92 1 0 2 4 71 5.8 7.9
Maize St over 93 0 0 0.6 4 82 8.4 7.7
to ensure effective digestion of the daily
ration. The protein and mineral sources
can be supplemented easily and cost-ef-
fectively. The typical nutritional value of
feed sources produced on a grain farm,
is indicated in Table 1. These figures can
vary, but it gives an indication of the nutri-
tional value that can be expected. The use
of an animal nutritionist to formulate feed
correctly is highly recommended.
The quantity of each source of feed
produced on a grain farm must be deter-
mined. Then the animal production
system must be selected and a feed-
flow-programme must be compiled. This
programme will determine the number
of animals which can be supported with
self-produced feed. The size of the herds
can obviously be increased by buying
additional feed from neighboring farms or
elsewhere
.
FEED CHARACTERISTICS
Maize Stover consists of the different
parts of the dried maize plant and is not
well utilized in an unprocessed state.
Maize Stover should therefore preferably
be milled through a hammer mill in order
to be utilized effectively as homogeneous
roughage. The mixing with other types of
feed will also improve with reduced parti-
cle size of Maize Stover.
Maize Silage as a feed is beneficial for
a number of reasons. The rule of thumb is
that the silage yield per hectare is approx-
imately 5x the grain yield, which could
differ in respect of different maize vari-
eties. This means that, with an eight ton
grain yield, as much as 40 tons of silage
production per hectare can be expected.
Should grain be calculated at R2 000 per
ton, the gross value of the grain yield will
be R16 000 per hectare. In order to meet
13.5
the same gross financial value in the form
of silage, the value of the silage will have
to be R400 per ton. The actual nutritional
value of typical silage is approximately
30% of maize and therefore R600 per ton.
Silage can therefore be produced as a
relatively cheap feed. Silage is also a very
practical feed. It does not have a fire risk,
can be stored for many years and can
be preserved without the nutritional value
declining. It is already milled or processed
and mix excellently with other types of
feed, is a balanced feed and can serve
as maintenance feed for cattle on its own.
However, it requires skill and experience
to produce silage correctly.
Maize cob meal and ‘Stoek’ maize can
be combined as an excellent drought and
even production feed in a balanced ration.
Maize Cob Meal contains approximately
50% and ‘Stoek’ maize 25% grain.
Om die produktiwiteit van produksiestelsels
vir beeste te verbeter.
Adviesdiens vir herkouervoeding
Voerprosessering, voedingsbestuur en formulering
van voere vir volhoubare produksieprestasie
Formuleer en verskaf konsentrate om formulasies te
komplimenteer
Dr. Kobus Swart 083 262 0946 • [email protected]
SENWES SCENARIO | SPRING 2018
15