What are the most popular cow feed ingredients in India? In this article, you will learn about Cassava peels, which replace dairy meal, sugar syrup, and bypass protein. Cassava meal is a high energy feed that is deficient in macro and micro minerals. For those who cannot afford these feeds, cassava peels are a good alternative. Sugar syrup is high in energy and replaces dairy meal.
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Cassava peels replace dairy meal
The use of cassava peels in cow feed is a sustainable way to reduce the costs of cattle production and provide protein for poor families. It costs 60 to 70 percent less than other feeds and is also free of antibiotics. The company hopes to see cassava peels become the norm in the livestock industry in other developing countries. It has already made an impact in Nigeria, where prices of maize have doubled since last year.
However, the cassava peel must be processed in order to be used in cattle feed. Traditional methods have involved leaving cassava peels to rot or burn in huge heaps. The waste generated from this practice releases methane, which pollutes water resources and contaminates air. Furthermore, burning cassava peels releases clouds of toxic smoke. Cassava peels are particularly harmful in humid environments, so it is important to follow proper disposal guidelines.
Cassava meal is deficient in macro and micro minerals
The amount of copper in cattle feed is often low. This is due to the lack of copper in cassava meal. Cows are deficient in copper if the feed contains more than 50 mg per kg. Copper-deficient grasses and fodders have yellow or burnt leaf tips. Low copper-level fodders are unusable, resulting in poor milk production. Other sources of copper in cow feed include soybean aerial parts, cocoa hulls, and pineapple waste.
The micro and trace minerals are vital for animal health and metabolism. They support growth, immune and reproductive function, and several enzymatic systems. Lack of trace minerals in animal feeds leads to deficiency in several physiological processes. It is also important to supplement the right concentration of these nutrients throughout the animal’s life cycle. If minerals are not present in adequate amounts, deficiency in any one of these elements can lead to deficiency in several areas of an animal’s life cycle, including lowered productivity and egg production.
Sugar syrup is a high energy feed
Besides improving the taste and palatability of feed, sugar syrup is also used as an energy source by dairy farmers. This intermediate product of sugar refining is known as High Test Molasses or A Molasses. The sugar in milk contains 4.2% lactose and a cow secretes about 1260 G of lactose per kg of milk. For milk production, cows need high energy levels to produce sufficient amounts of lactose.
Research has shown that sugars have greater metabolisable energy than starch. It also exhibits the highest maltase activity in the ileum and jejunum and the lowest level in the duodenum. Thus, sugar contributes significantly more energy than starch, which makes it an ideal ingredient for animal feed. In India, sugar syrup is a valuable high-energy cow feed ingredient.
Bypass protein
Bypass protein in cow feed is a promising new ingredient in the Indian dairy industry. It has triple benefits for both the cow and the environment. In the short term, bypass protein improves reproduction in cattle, resulting in an increase in FCM yield and earlier maturity. But in the long run, bypass protein also reduces ammonia in the circulation, which can damage a foetus. Here are the benefits of bypass protein in cow feed in India.
The bypass protein has two types: rumen degradable protein (RDP) and un-degradable protein. The former enters the lower tract undegradable, while the latter is digested further by the cow’s body. The RDP fraction is absorbed as amino acids, while the rest is metabolized to ammonia. In a feeding trial, bypass protein was added to isonitrogenous diets of 12 cow calves. Using chromic oxide and RNA as biomarkers of rumen ammonia levels significantly decreased on higher Bypass Protein diets.
Compound cattle feed
In India, there are several companies that manufacture compound cattle feed ingredients. Private feed millers mostly sell their products through traditional dealers, but many are now reaching out directly to farmers. While the quality of compound feed ingredients is high in large companies, smaller companies sometimes compromise with the quality of the ingredients. Here are the major players in the compound cattle feed ingredients market in India. Listed below are their product profiles:
In India, the industry is still in its infancy. However, the low productivity of dairy animals is largely due to its poor feeding and feed system. Over 90% of the country’s total milk production comes from rural dairy farmers who raise their animals on low-quality grass and rely on homemade concentrates. Compound cattle feed is one of the main ingredients used by farmers. Approximately 3.5 million tonnes of the feed is produced by cooperatives and the rest is produced in the private sector.
