Triticale grain and silage provide an excellent source of protein and energy for cattle, but they can also pose some health risks. If you’re considering feeding Triticale to your cattle, it’s important to know its risks and benefits before feeding it to your animals. Here are some of them:
Triticale grain
Triticale is an excellent choice for livestock producers as it retains its feed value well into late winter and early spring. It is also suitable for silage and hay, allowing farmers to extend grazing time into June. Its disadvantage is that triticale is susceptible to winter injury.
Triticale is a hybrid of rye and wheat and is cultivated mainly in Europe. It has the same nutritional value as wheat, but is more resistant to drought and disease. It is also a good feed for livestock, and is being used by Australian dairy farmers as a stock feed.
It is important to remember that triticale is a carbohydrate, which means that it is high in energy. Triticale is also very digestible. The grains of triticale contain high amounts of starch and relatively few raw fibres. Its protein is easily assimilated by ruminants, and its protein utilization coefficient is likely to be higher than that of cereals.
Triticale has a higher protein content than most cereal grains, making it an ideal option for cattle. It is also high in vitamins and minerals. In fact, triticale is becoming a standard part of animal feeds. A significant percentage of domestic animals now consume triticale. It was once believed to have antinutritive properties, but research has shown that triticale does not cause digestive system disorders. Furthermore, triticale contains a superior amino acid composition compared to cereal grains.
The first triticale grain was obtained through a cross between rye and wheat. It was given the scientific name triticale, which comes from the names of the two parent plants. However, this cross did not produce fertile hybrid offspring because the hybrid did not have the same number of chromosomes as its parent species.
In a fattening trial, triticale was supplemented with maize in different proportions. Its addition resulted in a lower milk fat percentage than the maize-only diet. Additionally, milk production was lower.
Triticale silage
Triticale silage is a great alternative to barley silage in many ways. Its high fiber content makes it an effective feed source, and it disappears quickly in the rumen. This nutrient-rich food is also a good source of NH3 which helps the rumen function more efficiently. Moreover, triticale silage helps increase milk components, resulting in a higher milk check.
Its water-soluble sugars and digestibility are comparable to oats and cereal rye. In addition, it is tolerant of low fertility and droughty conditions. While researchers are still trying to identify the chemical component(s) responsible for these benefits, they have noted that cows on triticale-ryegrass pastures gained weight faster and produced more milk.
Triticale is a versatile forage crop that is a hybrid of wheat and rye. It is an excellent choice for beef cattle and dairy cows, as it is high in protein and digestibility. Its high yields are comparable to those of other cereal grains, making it a valuable addition to livestock feed.
As a supplementary forage crop, triticale can be planted early in the season. A triticale field planted in the early months of August can produce good dry matter yields within 60 to 80 days of planting. It is also an excellent option for late-season forage production. It can provide 2,500 to 5,000 pounds of dry matter per acre by mid-October.
The DM content of triticale silage was similar to that of wheat silage, but wheat silage had higher lign content and neutral-detergent fibers than triticale. The silages also had similar ruminal in-situ degradability. However, the rate of gain was lower than for wheat silage.
According to a study by the University of Minnesota, triticale improved growth and feed efficiency in turkeys. In addition, it did not affect feed efficiency when substituted for corn. A 25 percent inclusion of triticale in turkey feed provided the same feed efficiency as a corn-soybean meal diet.
