by Darrin Karcher

Conserving nutrients in the livestock diet is an important part of nutrient management. Though monogastric animals and ruminants are very different, several approaches to conserving nutrients in the diet apply to both. The most important thing to remember is that more is not always better. Feeding more nutrients than the animal requires does nothing but increase your feed costs.

Feed formulation is a strategy to ensure that animals are not being fed excessive nutrients that will result in increased nutrients in the manure. The National Research Council’s nutrient guidelines provide a baseline for nutrient levels to be included in the diet. Following these guidelines and working with a nutritionist, producers can formulate diets to more closely meet animals’ growth requirements. To maximize feed formulations, group animals by age, sex or production level.

The digestibility of the diet warrants attention because the form of the diet can affect the availability of nutrients to the animal. Mechanical manipulation of the diet (milling, heat processing, pelleting) has been shown to change the raw ingredients in the diet to make nutrients more readily available to the animal.

Management practices are used to influence nutrient intake and output in livestock production. Feed management requires the diet to be in a form palatable to the animal—this reduces waste and improves digestion. Ensuring that feeders are adjusted to the proper height, not overfilled and in good condition will help limit spillage and decrease nutrients in the manure. Livestock management is important to track nutrients going in and out of the operation to confirm that excessive nutrients are not being fed and lost in the manure. The use of exogenous hormones, the number of milkings per day and length of the photoperiod will all influence nutrient management.

These strategies and practices can help you manage nutrient intake, minimize output and save money.

Click here to read the full issue of the January 2009 Scoop.