Insight Focus
Concentrate feeds are essential for monogastric feeding efficiency. Blended into tailored rations, they meet the full nutritional needs of pigs, poultry and other monogastric livestock. They also support ruminant diets, though to a lesser extent due to reliance on bulky forages.
Concentrate Feeds in Livestock Rations
There is a wide variety of raw materials used in livestock rations, many of which are termed concentrate feeds. These can be blended or mixed before feeding or processed into pelleted compound feeds.
‘Concentrates’ include:
- Cereal grains and associated by-products
- Oilseed by-products
- Legume seeds
- Feed supplements
Concentrate feeds, unlike the bulky feeds discussed in our previous article, are low in fibre and water content. For monogastric livestock, these are often blended or milled into a complete ration that contains all of their nutritional needs.
Cereal Grains
Cereal grains, such as wheat, barley, oats, and maize, are a main source of energy in many monogastric feeds. They contain high levels of carbohydrates, mainly as starch, and can serve as the primary ingredient in many monogastric rations. Cereals contain relatively low levels of protein, while also providing variable amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Cereal by-products are often produced as a result of processing cereals for human consumption or industrial use. As by-products, they can represent a low-cost addition to a ration. Examples include:
- Wheat feed from flour milling
- Brewers’ and distillers’ grains from the respective industries
- Maize gluten from starch extraction
- Distillers Dried Grains (DDGs) from ethanol production
Fats, oils and lipids are particularly useful as a relatively cheap source of high-density energy in rations. This energy is especially important in pig and poultry diets, while also enhancing palatability and voluntary intake.
Oilseed By-Products
Oilseed by-products derived from processing are a staple of compound feeds. Once the oil is extracted, the remaining high protein ‘meal’ becomes the main source of protein in many monogastric rations. Examples of commonly used meals include:
- Soybean meal
- Rapeseed meal
- Sunflower seed meal
- Palm kernel meal
Legume Seeds
Legume seeds have a lower protein content than the oilseed meals but can still be a valuable source of both protein and energy. Grown as a beneficial break crop for cereals, these legumes can be especially cost-effective and appealing to mixed farmers who prepare their own feed on-farm.
However, the digestibility of some legume varieties can be a challenge, and low levels of certain amino acids can limit their inclusion in rations. Examples of legume seeds include:
- Beans
- Peas
- Lupins
Feed Supplements
Feed supplements are critical to ration formulation when a complete feed must provide all of the nutritional requirements for animals. The following additives may be included to meet these needs:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Enzymes
- Amino acids
The Importance of Complete Feeds
- Monogastric livestock, such as pigs and poultry, are highly efficient in converting feed into output, whether for reproduction, meat or eggs.
- Complete feeds enable farmers to supply a specifically designed ration based on enterprise, age, environment and other relevant factors.
- Whether formulated as a specified recipe or the lowest-cost ration to meet animals’ nutritional requirements, complete feeds are essential for efficiency.
- Cost-effective and straightforward, a complete feeding regime for monogastric livestock is crucial for maximising output and margins.
