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Feed Processing, Non-Rumiants

Feed processing will vary based on the species of animal we are feeding. Let's talk first about nonrumiant animals. In many cases, a medium-ground grain will be best for swine feeding. Pelleted can benefit fast growers such as growing pigs but medium-grind is suitable for sows and breeding stock. Remember also that pellets also allow incorporation of vitamin-mineral premixes, small amounts of forage when needed, and will reduce some of the sorting that may occur with a ground grain. Rolled or cracked grains are probably best suited to horses. Horses require little or no processing of forages, long hay is best in most cases. Larger complete feed pellets are convenient and can reduce manure generated by animals. These are shown back in forage processing. The pellets that are larger than grain pellets, smaller than hay cubes.

Crumbles are best for poultry. Crumbles are simply crushed pellets where we have mixed a grain, expressed it through a pellet die, and then recrumbled these pellets. Crumbles in poultry generally result in better feed conversion, less water consumption, and they reduce the amount of caking or moisture crust that we find on top of litter that poultry are bedded on. Little or no forage is fed to poultry. However some alfalfa by-products may be included to help keep egg yolks yellow. There is a table in your book that shows the performance of poultry on crumbled grain; that's Table 11-5.

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