BASIC NUTRITION – Liquid Viewpoint

In the introduction, we said we’ll have some surprises for you. Here’s the first one:

There’s no such thing as dry feed.

Nothing dry can be digested. Everything an animal (or you) eat has to go into a water based solution or suspension before it can be digested and absorbed into the body. An animal chews the dry stuff it’s fed and drinks water in order to get everything into solution so it’s digestive process can get started. Liquids are one step ahead of other feeds because they are already in digestible form.

Don’t run out set fire to the hay shed or grain bin yet. Hay and other dry materials have plenty of nutrients in them, even if they don’t have the advantage of being liquid. Let’s look at the nutrients one at a time:

There are 5 groups of Nutrients:

Water, Energy, Protein, Minerals, and Vitamins

All nutrients are essential, but the physical quantity required of each is greatly different. This graph shows how the amounts of each nutrient needed compares to total dry matter intake. I know we said that there is no such thing as dry feed, but measuring the amount of intake on a dry basis is a good yardstick, so we’ll use it.

WATER:

More water is needed than any other nutrient. The total amount needed depends on the environment and the animal, but on the average, cattle need about three times as many pounds of water as of dry matter intake.

Water is the most critical of the nutrients. Animal performance will go downhill faster when water intake is low than from lack of any other nutrient. Remember, none of the other nutrients can be digested unless they are dissolved in water. All feedstuffs contain some water, but the amounts aren't enough for the needs of animals. If someone complains of that their livestock aren’t performing, always check the water to be sure there plenty of clean accessible water.

Remember, if the water system isn't working, nothing else will work either.

ENERGY:

About 80-90% of the digestible portion of a ration will be used for energy. Energy comes primarily from fiber, carbohydrates, volatile fatty acids, excess natural protein, and fats.

Sugar is the simplest carbohydrate, and is the most readily digestible source of energy. Sugar is the main form of energy in Westway supplements, so the energy in Mol-Mix, Converter, Multi-Mix, the EZ Glo and Flo mill products is ready for absorption and utilization immediately upon consumption.

Starches are chains of sugars linked together. Starches are abundant in grains and root crops. Starches must undergo some breakdown before the sugars in them can be utilized.

Fiber is abundant in feeds such as grass, hay and silage. Microbes in the rumen of cattle and sheep convert some of the fiber to short-chained fatty acids (acetic, propionic, and lactic) which are digested and used for energy, and for production of butterfat. Liquid ingredients contain no fiber, so there is no fiber in Westway liquid supplements. However, the sugars in Westway liquids provide readily available energy that helps rumen bacteria break down fiber.

Fats are the most concentrated energy source, having over twice the energy value of carbohydrates. However, some types of fats can depress fiber utilization by rumen microbes, so the type of fats used and the amount fed must be carefully regulated. Generally, animal fats are better than vegetable fats, though vegetable fats can be used up to a certain level. A common standard for lactating dairy cattle is about 1 lb. of added fat/hd/day. Some specialized Westway products contain added fat, some of which is from animal and some from vegetable sources. Feeding directions on the specific product will explain the use levels for those products.

More than 80% of the weight of the nutrients digested are energy, so energy is needed in greater quantity than any other feed nutrient group.

The energy supplied in Westway liquids is a small proportion of the total needed, but it is important because the energy is in solution, ready for use by the rumen microbes immediately.

PROTEIN:

Natural proteins are composed of a chain of amino acids which are made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur.

The term "crude protein" is an estimate of the amount of protein in a feed, based on the nitrogen content. Lab analysis for true proteins or amino acids is expensive and complex, but a simple nitrogen analysis is quick and inexpensive. Natural protein contains 16% nitrogen. Therefore, the crude protein content of a feed is estimated by dividing the % nitrogen by 0.16.

Non-Protein Nitrogen (NPN) is included in the crude protein content of a ruminant feed because microbes in the rumens of ruminant animals can synthesize natural protein by using the nitrogen in NPN sources. Therefore the NPN and the natural protein are included in the "crude protein" content of Westway liquid supplements which are intended for ruminant animals.

Sulfur is also needed to make a complete protein. Westway supplements contain the proper ratio of sulfur to nitrogen for maximum protein synthesis by rumen microbes. Dry feeds containing NPN often do not include sufficient sulfur.

This chart shows the relative amounts of nitrogen, sulfur, and carbohydrates (CH2O) in proteins.

You can see that over 80% of the diet can come from more economical "home-grown" sources of carbohydrates, if the proper amounts of nitrogen and sulfur are supplied in the diet.

Westway supplements have the proper balance, and include readily fermentable sugars for maximum utilization of NPN.

Also, the NPN in Westway liquids is in a form that is more stable in the rumen than NPN from dry feed sources (See Regulated Release in the Non-Protein Nitrogen section).

MINERALS:

Minerals are inorganic elements that are absorbed into the body and used for many purposes.

Macro minerals are needed in relatively large amounts while only tiny quantities of

Trace minerals are required.

This chart shows the relative quantity of Macro vs. Trace minerals needed daily by a growing calf. Remember, the amount of a mineral required is not related to it’s importance. A shortage of copper is just as damaging as a magnesium deficiency.

The Macro mineral group includes Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, and Magnesium. The daily amount of any of the major minerals needed by a mature beef or dairy cow is large enough to be measured in ounces or fractions of a pound, and is easily visible.

Most forages are adequate in calcium, potassium and magnesium. Supplemental phosphorus is needed in most feeding programs. Most of the phosphorus in Westway liquids comes from phosphoric acid, the most economical and nutritionally available source of phosphorus. Dry feeds cannot include phosphoric acid.

For comparison, there are 28.5 grams in an ounce.

Trace Minerals are just as essential as the major minerals, but are required in much smaller quantities. The daily amounts of trace minerals needed by cattle range from less than the weight of a human hair to as much as half the weight of a dime. This chart shows the requirements of a growing calf in milligrams. For purposes of comparison, a drop of water weighs about 50 milligrams.

The Trace Minerals include Cobalt, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, and Selenium. All Westway supplements contain a basic amount of trace minerals which will meet needs under typical range conditions and intake rates. Shortages of copper, zinc, and manganese are becoming common.

Commonly available trace mineral packages can be conveniently mixed into an individual tank of liquid supplement to solve a local problem without the expense of adding it to the entire shipment. Try that with a dry feed.

VITAMINS:

Vitamins are a classification of organic compounds which are needed in minute amounts, but are essential. Vitamins are divided into two groups - fat soluble or water soluble.

The water soluble vitamin group includes all the B vitamins and Vitamin C. Ruminant animals don't normally need supplemental B vitamins because rumen microbial fermentation produces sufficient amounts. No practical requirement for Vitamin C has been demonstrated in cattle or sheep. Standard Westway supplements aren't fortified with B vitamins or Vitamin C. Some specialized Westway products for horses or stressed ruminants may include B vitamins.

The fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. Vitamin K is synthesized by rumen microbes and is not needed supplementally. Vitamins A, D, and E are not synthesized in the rumen and must be supplied in the animals' diet. Westway supplements contain amounts of vitamins A, D, and E that will meet the accepted requirements at normal levels of intake.

The fat soluble vitamin cattle are most likely to be short of is Vitamin E. Vitamin E works together with the trace mineral selenium for several important functions in the body.

Westway liquids are not protein supplements.

They are all-round supplements designed to supply the nutrients that a forage may be short of.

In a typical situation, Westway liquids can supply all the supplemental vitamin and trace mineral needs, most of the supplemental major minerals, about a third of the protein, and 5 to 10% of the energy required by cattle.

Three other feedstuff components important in feed management considerations are:

Fiber, Additives, Unidentified Factors and Unconsumed Nutrients

FIBER:

Fibers are components of plants that are relatively resistant to digestion. Rumen microbes can break down and utilize many types of fibers. Dairy ration formulation includes careful consideration of the amount and type of fiber in a diet. The classifications important in dairy rations are Crude Fiber, Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), and Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF). These terms are based on the chemical techniques used in analysis. The current trend is to use ADF or NDF values in dairy rations, rather than Crude Fiber.

Fiber serves several functions in a ruminant animal.

1.) Stimulate the rumen, causing muscular contractions which mix the contents, improving fermentation and digestion.

2.) Provide a site for establishment of microbial colonies.

3.) Converted by microbes to volatile fatty acids, primarily acetic, lactic, and butyric, which are important energy sources for the cow, as well as building blocks for butterfat production.

4.) Act as a buffer, helping hold the rumen pH at a level above 6.2, which is the most efficient range for proper fermentation.

Westway liquids contain nutrients needed by the rumen microbes which break fiber down and convert it to energy. This is why Westway supplementation will improve utilization of poor-quality roughages.

ADDITIVES:

Additives are substances added to a feed which perform non-nutritive functions.

These include:

Flavors - To stabilize the flavor of the product and of the feed it is mixed with

Mold and Yeast Inhibitors - to improve shelf-life

Surfactants - to improve handling characteristics

Conditioners - to enhance value of the dry feed mixes

Suspending agents - for physical stability of insoluble material in the product

Pellet Binders - to enhance pellet durability

Drugs - for extra performance or stress protection

Westway supplements may contain any or all of the classes of additives, depending on the special requirements of the supplement.

UNIDENTIFIED FACTORS:

This is an area which keeps scientists humble. Unexplained benefits are sometimes seen from some ingredients, helping remind us that we don't know everything. Among the types of ingredients giving unidentified improvement are those derived from a fermentation process. Many types of fermentation by-products are available for use in Westway formulations. These include fermented corn extractives, molasses fermentation solubles, condensed whey, distillers solubles, and brewers solubles.

UNCONSUMED NUTRIENTS:

The best feed formulation in the world does no good if cattle won't or can't eat it. About 5% of pelleted feeds and meal mixes are lost due to fines created during handling, sorting in the bunk, insect and rodent damage, and mold. Cubes and cake are lost as fines or trampled into the ground uneaten. Some cattle get more than their share, and some don't get any. Rations that look good on paper may not perform because the animal doesn't really swallow the feed that his owner paid for.

Liquids are totally consumed. If you feed it, they all can get it. This is one of the big advantages of liquid feed.

Self Test - Nutrients

1.) What is the most utilizable form of phosphorus?

What kinds of feeds can this form of phosphorus not be used in?

2.) What vitamins must be provided in the ration of cattle?

3.) A customer calls complaining that his cattle are going downhill and that he wants you to pull out the liquid because it's not doing any good. You pay him a visit to find out what is going on. What are some of the things you check out?

4.) What is the difference between a trace mineral and a macro mineral?

Which is the most essential?

5.) What elements are needed for protein synthesis?

What is in Westway liquids that helps synthesis along?

6.) Which is more available for rumen microbial use or digestion - a nutrient that is in solution, or a nutrient in dry form?

7.) A rancher buys a ton of cubes from the feed supplier. How many pounds of cubes will his cattle get to eat out of that ton?

8.) What is the most important nutrient?