5a so-ass RATION PREPARATION ON FARM A GUIDE FOR GOAT FARMERS. Francis Asifdu and Albert Fearon

Transcription

1 5a so-ass CARDI/TTARP EXTENSION BULLETIN No. 16 EDF PROJECT No JAMAICA. JUNE, 1994 RATION PREPARATION ON FARM A GUIDE FOR GOAT FARMERS Francis Asifdu and Albert Fearon Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development InEti!ite (CARDI) Jamaica

2 CARDI/TTARP EXTENSION BULLETIN No. 16 EDF PROJECT No JAMAICA. JUNE, 1994 cis.rn W 71 OS RATION PREPARATION ON FARM A GUIDE FOR GOAT FARMERS Francis Asiedu and Albert Fearon Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) Jamaica

3 Many goat farmers at certain times provide their animals with commercial bag feed (cattle chow, beef mash, dairy ration or pig grower) as a supplement to the grazed or cut forage. However, the commercial bag feeds are becoming increasingly more expensive and some farmers have resorted to mixing their own feed on the farm. Ingredients for farm-mixed rations The formulation of farm-mixed rations may be simple or elaborate depending on the knowledge and the type of machinery available to the farmer. Most goat farmers do not have access to sophisticated machinery, therefore the ingredients selected for the ration should be less dependent on such machinery. Ingredients that may be used for rations on the farm include:- poultry litter, wheat middlings, rice bran, corn, molasses, legume leaf meal and peanut seed coat (mill-run feed). Factors influencing ingredients selection There are three important factors that should be carefully considered in selecting ingredients for rations. Availability:- The ingredients should be available when needed and should be readily accessible too. Physical form:- The ingredients should be in a state that would facilitate proper blending with little or no prior preparation. Poultry litter, for example should be dried and friable. Cost The ingredients should be relatively cheap to make the ration competitive with the bag feed. 2

4 Type of rations Composition Farm-mixed rations may be prepared to provide either a concentrated form of protein or energy. For most goat farmers, however, the desirable supplement will be one that supplies appropriate amounts of both protein and energy, i.e 12-16% crude protein and energy content of McaUkg ( TDN ), both in the dry matter. Table 1 below shows examples of ingredients and their proportions in various formulations that could be used on the farm. Animal performance The performance of goats on the various supplement rations will vary according to the amounts of the supplement fed, as well as the amount and the quality of the basal diet eaten. Studies have shown that average daily gain ranged from 92 to 100 g when the rations shown in Table 1 were fed at the rate of 2% of the body weight as supplement to a basal diet of King grass (Pennisetum purpureum x P. americanum) given free choice. The cost per unit gain also varied (US$ ). It is obvious that wherever possible formulas with cheap ingredients should be selected. Mixing of ingredients It is important that the ingredients should be properly blended in order to obtain uniform concentration of ingredients and nutrients in every unit of the ration. Prior processing In order to ensure good blending some ingredients may require some kind of processing before mixing. 3

5 Poultry litter should be sifted through a fine sieve to eliminate the lumps and also any other foreign matter. Subsequently the litter could be ground if facilities are available. Corn should be cracked or coarsely ground. Similarly where wheat middlings are supplied as pellets, they should be coarsely ground. Table 1 Examples of rations Ingredient Amounts ( lb, kg, or % Poultry litter Wheat middlings Rice bran Molasses Legume leaf meal Peanut/Pea hulls 16 Cattle chow/beef mash 20 Urea 0.5 Sulphate of ammonia 1.5 Salt 0.5 Pre-mixed minerals 0.5 Dry matter (%) Crude protein (% in DM) Metabolizable energy (MJ/kgDM) Cost/kg (US$) Average daily gain (g) Cost/kg gain (US$)

6 Mixing A few simple tools are needed to actually mix the ingredients. These include an area of clean concrete floor, a shovel, sacks for bagging, and where molasses is included in the formula, a fire place and a boiling pan (halved-drum) The steps for mixing are as follows: Weigh all the ingredients according to the formula. Ingredients are usually weighed in multiples of ten or hundred. Where molasses is included, boil it to make it less viscous. Pre-mix the ingredients required in small quantities, e.g, salt, urea and pre-mix minerals and vitamins. Use a portion of one of the ground ingredients, e.g wheat middlings or rice bran, to mix thoroughly the pre-mixed ingredients. Mix the boiled molasses into the poultry litter, using the back of the shovel to mash up any clumps. Mix the pre-mixed ingredients into the poultry litter-molasses mixture. Next mix the other ingredients. Finally after thorough mixing bag the ration. 5