6 - The Effect of Processing on the Nutritive Value of Feedstuffs for Beef Cattle

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the effect of processing on the nutritive value of feedstuffs for beef cattle. Cattle feeders currently practice a wide variety of feed grain processing and roughage processing techniques. Feed grain processing techniques, in common practice today, include extrusion, gelatinization, grinding, micronizing, moisturizing, popping, roasting, and steam flaking. These techniques are explained in this chapter. Basic research into this discrepancy indicates that the starch of dry sorghum grain is less available and the protein is not utilized as well as that of dry corn or dry barley. Popping is primarily restricted to sorghum grain and is accomplished by the use of gas-fired infrared generators. As the moisture content of the grain increases, the percentage of popping increases. Pelleting has shown no benefit on either high-quality hay or high-concentrate diets. The two processes of steam flaking and steam rolling are somewhat similar except the former technique is more specific and a longer time is given to the cooking or steaming process. The processing of roughage has been conducted for beef cattle which result in nutrient value of roughage and often is attributed to improved consumption on lower quality. Grinding of hay has little nutritive value for beef cattle except as a prerequisite to pelleting or complete mixing of diets and is not practical for dairy cattle because it results in lowered butterfat content of the milk produced. The process dehydration is restricted almost entirely to high-quality roughages such as alfalfa.