Some factors affecting the future composition of UK compound animal feeds

Abstract

Changes in the livestock compound-feed industry are outlined. It is noted that the change to least-cost formulation of diets manufactured to a strict nutritional specification has increased the economic and biological efficiency with which different types of feed have been utilised by livestock. Nevertheless, the feeding of livestock continues to depend on large quantities of raw materials which are potentially food for humans. A number of reasons are given why crop by-products and other waste materials are not fully utilised by the compound trade, although considerable efforts have been made by the industry to find economic and acceptable alternative raw materials for compound diets. In the case of BOCM Silcock, once a raw material has been successfully evaluated at the Unilever Research Laboratories at Colworth House, extensive development work is conducted at two development farms. Two different procedures are described and illustrated: (i) inclusion of the raw material in question at varying levels in a standard diet to assess effect on performance, and (ii) palatability test work, whereby a bland control-diet is partially replaced by the raw material under test, at levels appropriate to the likely commercial use of the test ingredient. However, the extent to which any waste material is eventually utilised will largely depend on its economic value, relative to the costs of competing raw materials. It appears unlikely that there will be any major availability of new cheap alternatives to cereals in the short term.