Minimize Feed Costs Research Articles

Training on Increasing and Developing the Quantity of Sheep in Improving the Economic Welfare of Farmers in Jenggawah Village

Jenggawah Village has extensive agricultural land and plantations, especially rice, corn and coffee crops whose waste has not been utilized. The potential of Jenggawah Village, Jember Regency is very potential for development in the agricultural sector. Innovations for utilizing agricultural waste can be used to process agricultural waste as animal feed and livestock waste to be used as organic fertilizer, which is a superior environmentally friendly product that has great potential and can improve the economy of farmers from product sales. The objectives of this service activity are: 1) providing assistance from educational related agencies in optimizing the increase and development of the quantity of sheep livestock, 2) conducting training and management of sheep farming business development, 3) creating product innovations using rice straw biotechnology to improve the nutritional quality of sheep feed. The target of this service program is: together with the Jenggawah village government, we can empower farmers and breeders in fermented straw processing so that they can realize the independence and welfare of breeders in reducing feed production costs, so that they can reduce feed production costs and increase breeder profits by utilizing feed biotechnology innovations. ruminant livestock. The conclusion of this service activity is: increasing sheep production can be increased by utilizing biotechnological innovations in animal feed from rice straw waste fermentation, and can minimize feed costs, so that this opportunity can increase the income and welfare of farmers

Commercial Feed Substitution with Milkfish Waste Flour (Chanos chanos) Against Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) Egg White Index, Egg Yolk Index and Haugh Unit

Quail farming is quite developed, from year to year the population increases. The search for alternative feed as a substitute for feed sources is an effort by breeders to minimize feed costs. One alternative to replace feed ingredients can be fishery industry waste. Fishery waste that can be used as feed is milkfish waste (Chanos chanos). The purpose of this research was to determined the substitution of milkfish waste flour (Chanos chanos) at commercial feed to egg white index, egg yolk index and haugh unit. There are 20 quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) at one day of age of four treatments and five replications. Each treatment consisted by five females. The treatment consisted of P0 with commercial feed 100%, P1 with commercial feed 98% + milkfish waste flour 2%, P2 with commercial feed 96% + milkfish waste flour 4% and P3 with commercial feed 94% + milkfish waste flour 6%. Based on results of the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) there was not significantly different (p>0,05) on egg white index, egg yolk index and haugh unit. It can be concluded the substitution of commercial feed with milkfish waste flour (Chanos chanos) can maintain egg white index egg yolk index and haugh unit.

169 Minimizing Sow Feeding Cost While Enhancing Production

Abstract Strategies to minimize sow feeding cost while enhancing production are important to the overall success of an operation. Feed to the sow breeding herd accounts for approximately 15% of the total feed use and cost within a production system. Thus, a 10% improvement in sow feed efficiency can represent 0.05 points in feed efficiency for the whole herd. While advancements in knowledge around sow nutrition have been gradual, improvements in sow reproductive performance, productivity, and body composition have been substantial, yielding a remarkably efficient contemporary sow. In fact, efficiency may be key to the success of implementation of strategies that minimize feed cost and at the same time enhance production in the sow herd. In terms of minimizing sow feed usage, an important strategy is to implement feeding levels according to a body condition score in gestation to prevent over-feeding and an over-conditioned herd. It is also crucial to assess feeding levels to open sows, either in wean-to-estrus interval or in the open pool, to avoid feed wastage with ad libitum feeding. Regular feed boxes calibration in gestation and feeder adjustments in lactation are critical to allow an adequate feeding level to sows, while preventing feed wastage. In terms of minimizing feed cost, it is important to review the energy, lysine, and phosphorus requirements of sows on a daily intake basis and account for average herd weight. That provides the opportunity to estimate the ideal balance between nutrient density and feeding level to minimize overall feed cost. In addition, it is critical to understand the impact of energy density and bulk density on overall feed cost. As reduced energy and bulk density ingredients are incorporated into the feed, feeding levels should be increased and could potentially offset feed costs savings. In a dynamic economic landscape, the strategies summarized here may aid in the goal of finding opportunities to minimize sow feeding cost but at the same time provide nutritional support that enables sows to fully express their production potential.

Evaluation of a handheld NIRS instrument for determining haylage dry matter

AbstractAccurate forage dry matter (DM) concentration estimation is essential for maximizing animal performance and minimizing feed costs. One possible method of estimating DM for rebalancing rations daily involves the use of hand‐held near infrared reflectance spectrometer instruments. The SCiO Cup is one of the hand‐held instruments that could be used to estimate forage DM, but a thorough evaluation of its effectiveness has not been conducted. Haylage samples (n = 600) from 143 bunker silos were collected across New York State over three years, and vacuum packed for eventual analysis using a SCiO Cup. Samples ranged from pure alfalfa (Medicago L.) to pure grass but were mostly from mixed species. All but one sample received a DM value estimated from several available calibrations pre‐loaded in the device. Sixty samples (representing 10% of the sample population) were too wet or dry to generate a result using the mixed silage calibration. For the remaining 90% of samples, SCiO Cup DM estimates were within 3.22%units of oven DM 80% of the time. Precision of the instrument evaluated with multiple scanning of samples using the mixed silage calibration was very good, with the average standard deviation of three values of 0.40 (n = 200). The mixed silage calibration was more effective for predicting DM of this set of haylages than either legume or grass silage calibrations.

Degradation Fermented Feed Animal Based Local Mikroorganism To Increased Nutrient Quality Of The Waste Gambir Fermented

The efforts to reduce production costs to minimize feed costs, so that farmers can benefit from livestock business. One way to meet the availability of feed ingredients quality and quantity as feed animal. The materials and tools used in this study were gambir extraction waste, local microorganism, rice washing water, fine bran, rumen microbes, Mc Dougall buffer solution, fermentation rack, salt, brown sugar, plastic and a set of tools for in-vitro testing. The study was conducted experimentally with a 3x4 factorial Randomized Block Design pattern with two replications for each treatment combination. Based on statistical analysis, it was shown that the use of bran and fermentation time had an insignificant (P>0.05) effect on Crude Protein (CP) degradation in the rumen in vitro and a very significant (P<0.01) effect on NH3 production, Crude Fiber (CF) Degradation and volatile fatty acid Production. The results of study was that leg fermented with local microorganisms showed no significant difference in CP degradation, while NH3 production. CF degradation and volatile fatty acid production increased from leg fermented with local microorganisms without the addition of bran, so it could be used as feed ruminant.

Effects of Dietary Amino Acid Density and Exogenous Protease Inclusion on Growth Performance and Apparent Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility in Turkeys

Protein is one of the most expensive nutrients in poultry diets. In an effort to minimize feed costs, protein digestion and utilization by the animal must be carried out as effi­ciently as possible. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of dietary amino acid density and exogenous protease inclusion on growth performance and amino acid digestibility in turkey poults. Hybrid turkey poults (n = 780) were fed diets formulated to provide low (LAA) or adequate (AAA) amino acid density (approxi­mately 91 and 100% of the NRC4 recommended requirement for digestible Lys, respec­tively) with each diet being fed with or without an exogenous protease. Poults received experimental diets from d 1 to 42 of age. Growth performance metrics were calculated from pen weights and feed consumption was recorded throughout each experiment, and digestibility data were obtained from analysis of ileal contents. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.4 with pen as the experimental unit and pen location as the blocking factor. For the overall experiment (d 0 to 42), poults fed AAA diets had improved (P < 0.01) ADG, ADFI, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to those fed LAA diets. There was no difference (P > 0.14) in poult performance due to protease inclusion. There was an amino acid density × protease interaction (P = 0.01) for apparent ileal amino acid digestibility (AIAAD) of Trp. There was no difference in AIAAD coefficients of Trp in the LAA diets with or without protease. However, in the AAA diets, poults not receiving protease had greater AIAAD of Trp than those consuming protease. There was no difference (P > 0.09) in AIAAD coefficients of Arg, Met, Cys, Thr, Ile, Leu, Lys, or Val due to dietary amino acid density or protease inclusion. Greater amino acid density improved growth performance in poults up to 42 d of age. No improvement in growth performance was observed when poults were fed an exogenous protease in the starter phase, although protease inclusion increased ADG by 5.3% and ADFI by 4.1% during the grower phase. There was no benefit of increased dietary amino acid density or protease inclusion on AIAAD in poults.

Spirulina platensis Inclusion Reverses Circulating Pro-inflammatory (Chemo)cytokine Profiles in Broilers Fed Low-Protein Diets.

Proteins are considered the most expensive nutrients in commercial modern broiler production, and their dietary inclusion at low levels is pivotal to minimize feed costs and reduce nitrogen waste. The quest for an environmentally friendly source of proteins that favor the formulation of low protein diets without compromising broiler health, welfare, and growth performance has become a hotspot in nutrition research. Due to its high protein content, the naturally growing Spirulina microalgae is considered a promising nutrient source. The purpose of the present study was, therefore, to determine the effects of Spirulina supplementation on liver bacterial translocation, hematological profile, and circulating inflammatory and redox markers in broilers fed a low-protein diet. One-day-old Ross 708 male broilers (n = 180) were randomly assigned into one of three experimental treatments: standard diet as a control, low protein diet, and low protein diet supplemented with 100 g/kg of Spirulina. Target molecular markers were measured in the peripheral blood circulation using real-time quantitative PCR. Reducing dietary proteins increased bacterial translocation and systemic inflammation as indicated by proportions of basophils among blood leukocytes. The expression levels of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-3, IL-6, IL-4, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor-α], chemokines (CCL-20), and NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammasome were significantly upregulated in birds fed the low protein diet compared with the control. The inclusion of Spirulina reversed these effects, which indicates that Spirulina reduces systemic inflammation- and bacterial translocation-induced by a low protein diet and could be a promising alternative protein source in poultry diets.

Benefit-cost analysis of near-infrared spectroscopy technology adoption by Alberta hog producers

Feed cost is a significant component of livestock production costs, accounting for over half of total operating costs for hog producers. This provides an incentive to minimize feed costs while meeting dietary requirements. However, producers may not know the nutritional content of their feed grains with certainty. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) imaging technology can quickly and accurately estimate the nutritional content of different types of feed grain. Although the technology has been available for almost five decades, producer adoption has been slow due to issues with cost and usability. The objectives of this study are to estimate feed cost savings resulting from the adoption of NIRS on a representative Alberta hog farm and to conduct a benefit-cost analysis to investigate the potential viability of NIRS adoption. A joint mathematical programming-simulation approach is used to estimate the cost savings generated by adoption of NIRS technology. Results suggest mean annual savings of up to $4 per hog and benefit-cost results suggest that adopting NIRS technology may be viable, particularly for larger Alberta hog operations. However, initial investment requirements, uncertainty in the magnitude of benefits, and access to the technology from feed mills will likely continue to limit adoption.

Pemanfaatan ampas tahu dan eceng gondok sebagai pakan lele pada kolam terpal di Dusun I Desa Lubuk Siam Kecamatan Siak Hulu Kabupaten Kampar, Riau

Kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini tentang Pemanfaatan Ampas Tahu dan Eceng gondok Sebagai Pakan Lele pada Kolam Terpal yang telah dilakukan di Dusun I Desa Lubuk Siam Kecamatan Siak Hulu Kabupaten Kampar, Riau dalam bentuk kegiatan penyuluhan dan pelatihan. Tujuan dari kegiatan ini adalah untuk memberikan pengetahuan dan penerapan teknik pembuatan pakan lele dari ampas tahu dan eceng gondok yang difermentasi dengan EM4 untuk budidaya ikan lele pada kolam terpal. Pada pelaksanaan kegiatan penyuluhan menggunakan metode ceramah, diskusi, dan demonstrasi. Sasaran dari penyuluhan ini adalah petani ikan/mitra dan masyarakat Dusun I Desa Lubuk Siam. Hasil dan ketercapaian sasaran mendapatkan solusi mengatasi permasalahan biaya pakan lele dan lamanya jangka waktu produksi/panen (± 6 bulan) dalam usaha budidaya yang dilakukannya menjadi ±3,5 meminimalisir biaya pakan dari Rp.17.000-Rp.20.000/kg menjadi Rp.3.000-Rp.5.000/kg, jadi menghemat biaya pakan ikan sebesar 50-60%. Kegiatan Pengabdian ini mendapat respon positif dari Kepala Desa dan perangkat desa, serta masyarakat Desa Lubuk Siam. Upaya pemberdayaan masyarakat Desa Lubuk Siam ini, dapat dilihat bahwa mitra sudah berhasil membuat pakan sendiri, menambah pendapatan mitra untuk kolam ukuran 10 m x 16 m dengan padat tebarnya 25.000-30.000 ekor sebesar Rp.3.000.000-Rp.4.000.000/bulan dan meningkatkan gizi keluarga.

Precision animal feed formulation: An evolutionary multi-objective approach

Most livestock producers aim for optimal ways of feeding their animals. Conventional algorithms approach optimum feed formulation by minimizing feed costs while satisfying constraints related to nutritional requirements of the animal. The optimization process needs to be performed every time a nutritional requirement is changed due to the nonlinear relationship between the relaxation of the different nutritional requirements and the feed cost. Consequently, decision-making becomes a time-consuming trial and error process. In addition, the nonlinear relationship changes depending on the type of materials used, their nutritional compositions and costs as well as the animal’s nutritional requirements. Therefore, in this work, we formulated a multi-objective feed formulation problem comprising of two objects – a) minimizing feed cost and b) minimizing deviation from the specified requirements. The problem is solved using a population-based evolutionary multi-objective optimization algorithm (NSGA-II) that results in an optimal set of comprised solutions in a single run. The availability of the entire set of comprised solutions facilitates the understanding of the relationship between different nutritional requirements and cost, thus leading to a more efficient decision-making process. We demonstrated the applicability of the proposed method by performing experimental simulations on several cases of dairy and beef cattle feed formulation.

Growth and digestive enzymes of silver catfish fed diets containing fruit residue

ABSTRACT In fish farming, the use of alternative ingredients has been studied, so that alternative sources can be used to minimize feed costs. This study evaluated the incorporation of grape, orange, guava, and fig residues in diets for silver catfish and its effects on growth, digestive enzymes and body composition. A total of 180 fish (initial mean weight = 22.93±0.75 g) were reared in a recirculation aquaculture system. There was no difference (P&gt;0.05) in the parameters of growth, dry matter, mineral matter, plasma protein, cholesterol, triglycerides, lipase, and trypsin of fish. Glucose levels were higher in fish fed diets containing fig, orange, and grape residue (P&lt;0.05). Lipase activity was higher in fish fed orange residue, compared to guava (P&lt;0.05). Diets containing guava and fig provided more body protein in silver catfish. The fish fed with diet containing orange residue had a higher content of body lipids. It can be concluded that the tested fruit residues can be used in silver catfish feeding.

MANAJEMEN PADANG PENGGEMBALAAN DI BPTUHPT PADANG MENGATAS

Extensive raising of livestock, especially cattle is still faced with problems of quality and a continuous supply of green feed. Nearly 70% of production costs and maintenance expenditure sourced from cattle feed. Labor efficiency being one of the problems that have not been resolved. Various methods were developed to find a solution that will be able to resolve problems that arise. Breakthroughs were made to bring the solution to be developed. One conducted by BPTUHPT Padang Mengatas is to do with the method of pasture grazing system. With this system is expected able to resolve the issues. This method is considered appropriate to be applied as to minimize feed costs and streamline workforce on the vast farm lands.Keywords : feed, workforce, pasture.

SISTEM PENGGEMBALAAN SEBAGAI ALTERNATIF PETERNAKAN SAPI POTONG YANG EFEKTIF DAN EFISIEN

Raising of livestock, especially cattle is still faced with problems of a continuous supply of green feed. Nearly 70% of production costs and maintenance expenditure sourced from cattle feed. Labor efficiency being one of the problems that have not been resolved. Various methods were developed to find a solution that will be able to resolve problems that arise. Breakthroughs were made to bring the solution to be developed. One is to do with the method of pasture grazing system. With this system is expected able to resolve the issues. This method is considered appropriate to be applied as to minimize feed costs and streamline workforce.Keywords : feed, workforce, cost value

Effects of feeding nucleotides in diets containing corn germ meal or dried corn distillers grains and solubles on the performance and health of receiving and growing calves

To improve profitability of newly arrived stressed feeder cattle, it is essential to minimize feed costs and health issues while optimizing growth performance. Effects of nucleotides (NA; PSB Complex; DSS Global LLC, McCormick, SC) in diets containing corn germ meal (CGM) or dried corn distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) on the health and performance of receiving and growing cattle were analyzed in 3 experiments. In Exp. 1, 213 crossbred heifers (BW 262 ± 67 kg) were used to compare CGM- and DDGS-containing diets and to determine the effects of NA in an 84-d trial. Treatments were a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement: 2 by-product–containing diets (CGM and DDGS) and 3 amounts of NA (0, 2, and 4 g/d). There were no effects of NA, corn by-product, or their interaction on growth performance (P ≥ 0.15). Experiment 2 evaluated performance and immunity effects of NA using 240 crossbred heifers (BW 268 ± 34 kg) in a 56-d trial. The diet contained DDGS, and treatments were 0, 2, and 4 g/d of NA. There were no effects of NA on growth performance (P ≥ 0.18) or fecal IgA concentration (P = 0.15). Experiment 3 used 4 ruminally cannulated Holstein heifers in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial: 2 by-product–containing diets (GCM and DDGS) and 2 amounts of NA (0 and 3 g/d). No treatment effects were observed for digestion. Ruminal pH was greater when NA was included (P < 0.05). Based on our results, diets can be formulated to contain 24.5% CGM (DM basis) in place of DDGS and maintain animal performance and digestibility. In our experiments, there was no benefit of supplementing NA in growing diets.

Alternative options for sustainable intensification of smallholder dairy farms in North-West Michoacán, Mexico

Although Mexico aims to be self-sufficient in milk, domestic prices for milk are low due to trade liberalization, which resulted in imports of large amounts of milk powder, mainly from the United States. This situation threatens the livelihoods of smallholder dairy farmers. With varying success, farmers have tried to increase revenues by intensifying production through increased purchase of concentrates and production per cow, but this also resulted in substantial environmental problems. In this paper we combine a whole-farm model with data from representative pilot farms to explore alternative intensification options that more adequately can support the multi-objective setting of smallholders. Pilot dairy farms were defined in two categories: family-based (FB) and semi-specialized (SS), each at three levels of intensification: extensive (E, <0.8LUha−1), medium-intensive (M, >0.8 and <1.2LUha−1), and intensive (I, >1.2LUha−1). We aimed to explore management alternatives that enhance farm economic performance, while improving resource use efficiency and reducing negative environmental impacts. For each of the six pilot farms a large set of Pareto-optimal farm configurations was generated using the whole farm model in combination with an evolutionary algorithm. Applying a multivariate analysis, the sets of alternatives were classified in three functional groups that respectively aimed to: a) maximize profitability (‘economic’), b) maximize organic matter (OM) balance (‘environmental’), and c) minimize labor used, N balance and feeding costs (‘integrated’). Intensive (FBI, SSI) and large (SSM) farms had the widest ranges of opportunities for change, mainly to maximize profitability and/or OM balance, and to minimize N balance. Synergies were found between maximizing profitability and minimizing feed costs, and for minimizing both feed costs and N balance; trade-offs occurred for OM balance with feed costs and N balance. When comparing the current farm performance with the sets of alternatives, farms performed already well in terms of N and labor balances, whereas the largest scope for improvement was found for increasing OM balances. The results showed that just re-allocating the current resources might by itself lead to economic, social and/or environmental improvements for smallholder dairy farms.

Nutrient Potency of Rice Straw Processed with Amofer as Cattle Feed Stuff in East Kalimantan

Forage demand can be supplied from rice straw which processed with certain feed technology innovation. Some advantages can be derived under this technology i.e. increasing nutrient content, optimizing the utilization, improving the efficiency and reducing production cost by minimizing feed cost. Ammoniation fermentation (amofer) as an applied technology could give solution over the limitation of rice straw availability. The objective of this research was to determine the potency of rice straw processed with amofer (amofer-rice straw) as raw material to formulate complete feed. The experiment was carried out with randomized block design with three treatments and six replications. Amofer treatment was carried out by adding urea 3% from the total material and then placed into plastic jar + 12 liter and then incubated under an-aerobic process for 18 days. Fermentation material i.e. biology starter by 1% of total material was added at the ninth day. Dry Matter (DM) content resulted from each treatments was 87,28%, 85,96% and 84,61% for T 1 , T 2 and T 3 , respectively. Crude Protein (CP) content was T 1 =24,48%, T 2 =21,04%; and T 3 =24,46%, Crude Fiber (CF) content was T 1 =31,30%; T 2 =31,30%; and T 3 =31,39%. Total Digestible Nutrient (TDN) for version 1 was T 1 =57,29; T 2 =56,19; and T 3 =56,89 and version 2 was T 1 =53,11%; T 2 =52,28%; and T 3 =51,10%. The average value of Non Nitrogen Free Extract (NNFE) was T 1 =23,49%; T 2 =28,08%; and T 3 =26,57%. The utilization of amofer as applicable technology is considered as the most appropriate method to increase the quality of rice straw by significantly increase nutrient content in term of crude protein (CP) and reduce crude fiber (CF) content. This increasing quality can be seen from the result of proximate analysis, NNFE and TDN content

Optimized Nutrients Diet Formulation of Broiler Poultry Rations in Nigeria Using Linear Programming

The diet problem is a classic problem, one among the earliest problems formulated as a linear programming. The goal of the diet problem is to select a set of nutrients that will satisfy a set of daily nutritional requirement at minimum cost. Poultry being simple stomached species, cannot synthesize most of the nutrients required for them and so the nutrients become dietary essentials. Chicken has to be fed adequate quantities of balanced diet for its growth, livability and to exhibit its genetic potential to the full extent. Maximizing live bird profitability is similar to minimizing feed cost per kg live weight. The nutrient diet model formulation is a combination of different feed ingredients needed for a balance diet of the bird. The generic mathematical model which is applicable to each type of ration nine decision variables and ten parameters is constructed as subject to a set of twelve obtained constraints from a local farm. The model was solved using an excel solver package for easy accessibility. Model solution and post-optimality test results were obtained and compared with existing practice of the case study farm. The proposed optimal formulation of the linear programming model gives about 7.48% and 9.96% reduction in feed formulation costs compared to the existing formulation in case of broiler starter and finisher respectively on the farm. The model also reduced the amount of fat contained in the existing ration but adding more flesh by significantly increased the metabolisable energy needed for physiological structure. Post-optimality test or Sensitivity analysis also gave useful insight into the impact of changes in costs of feed inputs.

Optimization of response surface and neural network models in conjugation with desirability function for estimation of nutritional needs of methionine, lysine, and threonine in broiler chickens

The optimization algorithm of a model may have significant effects on the final optimal values of nutrient requirements in poultry enterprises. In poultry nutrition, the optimal values of dietary essential nutrients are very important for feed formulation to optimize profit through minimizing feed cost and maximizing bird performance. This study was conducted to introduce a novel multi-objective algorithm, desirability function, for optimization the bird response models based on response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN). The growth databases on the central composite design (CCD) were used to construct the RSM and ANN models and optimal values for 3 essential amino acids including lysine, methionine, and threonine in broiler chicks have been reevaluated using the desirable function in both analytical approaches from 3 to 16 d of age. Multi-objective optimization results showed that the most desirable function was obtained for ANN-based model (D = 0.99) where the optimal levels of digestible lysine (dLys), digestible methionine (dMet), and digestible threonine (dThr) for maximum desirability were 13.2, 5.0, and 8.3 g/kg of diet, respectively. However, the optimal levels of dLys, dMet, and dThr in the RSM-based model were estimated at 11.2, 5.4, and 7.6 g/kg of diet, respectively. This research documented that the application of ANN in the broiler chicken model along with a multi-objective optimization algorithm such as desirability function could be a useful tool for optimization of dietary amino acids in fractional factorial experiments, in which the use of the global desirability function may be able to overcome the underestimations of dietary amino acids resulting from the RSM model.

Evaluation of amino Acid and energy utilization in feedstuff for Swine and poultry diets.

An accurate feed formulation is essential for optimizing feed efficiency and minimizing feed cost for swine and poultry production. Because energy and amino acid (AA) account for the major cost of swine and poultry diets, a precise determination of the availability of energy and AA in feedstuffs is essential for accurate diet formulations. Therefore, the methodology for determining the availability of energy and AA should be carefully selected. The total collection and index methods are 2 major procedures for estimating the availability of energy and AA in feedstuffs for swine and poultry diets. The total collection method is based on the laborious production of quantitative records of feed intake and output, whereas the index method can avoid the laborious work, but greatly relies on accurate chemical analysis of index compound. The direct method, in which the test feedstuff in a diet is the sole source of the component of interest, is widely used to determine the digestibility of nutritional components in feedstuffs. In some cases, however, it may be necessary to formulate a basal diet and a test diet in which a portion of the basal diet is replaced by the feed ingredient to be tested because of poor palatability and low level of the interested component in the test ingredients. For the digestibility of AA, due to the confounding effect on AA composition of protein in feces by microorganisms in the hind gut, ileal digestibility rather than fecal digestibility has been preferred as the reliable method for estimating AA digestibility. Depending on the contribution of ileal endogenous AA losses in the ileal digestibility calculation, ileal digestibility estimates can be expressed as apparent, standardized, and true ileal digestibility, and are usually determined using the ileal cannulation method for pigs and the slaughter method for poultry. Among these digestibility estimates, the standardized ileal AA digestibility that corrects apparent ileal digestibility for basal endogenous AA losses, provides appropriate information for the formulation of swine and poultry diets. The total quantity of energy in feedstuffs can be partitioned into different components including gross energy (GE), digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), and net energy based on the consideration of sequential energy losses during digestion and metabolism from GE in feeds. For swine, the total collection method is suggested for determining DE and ME in feedstuffs whereas for poultry the classical ME assay and the precision-fed method are applicable. Further investigation for the utilization of ME may be conducted by measuring either heat production or energy retention using indirect calorimetry or comparative slaughter method, respectively. This review provides information on the methodology used to determine accurate estimates of AA and energy availability for formulating swine and poultry diets.

A Mixture of Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus lactis, and Paenibacillus polymyxa Reduces Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Finishing Feedlot Cattle

A direct-fed microbial (DFM) containing Paenibacillus polymyxa, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus lactis was fed to cattle (n = 120) to determine impacts on shedding and survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feces. Cattle were individually penned and fed diets containing 0 (control), 4 × 107 CFU (DFM-4), 8 × 107 C0 FU (DFM-8), or 1.2 × 108 CFU (DFM-12) lactobacilli per kg of dietary dry matter over 84-day fall-winter growing and 140-day spring-summer finishing periods. Fecal grab samples were collected from cattle at 28-day intervals, E. coli O157:H7 was detected by immunomagnetic separation, and isolates were compared by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. During the growing period, feces negative for E. coli O157 from each dietary treatment were inoculated with 105 CFU/g nalidixic acid–resistant E. coli O157:H7 and were incubated at 4 and 22C for 11 weeks. Fecal pH and fecal dry matter were measured on days 0, 1, 3, and 7 and weekly thereafter, with E. coli O157:H7 enumerated through dilution plating. Treatment with DFMs did not affect survival of E. coli O157:H7 in feces or fecal pH (P > 0.05). Only one steer was positive for E. coli O157:H7 during the growing period, but during the finishing period, DFM-8 and DFM-12 reduced the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in feces (P < 0.05). Feeding DFMs also reduced the frequency of individual steers shedding E. coli O157:H7 during finishing (P < 0.05), with control steers shedding E. coli O157:H7 up to four times, whereas DFM-12 steers shed E. coli O157:H7 a maximum of twice. Treatment with DFMs influenced pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles; steers that were fed DFM-8 and DFM-12 shed more diverse subtypes of E. coli O157:H7 than did control or DFM-4 steers. Because a companion study found linear improvement in performance with increasing dosage of DFMs in the first 28 days of the growing period, targeted use of DFM-12 during this time and for the final 1 or 2 weeks prior to slaughter may optimize performance and reduce E. coli O157:H7 while minimizing feed costs.