Your livestock is aging. How can you ensure their feed is appropriate?

1 Assess your livestock's feed requirements

The first step to ensure your livestock's feed is appropriate is to assess their feed requirements. This means estimating how much and what kind of feed they need to meet their maintenance, growth, reproduction, and lactation needs. You can use various methods to do this, such as feed tables, feed calculators, or animal models. These methods take into account factors such as animal species, breed, age, weight, body condition score, activity level, environment, and production goals. You should also consult your veterinarian or nutritionist for advice on your specific situation.

2 Choose the right feed types and supplements

The second step is to choose the right feed types and supplements for your livestock. Feed types include forages, concentrates, by-products, and additives. Forages are grasses, legumes, and other plants that provide fiber, energy, and some protein. Concentrates are grains, seeds, and other high-energy and high-protein feeds. By-products are leftovers from food processing or industrial activities that can provide nutrients or improve feed quality. Additives are substances that enhance feed efficiency, palatability, or health. Supplements are feeds that provide extra minerals, vitamins, or other nutrients that may be lacking in the main feed. You should select the feed types and supplements that match your livestock's feed requirements, availability, cost, and quality.

4 Prevent and treat feed-related problems

The fourth step is to prevent and treat any feed-related problems that may affect your livestock's health and performance. Some common feed-related problems include bloat, acidosis, laminitis, ketosis, milk fever, and mineral deficiencies or toxicities. These problems can be caused by feeding too much or too little of certain feeds, changing feeds too quickly, or feeding poor quality or contaminated feeds. You should prevent these problems by following good feeding practices, such as gradually introducing new feeds, balancing the ration, providing adequate water and roughage, and avoiding moldy or spoiled feeds. You should also treat these problems promptly by identifying the symptoms, consulting your veterinarian, and applying the appropriate remedies.

5 Evaluate your feed efficiency and profitability

The fifth step is to evaluate your feed efficiency and profitability. Feed efficiency is the ratio of the output to the input of your livestock production. For example, feed conversion ratio is the amount of feed required to produce one unit of weight gain, milk, or eggs. Feed efficiency reflects how well your livestock uses the feed to produce the desired products. Profitability is the difference between the revenue and the cost of your livestock production. Feed cost is usually the largest component of the cost, so reducing feed cost can increase profitability. You should evaluate your feed efficiency and profitability by tracking your feed consumption, production output, and income and expenses. You should also compare your results with your goals and benchmarks and identify areas for improvement.

6 Keep up with the latest feed research and innovations

The sixth and final step is to keep up with the latest feed research and innovations. Feed research and innovations can provide new insights, methods, and products that can help you improve your livestock's feed quality, quantity, and utilization. You can keep up with the latest feed research and innovations by reading publications, attending workshops, joining networks, and visiting demonstration farms. You should also be open to experimenting with new feeds and technologies, but always test them on a small scale first and monitor their effects carefully.