Cleverly Managing Roughage
Various types of roughage can be chopped or crushed, but they should not be too short. Ideally, the particle size should be between 6 mm and 10 mm. If the material is too fine, it can become dusty and settle in the rumen, which not only affects digestion but also increases the risk of ruminal acidosis and other health issues. Proper crushing techniques are essential—roughage should not be fully ground before mixing. A good approach is to mix a bundle of straw with corn stover and some powdered feed, allowing the mixture to naturally form a fibrous structure. This method helps balance nutrients and ensures that all necessary dietary components are included. Therefore, beef cattle diets should include at least six different types of roughage. Crushing roughage reduces waste and improves overall feed efficiency.
Smart Use of Roughage
Straw, corn stalks, and other crop residues are high in fiber but low in digestibility and nutritional value. Feeding them directly to cattle may meet basic maintenance needs but does little to support weight gain, milk production, or performance. However, through treatments like alkalization or ammoniation, the structural components of the straw—such as lignin and cellulose—can be modified, making them more accessible to digestive enzymes. This significantly improves feed utilization and nutritional value. For example, soaking straw in sodium hydroxide can boost its digestibility from 40% to 70%. Using a 4% sodium hydroxide solution can increase feed intake by 48% and dry matter digestibility by 16%. Ammoniated straw can raise crude protein levels by 5% to 6%, while also improving feed intake and organic matter digestibility by 10% to 15%. When urea-treated straw is fermented, microorganisms in the rumen help synthesize more protein, allowing urea to replace up to 30% of dietary protein.
Feeding Roughage Effectively
Processed or treated roughage should be fed separately, ideally before offering concentrates. This follows the natural feeding pattern of "eating bad first and then good," which helps prevent selective eating. Alternatively, feeding coarse and fine materials together can also work well, as it encourages complete consumption and minimizes waste. This method not only reduces food picking but also enhances palatability, ensuring that animals eat everything without leftovers. By doing so, you avoid spoilage in hot weather and freezing in cold conditions. Additionally, feeding roughage first helps cows eat more, increasing their overall feed intake and improving productivity. It's an effective way to manage diet and ensure balanced nutrition for better animal performance.
Black and White Ultrasound Scanner
"Black and White Ultrasound Scanner" is to emit ultrasonic waves, so that the ultrasonic waves encounter barriers to generate echoes, use the computer to collect these echoes, convert them into corresponding images and display them on the screen, and the images measured by the ultrasonic probe are black and white, so it is called " Black and White Ultrasound Scanner" is also the earliest diagnostic technology adopted by b-ultrasound.
"Black and White Ultrasound Scanner" has the advantages of non-invasive, high sensitivity, low cost and convenient operation
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