Mar 11
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What is meant by Feed Ingredient Type in a balanced ostrich feed? Rations are made up of a number of nutrients provided by a number of different feed ingredients. These ingredients have their own unique characteristics. The following are the different types of ingredient sources:
Forages: High Fibre, Medium Protein and Energy
Quality Lucerne is the most suitable forage for ostrich, providing quality fiber combined with a number of essential nutrients. All too often the word ‘roughage’ is used in a manner that indicates that it is fed ‘over and above’ the basic ration and simply there to ‘aid’ digestion. This is not true. Rations must include fiber at the right levels and from the right source. For optimum health and ostrich production the forage source must be highly digestible containing the maximum nutrients possible.
Grains: High in Energy, Low in Protein and Fibre
Grains are the seeds of crops that are members of the grass family. Grains utilized in ostrich rations should be quality whole grain products, high in energy. High fiber grains such as oats are not utilized well by ostrich. Maize is the best grain for ostrich.
Protein: High in Protein, Low in Fibre and Medium Energy
Dehulled soybean meal is the best protein source for ostrich with the right amino acid structure. Most other oil seed protein feeds carry certain difficulties and also lower levels of protein, thus requiring higher inclusion levels that can cause certain difficulties in achieving the correct ratios of protein feeds, grains and forages in the ration.
Minerals: Major, Minor and Trace
Minerals are available from the major ingredients, but some require supplementation to ensure adequate levels are available for optimum health and productivity. The highest grades of minerals are used for ostrich, as lower grades often contain mineral contaminants that interfere with other minerals in the rations. As productive ostrich rations are nutrient dense, these interferences are more pronounced and have to be watched carefully.
Vitamins:
Vitamins are available from the major ingredients that are not subjected to heat treatment, but all vitamins require additional supplementation in the feed from quality sources.
Fat and Oil:
The major ingredients contain a certain level of fat. Additional fat is supplied from a quality fat source. There are many different fats on the market for use in livestock production, so care must be taken to ensure the source is from a quality source and not recycled fats from supermarkets or restaurants or containing other additives that could interfere with other nutrients in the rations.
Other additives:
This includes additional amino acids, yeast culture, probiotics and similar natural ingredients included to balance rations and further improve digestion. Some ingredients provide greater production potential in a ration than others. The table illustrates the productive value of ingredients in ostrich farming rations with the ingredients in the red column avoided if at all possible to avoid loss of production.
