The Best Formula and Scientific Proportioning Method for Sheep Feed
In sheep farming, the choice and formulation of feed are very important. If you want sheep to reach market weight early, the feed must be scientifically proportioned to meet the growth needs of the sheep. At the same time, in order to reasonably utilize various feed ingredients and improve the utilization rate of feed nutrients, various feeds must be reasonably matched. Below, let us take a look at the best formula for sheep feed!
The Best Formula for Sheep Feed
1. Concentrate formula for housed fattening: cornmeal 21.5%, grass meal 21.5%, soybean cake 21.5%, corn kernels 17%, peanut cake 10.3%, wheat bran 6.9%, salt 0.7%, urea 0.3%, additives 0.3%.
2. Supplementary feed formula for grazing: corn 30%, bran 25%, rapeseed cake 20%, barley 20%, minerals 3%, salt 2%
3. Mixed concentrate formula for lambs: corn 60%, soybean cake 9.5%, flax cake 10%, bran 20%, bone meal 0.5%.
The Nutritional Components of Sheep Feed
1. Vitamins: Their main role is to regulate physiological functions, maintain health, and prevent disease. Fat-soluble vitamins include VA, VD, VE, and VK. Water-soluble vitamins include B vitamins and VC, VP, and others. Sheep can synthesize a certain amount of B vitamins through rumen microorganisms. General feed is rich in VD, VE, and VK, and the one most easily deficient is VA. Therefore, special attention should be paid to VA supplementation during sheep feeding.
2. Energy substances: Carbohydrates are the main energy substances. The energy requirement of sheep is related to their activity level. Sheep grazing on grassland consume 10-100% more energy than housed sheep.
3. Protein: During the metabolic process of the sheep body, protein must be absorbed from the various forages they eat as structural material and renewal material for various body tissues. The requirement for protein is actually the requirement for amino acids. Diversifying the forage fed helps ensure complete protein nutrition.
4. Minerals: They are the main components that make up the sheep's bones and teeth. Macro elements mainly include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, chlorine, magnesium, sulfur, and others. Trace elements mainly include iron, copper, zinc, selenium, iodine, cobalt, molybdenum, and others. They play an extremely important role in the digestion, absorption, metabolism, acid-base balance, maintenance of osmotic pressure, and composition of the animal body.
Formula Calculation for Sheep Feed
1. Determine the average body weight and daily weight gain level of the sheep in the housed flock as the basic basis for the daily ration formula.
2. Calculate the nutrient content per kilogram of diet. Dividing the sheep's nutritional requirement by the sheep's feed intake gives the nutrient content per kilogram of diet (%). For example, crude protein content is 15%, energy 8.2 MJ/kg, calcium 0.8%, phosphorus 0.4%.
3. Determine the feed to be used, and list the nutritional composition and nutritional value table of the selected feed for selection and calculation.
4. Based mainly on the energy and protein content in the diet, reserve the shares for minerals and additives, generally 2-3%, and try to prepare a preliminary mixed feed.
5. On the premise of keeping the energy concentration and protein content of the initially mixed feed basically unchanged, adjust the amounts of feed ingredients to reduce the cost of the daily ration, and keep the two basic nutritional indicators of energy and protein in line with the needs.
6. On the basis that the energy and protein content and feed matching basically meet the requirements, adjust and supplement calcium, phosphorus, salt, and other indicators such as additives.