Grain fodder: quality and storage. How does the feed grain differ from the usual?

The development of livestock makes it necessary to increase the amount of fodder for livestock. According to statistical data, about half of the average annual harvest of cereals is spent for these needs. At the same time, from the total mass of 15-20 million tons falls on wheat. To reduce the cost of livestock products, instead of more expensive food cereals, forage grains are used. It is intended directly for feeding cattle. Fodder is cheaper. This allows you to reduce the cost of livestock products.

Grain fodder

Almost all cereals in different proportions are divided into food and fodder. There are certain quality standards for the first variant of cereals. Grain that does not meet these standards is used as fodder, or fodder. But this does not mean that everything that does not comply with food standards goes to feed animals. The quality of fodder grain is also regulated by humidity, germination, weed impurities and other factors. Cereals are the main diet in pigs, poultry, sheep, horse breeding. Grain fuels are concentrated fodder. It is an indispensable component of the diet when growing cattle for meat.

What is the difference between feed grain and ordinary grain?

For the production of cereals in agriculture, cereals, amaranth and buckwheat groups of botanical families are cultivated. The most common: wheat, barley, rye, corn, rice, oats and millet. These grains are divided into several classes. The main agricultural crop in the world is wheat. It is used for the production of bakery, confectionery and pasta. Forage (forage) wheat is the basis of the ration in livestock. Wheat is the foundation for the production of alcohol, beer and liqueur-vodka drinks.

Conventionally, wheat is divided into soft and hard varieties. At the same time, the former are divided into six classes. Solid - at five. The first four classes are used for food purposes. Fifth and sixth grade - for animal feed (grain forage). Class is determined in accordance with the requirements of the standard for the worst quality measure. In other words, forage, or fodder, grain is inferior to food for these indicators. Requirements for such a grain is less. Consequently, its value is lower. Difficulties in cultivation usually do not arise.

Classes and technical requirements

Technical requirements form the so-called basic conditions. They include several quantitative and qualitative indicators of grain:

• Nature (unit weight) is the mass of 1 liter of grain, expressed in grams. This measure is adopted only for wheat, barley, oats and rye. Characterizes the indicator of the fulfillment of grain. Low-grain cereals - those that have not finished their development due to certain reasons (early frosts, dry winds).
• The most important indicator of the basic conditions of the grain is moisture. Characterizes persistence during storage.
• Weediness - limiting indicators of the content of weed impurities.

The first three classes (the highest, the first and the second) are the so-called strong varieties. They are used for food purposes both independently and for the improvement of weaker varieties. The third class is valuable cereals. They are self-employed in the food industry and do not require improvement. The fourth class is applied in the industry after improvement by the first three classes. The fifth and sixth grade - grain forage.

Kinds of fodder grain

One of the most popular feed in the world is cornmeal. Fodder corn favorably stands out among other fodder cereals high in starch, fat (up to 8%) and protein (about 10%). Fodder variety has the highest energy value and the best digestibility. This grain of corn is great for feeding all kinds of animals. It is the main component for many mixtures and mixed fodders.

Feeding of farm animals is no less widely used forage grains of wheat. According to the general nutritional value, such cereals are inferior only to corn. Feed wheat also has high energy value and digestibility. Such grains are used as a basis for the preparation of feed mixtures. But that is not all.

Oat and barley grain is an excellent food for horses, dairy cattle and pigs. The chemical composition is high in fat and fiber. When feeding such a forage of milk cows, the quality of milk improves.

Storage

Storage of feed grain is no different from food grain. Just need to pay attention to some factors. So, security depends on the preparation of the storage and the grain itself, as well as compliance with storage regimes. The main factor affecting the safety is humidity. Weathered grain with an index of not more than 12% can be perfectly stored for many years without significant weight loss. With such humidity, there are no conditions for biochemical processes. On the contrary, its increase contributes to the development of pests, the release of heat. As a result, the grains deteriorate. By the way, the storage temperature should not exceed 10 ºС.