Feed wheat is one of the classes for dividing cereals by quality indicators. Such grain has special requirements, and its use should be rational. Learn more about this in the article.
Fodder purpose
The word "forage" is translated from French as "feed". Wheat is called wheat, which has not passed quality control of the food market, and therefore is not suitable for human nutrition. The composition of this grain is ideal for feeding farm animals: cattle, small cattle, poultry, nutria, rabbits, etc.
Feed wheat is not specially cultivated and is not harvested for sowing. In addition to cereals, hay and mowed plant parts of wheat and other cereals (straw) are called fodder.
Features of feed wheat
The peculiarity is the low quality of grain compared to food standards. This class of cereal is characterized by the following symptoms:
- a large percentage of damaged grains;
- high carbohydrate content, mainly starch;
- low concentration of proteins and fats in the composition;
- minimum amount of fiber;
- reduced grain moisture (up to 15%).
What are the product requirements?
There are certain requirements for feed wheat. International standards of quality and GOST allow any grade and type of wheat, but strictly regulate the following indicators:
- Appearance.The grain should be healthy, have a normal color and shape. There should be no smell of mold, rot, malt, etc.
- Impurities.In the total mass of feed wheat, contamination with other grains of more than 15%, weed seeds - more than 1%, mineral waste - more than 3% is not allowed.
- Infection with fungal diseases. The grain affected by Fusarium should be no more than 1%, smut fungus - up to 10%. Infection with other diseases is not allowed.
- The presence of pests. The forage should not have any pests in the total mass. Damage by insects and microorganisms capable of harming livestock is not allowed.
- Humidity. This indicator should not exceed 15%.
What is the difference from food grain?
The main difference between feed wheat and food wheat is grain quality. Feed cereals undergo less demanding certification before entering the agricultural market. The price of feed wheat is significantly lower than grain of higher classes.
Advantages and disadvantages of feed wheat
The advantages of forage include:
- Valuable composition. optimally suitable for raising livestock. When additional sources of lysine and phosphorus are introduced into the diet, the metabolic processes of the body stabilize, and the health and development of animals improves.
- Easy storage. The high content of carbohydrates does not accumulate moisture inside the grain, which prolongs its shelf life.
- Low price. It depends on the crop, variety and quality of grain, but always lower than the prices for grain of higher classes.
The disadvantages of feed wheat:
- a large amount of starch in the composition can cause gastrointestinal diseases in animals;
- the predominance of carbohydrates against a background of protein and fiber deficiency can lead to obesity in livestock;
- low levels of sugar, fat and fiber can cause indigestion or poor absorption of grain.
Negative consequences occur only from the use of forage in its pure form. Make the right diet for animals and birds to get only a positive effect from feed feed.
Feed wheat classification
Depending on the compliance with such indicators as appearance, the mass fraction of gluten and its quality, vitreous, wheat are divided into several classes. World and domestic standards may differ from each other and consist of 5 classes for durum wheat or 6 classes for soft wheat, which are combined in 3 groups:
- Group “A” includes grades 1-3 grades. This is the best wheat used in the food industry. Only this grain is exported to the foreign market and is called strong.
- Group B includes wheat of the 4th class, saturated with strong varieties. Pasta and crushed cereals are produced from this grain.
- Feed wheat includes 5-6 grade grains.
Whatever the classification, fodder grain is always of the lowest quality, therefore it belongs to the lower class. It is never used in food and is not mixed with strong varieties.
How to use feed for livestock?
Fodder is a versatile feed used in poultry, livestock and fish farming. The rate of feed wheat in the main diet for:
- small cattle and pigs - up to 40%;
- Cattle - up to 35%;
- horses - up to 30%;
- small pets from 20 to 40%;
- birds - up to 60%.
Depending on the variety of wheat and its qualities, the orientation of the use of cereal and its preparation depends on:
- With a high content of cellulose in feed wheat, it is suitable for feed cattle and small cattle, horses.
- Less pulp allows pigs, poultry and fish to feed grain.
- For feeding poultry and small animals, use soft varieties of feed cereal. Hard grain must be steamed, sprouted or chopped. Cattle and pigs can be fed on the basis of durum wheat.
It is optimal not only to include feed wheat in the composition of compound feeds, but also to take this cereal as the basis of the compositions. Whether the grain will be completely digested by the animals depends on the quality of the generated feed and its composition. Add other foods to it to compensate for the harm caused by high starch. Enrich the composition with the addition of fats, protein, fiber, vitamin and mineral complex.
Storage rules
Grain with a moisture level of not more than 12% is sent for storage. At the same time, in the granary this indicator should be at the level of 40-75%, and the air temperature should not exceed 80 degrees.
Feed wheat tolerates storage well, but in order to extend its shelf life while maintaining grain quality, observe the following rules:
- dry the grain before laying in the granary;
- do not mix fodder with different indicators of moisture and weediness, so as not to provoke spontaneous heating of wheat;
- Do not combine chilled fodder with warmed dried grain;
- Do not store healthy wheat in the same room with damaged or infected grain;
- control the humidity of wheat and air in the granary during the entire storage period.
Depending on the dryness of the grain and the season, the height of the bulk storage layer of the forage differs significantly:
- In the cold months, raw wheat is covered with a layer of up to 2 m, wet grain - up to 3 m, medium-dry grain - up to 4 m.
- In the warm season, the layer thickness is reduced by 1.5-2 times.
Optimum storage of fodder wheat in plastic bags is considered. They do not let light, moisture in, exclude infection of grain with pests and diseases.
How to choose feed wheat?
When choosing feed wheat, focus not on prices, but on grain quality. Read the documentation, check the color, smell, integrity of the cereal.
When acquiring large volumes, entrust fodder analysis to professionals by sending samples for analysis to the laboratory.
Feed wheat is the basis of feed in agriculture. Certain requirements are imposed on its quality, and the storage of such grain is possible subject to a number of conditions. When choosing forage for your cattle, make sure that it complies with the rules. This will allow you to use all the advantages of grain and avoid the harmful effects of its use.