March 25, 2009

Energy content may become a determinant in feed grain prices therefore new innovations designed to maximise animal production from grains may be required.

 

If feed grains are traded according to their energy density, stockfeed buyers may need to pay more for high-energy grains, and the buyers may prefer to identify high-energy grains that are on the market at no price premium.

 

Correspondingly, lower-energy grains will be priced lower by buyers using the energy pricing system, and sellers may seek out buyers who offer undiscounted prices.

 

If an energy pricing system is adopted for grains, markets will select the high-energy grain and leave lower-energy grain for export.

 

As such, a new concept of evaluating the energy of grains was recently discussed in Melbourne. In the meeting, the Pork Cooperative Research Centre hopes the new Near Infrared Spectroscopy tests will enhance the transparency of grain quality between buyers and sellers. With new calibrations, NIR instruments can determine the energy content for particular animal types.

 

When grains of added to other ingredients in a ration, the feed can regularly be either deficient or exceed the required energy target.

 

The variability of available energy in grains is different in ruminants and monogastric animals. Studies have showed that when wheat and barley are fed to pigs and poultry, the available energy can vary three megajoules per kg of dry matter, or 20-30 percent. When wheat and barley are fed to dairy and beef cattle, the energy content was found to vary only one megajoule, or 7-8 percent.

 

Quality indicators currently used by grain buyers include test weight, screenings, and the degree of sprouting, but these test results provide weak indications of the energy content that animals can get from the grains.

 

Studies have also suggested that rather than being detrimental to quality, sprouted wheat can often provide more readily-available energy as enzymes have began breaking down starches in the grain.

 

Screening results are useful for stockfeeders as the grain size determines whether the grain passes through a roller mill. Small grains are not milled and the grain starch is not exposed to the digestive process, reducing digestibility.

 

However, once the grain size threshold is reached, screenings provide a poor indicator of feeding value.

 

Adopting any new pricing system will have its challenges, as the stockfeed industry is a big business and optimising the energy content of feeds offers huge gains. Ultimately, the success of new energy evaluation and pricing systems will be determined in the market place.