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Corn protein (zein), which is fairly resistant to degradation by the rumen microbes, encapsulates the starch granules resulting in the slower rate of starch digestion as well as more ‘bypass’ protein. This extra bypass protein does not necessarily result in superior performance. With a lower protein content, corn based rations usually require supplemental degradable protein that may not be required with grains typically fed in alberta.

Corn is the most common feed grain in north america and is the standard to which all other grains are compared. Corn contains the highest level of starch and energy of the grains discussed and has the lowest percent of ruminal starch digestion. These characteristics make it a good source of energy for cattle.

With rice being the staple food throughout the country and the government seemingly have taken the rice importing route, the graining industry of the philippines is in desperate need of a refurbishing. We here at west grains hope to achieve that, and so in light of this great epiphany, here are three grains of truths about.

We here at west grains just love to educate the public on how important the graining industry is here in the philippines. With rice being the staple food throughout the country and the government seemingly have taken the rice importing route, the graining industry of the philippines is in desperate need of a refurbishing. We here at west grains hope to achieve that, and so in light of this great epiphany, here are three grains of truths about, well, grain by-products that you may want to look into if you’re in the animal or animal-feeds business.

Maize (zea mays l.) is a major staple food grain throughout the world, particularly in africa, latin america and asia, and a major feedstuff in developed countries. The maize grain has many food (grain, flour, syrup, oil…) and non-food usages (cosmetics, adhesives, paints, varnishes). Maize starch and oil are also major products (ecocrop, 2010). The maize grain is a major feed grain and a standard component of livestock diets where it is used as a source of energy. Other grains are typically compared to maize when their nutritional value is estimated. Many by-products of maize processing for flour (hominy feed, bran, germs, oil meal), starch (corn gluten feed, corn gluten meal) and alcohol/biofuel industries (distillers’ dried grains and solubles) can be fed to animals.

Maize breeders have created many cultivars that correspond to specific climatic or agronomic conditions and uses. “Dent corn” maize is the most widely grown type of maize and the one typically used for feed. Other types (flint corn, popcorn, sweet corn, flour corn) are more intended for food uses. Some varieties have been created to improve the industrial or nutritional value: high lysine, high tryptophan, high oil, high amylose, low phytate, etc. Brown midrib maize has a lower lignin content resulting in an increased digestibility in livestock. Genetically-modified (gm) maize varieties have been designed to improve grain performances (herbicide resistance, pest resistance, higher yields).

With the rapid rise of the industrial food animal production system, an increasing number of food animals once raised on pastures are now raised in feedlots. Feedlot-raised animals are kept indoors for the majority of the year, and they are given feed formulated to speed their growth to market weight and supply them with essential nutrients, while minimizing costs to operators. Concerns have arisen about the content of these feeds, however, as grain-based diets can produce serious and sometimes fatal digestive tract problems in food animals such as cows, goats, and sheep whose stomachs are best suited to digesting high-cellulose containing plants like grass.

Although cheap feed grains mean lower meat and dairy prices for consumers, meat from grass fed animals is often lower in saturated fat than meat from grain fed animals. The fda has reported that lowering the percentage of calories consumed from saturated fats may reduce the risk of heart disease. While there is still more research to be done to examine the potential health benefits of consuming grass fed beef, initial findings indicate that other nutrients found in grass fed beef may be beneficial to the health of the consumer.

Raising cattle on pasture not only makes sense for their digestive health, but also because it is an efficient use of natural resources, turning something we can’t eat – grass – into something we can – meat and dairy products. Pasture-based cattle operations also decrease soil erosion and improve soil fertility and water quality by maintaining grasslands which protect soils from water and wind erosion. It is important to consider how livestock feed affects animal health, and by extension the health of people who consume these animal products.