information, measurements and knowledge of the correct production system – Economis

Present worldwide – more than 100 factories in 30 countries that produce more than 600 million tons of animal feed per year – Provimi Cargill Argentina accompanies those who are the protagonists of rural life.

On this occasion, the company presents an exclusive interview with one of the main references and consultants of the Argentine livestock industry. In the new edition of CarneCast, M.Sc. Sebastian Luis Riffel is number 22.

which explains what are the most appropriate strategies to achieve proper nutrition without excessive cost, with accurate nutrients and performance measurement that is still not up to international standards. First, we need to be able to determine if we are faced with systems that are inefficient, improperly ordered. It is even possible that even the owner himself does not know what they are and cannot determine the origin of these losses. That’s why from this approach to efficient animal nutrition they talk aboutprograms

. From complete systems that go beyond a specific diet and seek to optimize all resources to achieve profitable, sustainable animal production with a future in mind.

Advantages and disadvantages of whole and crushed dried corn

“The reality is that both options are optimal. It all depends on the ability to determine in what conditions we use the grain. There is a processing method for every situation and for every company. In this sense, the best strategy is to adapt to every need. Similarly, there are some claims that no longer need to be discussed, such as the fact that processed grains improve digestion. However, it is also important to analyze whether the crushed grain contributes to better digestion and therefore greater economic efficiency in the long run,” Riffel explains.

“On the contrary, if we take a whole grain of corn – and depending on the type of corn – we have to interpret whether this part of the dry grain will improve the response of animals and, above all, whether it will improve the economic response. So when you give whole grain corn, for example, and use serrated corn, there is little to no difference in terms of animal response, or at best, there can be a difference of two or three percent. in favor of the party When we switch to hard orange corn, the endosperm of which is a little more difficult to digest, the difference in this corn is from 3 to 5%, ”the source emphasizes.

The most important thing is to be able to perfectly distinguish in what type of food and with what component we mix. The fiber effect must be added to this equation, because by varying the processing method, taking into account the conditions inherent in each field, place, climate, age of the animal (we are always talking about an adult weighing 500 kg or more) and other variables, we get different results.

Disposing of wet corn

In the same way that every grower needs to conduct a feasibility study of their business and assess whether they are the most profitable in terms of crushed or whole dry grain, we see this also carry over to wet grain.

In this sense, this type of system is very easy to implement in Argentina and has a very low cost. In fact, wet grains have marked improvements over dry whole grains or dry broken grains. Moreover, I believe that today this processing method is the best that we can use in Argentina, especially in those companies that produce their own food or are integrated with agriculture.

The use of wet grain has great agrotechnical and nutritional benefits. The fiber and moisture that marlo contains are of fundamental importance, especially in its physiological maturity, which for Argentinean hybrids is 30% moisture from now until the commercial maturity of the grain in the plant, where it not only loses moisture, but also loses 1000 grains of dry weight. This is because there is a life process that goes on; respiratory process, in which the installation continues to work and there is a loss of mass of dry grain. This loss results in a lower yield at the lot level because the grain loses weight as it moves from 30% moisture to commercial maturity, which varies by region of the country. Thus, there is a loss of material during this process, indicating that, at the batch level, wet grain yields more than dry grain. This would be the first agronomic advantage. That is, I have a higher grain yield per batch, eight percent more yield, and, according to some American works, this percentage can increase to 15%.

But what advantage does wet grain have over dry grain? Essentially, this moist grain keeps the starch grains in a protein matrix and makes them less digestible. If at this point we collect and separate the grain, we free this starchy grain from this protein matrix, and this improves cicatricial and post-cicatricial digestion. INTA studies show that wet split grain is 14% better than dry split grain and 18% better than the same dry material.

Conversion efficiency with wet corn

“When we have wet beans, we generally expect a reduction in consumption compared to dry beans, whether split or not. If what we’re looking for exclusively is improved weight gain, perhaps with just wet grain, sometimes we won’t get it. That is, the improvement in conversion occurs due to a decrease in consumption, but, at the same time, due to an increase in weight gain. Two things about two aspects. We always remember that recycling efficiency arises because it determines the value of the produced kilogram. Therefore, it is much more important to improve conversions than to increase profits,” explains Riffel.

Managing protein levels based on the type of grain used

Based on the fact that corn delivers approximately 8 percent of the protein, we see that it has a very low digestibility and it was the skipped protein that was valued at 20-25%, the rest were well tolerated. Now we note that a large amount of protein is wasted in Argentina. The requirement for protein to kill animals is indicated at about 11 points, and this is where they find the best response in terms of conversion. The animal does not eat percentages of protein, but eats grams of protein. At this point, it is important to note that in addition to the necessary proteins, the inclusion of supplements in premixes is required to achieve a diet with the correct amount of ingredients (calcium, salt, potassium, magnesium, trace elements, vitamins, supplements). Cargill has developed for this purpose

ROC, a completely new technology created in the USA to meet the needs of growers and feedlots, offers many advantages over previously known feed and pellets.

Several years ago, beef producers in the US began to raise the issue of the need to change the percentage of inclusion of additives in premixes. In the past, when using true protein, 5-10% inclusion was used. With the rise of ethanol production and the advent of bourland and wet gluten as a source of protein, as well as typical feedlot ingredients, this inclusion percentage is no longer needed. But for the production of conventional pellets, at least 50-60% organic matter and at least 5-6% inclusion are required to obtain pellets with such characteristics.

Manufacturing cost analysis

It may happen that in some cases the manufacturer does not receive proper and professional advice and receives diets that are not nutritionally correct, much less cost-effective. “With PROVIMI we really have the best plan for the feedlots. An exclusive product line that combines comprehensive knowledge of nutrition, animal metabolism and performance, combined with advanced risk management tools and nutrient-based feed formulation, to consistently achieve your goals,” adds Riffel. “Unfortunately, in our country, manufacturers are not yet accustomed to a full, effective level of consultation, with innovation and rigor. This is the case, for example, in Brazil, where companies are concerned with honesty. Thus, time and management in the service of the manufacturer and his profit are the key factors. That is, try to achieve the highest level of conversion efficiency. Measurements are necessary to achieve the highest possible efficiency,” the expert concludes.

Source: CarneCast Series #22 – How to Feed Maize Grain to the Pen? – interview with M.Sc. Sebastian Louis Riffel – https://youtu.be/WhZBEeRtrFk