Feed Preparation with Rolled Barley: An Energy and Flavor Hub for Your Animals

Feed Preparation with Rolled Barley: An Energy and Flavor Hub for Your Animals

In animal nutrition, energy is an indispensable element for productivity and health. Among cereals, **rolled barley** holds an important place, especially for ruminants, due to its high energy content, digestibility, and palatability. Rolled barley is obtained by crushing or flaking the grain to facilitate digestion. So, how do you incorporate rolled barley into your rations, and what should you pay attention to? Here's a step-by-step practical guide!

Why is Rolled Barley So Important?

The main reasons why rolled barley is widely used in animal nutrition are:

• High Energy Source: Barley is a concentrated energy source for animals, particularly due to its starch and digestible fiber content. This is critical for milk yield, weight gain, and overall vitality.
• High Digestibility: The rolling process breaks the outer hull of the barley grain, making the internal starch more accessible to digestive enzymes. This means the animal benefits more from the feed.
• Palatability: It is a feed that animals consume readily, which increases feed intake.
• Rumen Health: Its starch ferments slower than corn, which can help maintain a more balanced rumen pH, reducing the risk of acidosis.
• Price Advantage: It can be a more cost-effective energy source compared to corn, depending on the region.

Steps for Ration Preparation with Rolled Barley

To create a balanced and efficient ration containing rolled barley, carefully follow these steps:

1. Step: Determine Your Animal's Needs

As with the basis of any ration preparation process, first determine the **nutrient requirements** of the animal you will be feeding (dairy cattle, beef calves, lambs, sheep, etc.) according to its species, age, weight, and physiological state. For example:

• Dairy Cattle: Energy and protein needs vary according to milk yield level.
• Beef Calves: High energy and protein are necessary for rapid live weight gain.
• Lambs and Kids: An energy and protein balance specific to the growth period should be established.

After determining this information with the help of a nutrition specialist or reliable feeding tables, note down the daily amounts of **dry matter (DM)**, **crude protein (CP)**, **metabolizable energy (ME)**, and **minerals/vitamins** the animal needs.

2. Step: Identify Your Feed Raw Materials and Determine Their Quality

It is crucial to know the nutrient values of **rolled barley** and all other forage/concentrate feeds you will use in your ration.

• Rolled Barley Quality: The moisture content, cleanliness, and rolling quality of the barley flakes are important. Avoid using moldy or damp rolled barley. Regularly having feed analyses done allows you to know the precise nutrient values of your barley.
• Other Forages: Consider the quality and nutrient values of forages such as alfalfa, grass silage, corn silage, or straw.
• Protein Sources: While rolled barley is a good energy source, its protein content is usually insufficient. Therefore, you will need protein sources like soybean meal or sunflower meal.

3. Step: Calculate Ration Ratios

Once the animal's needs and the nutrient values of the feed raw materials are determined, calculate how much of each feed to give. When incorporating rolled barley into the ration, pay attention to the following:

• Determining Proportion: Rolled barley will constitute a certain percentage of the total dry matter of the ration. This proportion varies according to the animal's species, age, and production goal. For example, higher proportions (%30-50) can be used in beef cattle, while more balanced proportions (%20-40) may be used in dairy cows to maintain rumen health.
• Energy and Protein Balance: Balance protein sources to complement the high energy content of rolled barley.
• Fiber Requirement: Since rolled barley is an energy-dense feed, it is important to maintain sufficient fibrous forage in the ration for rumen health.
• Mineral and Vitamin Supplementation: Rolled barley and other basic feeds do not meet all of the animal's mineral and vitamin needs. Therefore, mineral and vitamin premixes suitable for the animal's age and production level must be added to the ration.
• Transition Period: If you are newly adding rolled barley to the ration or increasing its amount, do so gradually over several days to allow the animals' digestive systems to adapt.

4. Step: Mix and Present the Ration

After making your calculations, mix the feeds homogeneously and present them to your animals:

• Mixing: While manual mixing can be done for small herds, using a feed mixer is best for large herds. A feed mixer ensures even distribution of all feeds, including rolled barley.
• Feeding Frequency: Dividing the daily ration into several meals reduces the burden on the animals' digestive system and allows for better utilization of the feed.
• Water Supply: Ensure that animals always have free access to clean and fresh water. Water is essential for digestion and metabolism.
• Feeder Hygiene: Regularly cleaning feeders maintains feed quality and reduces the risk of disease.

5. Step: Observe and Make Adjustments

After giving the ration to your animals, observe their responses closely:

• Feed Consumption: Are the animals consuming the feed with appetite? Are there any feed residues left?
• Body Condition: Are the animals gaining weight or producing milk as targeted? Is there excessive weight loss or gain?
• Manure Consistency: Is the manure consistency normal? Are there digestive problems like diarrhea or constipation?
• General Health and Behavior: What is the animals' general health status, vitality, and behavior?

As a result of these observations, you may need to make adjustments to the ration. For example, if there is diarrhea, the amount of rolled barley can be reduced, or the fibrous feed ratio can be increased. If productivity is not increasing, energy or protein supplementation can be re-evaluated.

Practical Tips for Using Rolled Barley

• Rolling Quality: Be careful not to grind the barley grain into a very fine flour. Too fine grinding can increase the risk of ruminal acidosis. The ideal is to crack the grain and expose the starch.
• Storage: Rolled barley should be stored in cool, dry places away from moisture. Prefer well-ventilated areas to prevent mold.
• Transition Period: As with any new feed source, when incorporating rolled barley into the ration for the first time or significantly changing its amount, make a gradual transition to allow the animals' digestive system to adapt.
• Expert Consultation: In large-scale operations or if you lack experience with rations, seeking professional help from a veterinarian or animal nutrition specialist is the most appropriate approach for both animal health and economic efficiency.

Rolled barley, when used correctly, can be a powerful energy source in your animals' nutrition. By following the steps in this guide and observing your animals carefully, you can prepare the most suitable and efficient ration for them.