Published by: SPESFEED cc, P O Box 48, Rivonia, 2128. Tel: (011) 803-2050, Fax: (011) 803-8201

General News

As always there is a fair amount of information that falls under the ‘general’ heading. Firstly I will be traveling to the UK and Spain to attend the FORMAT agent’s meeting at the end of September. Apart from spending some time with the nutritionists at Nutec in the UK, I am hoping to see something of the Spanish feed industry while I am there. I will report back on my trip in the next newsletter.

We now have a post box at the main Rivonia Post Office and our postal address will be changing to:

SPESFEED cc

PO Box 48

Rivonia

2128 

 

We are moving closer and closer to publishing everything electronically. We have bought a scanner so that we can scan photographs and diagrams into documents. We can then transmit these documents to people via E-mail instead of posting them. The other development is that the tenants of our office building have agreed to club together and put in dedicated ISDN line (high speed) to the Internet. This means that we will be able to establish our own Web site and that we will permanently be on line in terms of E-mail.

As most people are aware we have always used the laboratory run by Noordwes Koop in Lichtenburg. This lab, the Outspan Laboratory and the Meadow Feeds Lab have combined to form the Central Agricultural Laboratory. The new lab is managed by Dr. Arie van Vuuren who used to run the Noordwes Lab. Walter and I were invited to go and inspect the new facilities at the AEC (Pelindaba). Apart from some initial teething problems we are convinced that CAL is going to be THE laboratory to use in the future and Arie has told us that they will be seeking international accreditation.

In the past many of our clients have charged their analysis to our account at Noordwes. This was because the Koop rules about accounts were rather complicated. Arie has given us the assurance that the new private company does not have the same approach to accounts and that he will happily open accounts for our clients.

To facilitate the handling of samples he has developed special sample boxes. We will have a stock of these and will distribute them as required. In addition, CAL has special arrangements with various couriers so that your samples will reach them in the shortest possible time at a very reasonable rate.

As a nation we are inclined to think that we can ‘do our own thing’ regarding the way in which we control and regulate our economy and industries. Reality is beginning to sink in, in terms of the economy, with the realisation that we are, indeed, global players and that barriers such as exchange control need to go. GATT is likely to directly impact on the way in which we trade in commodities. What few people realise, though, is that GATT is also likely to impact on animal products.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN has begun with the development of a code of animal feeding practises for feed manufacturing. The code will operate much like a set of good manufacturing practise regulations, which the U.S. has developed for medicated feeds over three decades.

The code will focus on two areas: potential effects of toxic or harmful substances in feed on veterinary and human public health (i.e. food safety) and the effects of manufacturing and ingredient procurement on the production of safe feed.

The adoption of a feed manufacturing code is significant due to the trade implications possible under the Uruguay Round of GATT. Under GATT a country may block imports of food products, such as beef or poultry, which it deems unsafe if the product was not produced in accordance with the same standard adopted by a recognised world scientific body.

While the adoption of this code may take several years, there are important implications for animal production industries in Southern Africa. The Americans realise they may be presented with serious consequences by this agreement in terms of the export of feed, feed ingredients and animal products into Europe.

In South Africa we have the Farm Feeds Act as a regulatory body for the feed industry, but the requirements and standards set by this legislation in terms of medicated feed fall well short of what is taking place in both Europe and the US. As I understand it, similar controls exist in Zimbabwe.*** Botswana, a major exporter of beef to Europe, does not have any regulations at all. In the not too distant future we may well see animal products being denied entry into markets because the feed wasn’t manufactured according to ‘acceptable’ standards. The feed industry will be put under increasing pressure to adopt these standards and the regulations will have to follow suite. The problem is of course one of cost: both for the implementation and the regulation of stricter regulations. Let’s try not to be caught out!

Health and Nutrition

Immunologists are beginning to piece together why sick pigs don’t eat. Bacteria, viruses or their toxins have a general effect on the immune system causing it to release proteins called cytokines, which activate a whole range of defence mechanisms. Significantly they directly reduce appetite and feeding activity through behavioural changes such as reduced activity, increased sleep, slowing down the speed at which the stomach empties and slowing down digestion. Loss of muscle and of glucose from the remaining muscle is also reported. In the following table it was shown that the presence of disease can effectively reduce the animal’s lean growth potential.

This table shows that pigs with a low exposure to disease (high health) pigs have:

Pigs require dietary amino acids to synthesize body protein associated with maintenance functions and proteinaceous tissue growth. The amino acid makeup of these proteins differ and therefore the relative amounts of various amino acids needed to synthesize these proteins also differ. Lysine represents a major component of tissue proteins (6.5%) but a relatively small component of the proteins (2.4%) associated with maintenance functions. In contrast TSAA represent a small proportion of tissue proteins (1.6%) and a large proportion of proteins (4.9%) associated with maintenance functions. Work by Williams and Stahly (1996) is tabulated below and showed that the chronic activation of the immune***(system?) changes the nutrient requirement as follows:

*Amino-acid needs based on break point analysis of gain:feed data.

It is clear from the above that a major short term task is to match dietary nutritional content with the health status of pigs.

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Latest Broiler Research

The Spring 1997 edition of the Journal of Applied Poultry Research contains a number of articles which are of direct relevance to broiler producers. In the first two papers, Cheng et al. of the University of Minnesota carried out a number of experiments to determine the response of male broilers to differing levels of energy and amino acid under different environmental conditions. Hot temperatures have been shown to decrease feed intake and broiler growth and it is assumed that much of the depression in growth is caused by differences in the intake of energy and amino acids. Research has shown that feeding high energy diets containing added fat reduces feed intake but increases actual dietary energy intake because of the lower heat increment of the diet. The effect of increasing protein and or amino acid levels is less well defined.

By feeding a series of diets, containing either 12.75MK/kg or 13.60 MJ/kg of ME and protein level ranging from 16 to 24 percent, to birds housed at temperatures ranging from 21 to 35 degrees, to birds age 3-6 weeks, some interesting conclusions can be drawn. The results of the experiments are summarised in the table.

The authors were able to draw a number of important conclusions. Firstly, the birds fed the higher energy diets were able to consume similar quantities of energy across all environmental temperatures. Secondly, heat stressed broilers are highly sensitive to dietary CP and amino acid levels and should not be fed diets containing more than 20% protein, and lastly that there does not appear to be any justification in attempting to overcome the effects of heat stress through increasing the amino acid levels of the diet.

Although the experiment was conducted in a test house and the feed intakes which were achieved were good, this data serves to illustrate many additional points which are worth comment. Clearly an adverse environment has a major influence on all aspects of broiler production.

Even though the protein level of the diet was increased, overall gain & FCR were not significantly different. Increasing the protein level did impact on the percentage of lean tissue to a significant degree. Live bird producers could get away with feeding reduced protein levels in the diet, while those producers interested in producing lean carcasses could consider increasing the protein level of their diets.

Despite the apparently large difference in energy levels, gain was not significantly different, although FCR was better on the high energy diets. Theoretically, therefore, we could feed far lower energy levels than we do in practice. Unfortunately, poor feed intake will cause this relationship to change dramatically.

In the second paper, Saleh & his co-workers at the University of Arkansas evaluated the best time to feed Starter, Grower & Finisher diets for broilers grown to a mass of 2.2kg (42 days). Starter was fed to 7, 14 or 21 days and Finisher was fed beginning at 21, 28 or 35 days of age.

The diets used were very similar to those that we recommend and chosen to reflect the commercial situation in the USA. Ross male broilers were used. A summary of the results can be seen in the table.

In a second experiment only finisher from 35 to 42 days and no finisher were used and there were no differences between the treatments.

The authors were able to conclude that male broilers were able to attain the desired weight of 2.2kg on all of the feeding programs evaluated. The optimum time for feeding Starter appeared to be no more than 14 days and may lie between 7 and 14 days. The inclusion of finisher diet earlier than 35 days of age resulted in a reduction in body weight, decreased FCR and reduced carcass quality.

It is pointed out that if diets that differ in nutrient content were used these recommendations may alter. What is not mentioned is that the feed intakes achieved in this experiment were exceptional and perhaps under commercial conditions these rules may not directly apply.

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Feed enzymes have been available to the poultry industry for over forty years, but until recently, they have found only limited practical use. The main limitation was an unfavorable relationship between the cost of the enzymes and their benefits. Due to advances in biotechnology, however, their production costs have declined. As a result, feed enzymes are now playing an essential role in management decisions aimed at optimizing cost effective production of poultry and eggs.

The main reason to use enzymes as feed additives is because they improve the efficiency of nutrient utilization. Enzymes are safe feed additives. There has never been any documented nutritional or physiological harmful effects from their recommended use in poultry diets.

Enzyme preparations are being developed for specific purposes. Many of the enzymes in use today are directly responsible for enhancing the nutritive quality of various low energy cereals. Other preparations are responsible for the utilization of more protein and minerals from the diet. Enzymes in use today are normally of microbial origin. They have a very complex molecular structure and their activity is very specific to a single substrate in the bird's digestive tract.

There are several factors that will affect the efficacy of enzymes when they are used as feed additives. The most important are:

Under relevant feeding conditions, the main reasons to add enzymes to poultry feeds can be summarized as follows:

As research continues to focus on the application and development of new enzymes and their application, their usage in poultry feeds will also undoubtedly increase. The use of these enzymes will allow for greater formulation flexibility by reducing nutrient variability. A reduction in manure output and nutrient excretion will provide environmental benefits extending far beyond the meat and egg industries and be particularly relevant to producers in areas of intensive animal production. As the rising cost of feed ingredients continues to erode the profit margins of poultry enterprises, the use of feed enzymes will be one way to extract the maximum amount of nutrients from these ingredients.

This article is the first in a series on feed enzymes. Subsequent articles will discuss particular enzyme types (e.g., phytases, glucanases, proteinases, etc.) on the market.

Feed Quality Control Guidelines

In light of our meeting with the Central Agricultural Laboratory we thought that it would be a good idea to include some information on feed quality control procedures in this news letter.

Some examples of how poor quality control can affect performance are:

Dr. Bob Schwartz, a consulting poultry nutritionist in the US, believes there are 8 important principles to consider when designing a feed quality control program.

1. Devote more attention to testing incoming ingredients rather than finished feed.
1. Use tight quality control on raw ingredients.
2. Verify ingredient testing & check potential manufacturing problems by analysing finished feeds.
3. Test ingredients based on perceived quality risks.
4. Use meaningful visual & physical inspection of high risk ingredients.
5. Establish a history of performance on each supplier for each ingredient.
6. Set & enforce ingredient specification values diligently.
7. Eliminate unnecessary analyses.

The ultimate challenge for any ingredient supplier is to provide consistently high quality products that meet the specifications of the buyer. The frequency and degree of testing for ingredients should be based upon how consistent a product is from a specific supplier. Assay results for finished feeds are the best measure of ingredient quality and milling efficiency. Table 2 outlines the acceptable deviation in results for each nutrient tested for finished feeds. The goal is for 90% of all feed samples tested to fall within tolerance. However, if 80% of the samples are within tolerance this is often considered acceptable.

Another area of considerable importance is the prevention of mould growth, both in field and in storage and their associated mycotoxins. The clinical effects of mycotoxicosis may seriously reduce bird performance. Analysis of the complete range of mycotoxins is expensive and usually lengthy . The best approach, therefore, is to apply as good quality control program when ingredients are purchased. Quality control programs must prevent both endogenous and exogenous contamination.

Practical steps which can be taken are as follows:

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Characteristics of Successful Pig Farmers

A Pork Profitability Summit was held in Myrtle Beach in December 1996. Among the presentations was a discussion by Dr. Dennis DePietre of characteristics common to all successful swine producers, regardless of herd size. He identified ten of these characteristics, all of which reflect a fundamental change in the producers from being primarily technology-based in their mode of operation to that of being primarily knowledge- based. These 10 characteristics are summarised below.

Producers without complete production records lack the knowledge base needed for making informed and profitable business decisions. As producers become more knowledgeable about their business and how it competes in the market. They view their commodity not as pigs but as least cost, lean meat.

The quality of the final product must meet the consumer’s expectations.

Networking arrangements provide advantages to producers that would not be available to them if each tried to operate alone. An example of this is the joint farrowing facilities to ensure a source of high quality pigs for their nurseries and finishing units. In the future, this networking will extend vertically to processors and input suppliers to help deliver high value added products to the customer.

A correct sustainable rate of growth is necessary for long-term profitability and no-growth can lead to a slow death of the business. Getting bigger before getting better is, however, dangerous while growth that is too rapid usually leads to early failure.

The highest level of production management will be practised throughout the unit. Health maintenance, breeding systems, facility design and operation, nutrition employed and personnel management will all be in concert so that total output is appropriate for the resources in place.

Operations must be accessible to communities that can sustain the social and cultural needs of a highly educated work force. There is also a tremendous advantage in locations within an economic distance of low cost grain and competitive processing.

There is no alternative to this.

The pig industry has experienced a rapid increase in technological advances in production methods. Progressive producers, in turn, must make use of these advancements by having a flexible willingness to be creative, to adapt and to change. In this sense, knowledge will be the key to wealth. Choosing those advances that will be profitable will be a major requirement of each operation.

In the past, the approach of most producers has been to concentrate on controlling input costs. In the future, a knowledge-based approach will probably centre on achieving levels of financial efficiency, rather than minimising cost. The reason for this is that consumer acceptable products may not be the cheapest to produce.

Benchmarking begins by having a complete and accurate understanding of each system on the farm. This includes the strengths and weaknesses of each system and how it compares to the best system used in the industry at large. Benchmarking goes beyond simply comparing a system or operation with another. Producers need to realise that a program for increasing profitability will require continuous, incremental improvement and reinvestment.

Die effek van energie digtheid op die prestasie van afrondingsbruge

Die gebruik van lywige dieëte is aantreklik omdat daar hoë? vlakke van goedkoop grondstowwe (soos bv koringsemels) gebruik kan word. Daar word algemeen geglo dat die diere vir die verlaagde energie konsentrasie kompenseer deur meer te vreet en dat daar sodoende dieselfde groei gehandhaaf word met net ‘n verlaging in die voerbenutting.

Stein & Easter (1996) het 'n proef by die Universiteit van Ilinois gedoen waartydens 150 PIC burgies van ongeveer 54kg massa in een van vyf groepe ingedeel is. Vyf verskillende energie vlakke is getoets soos uiteengesit in die onderstaande tabel. Die varke is op 112kg, lewendige massa geslag.

Eksperimentele diëete:

Resultate:

**Die vaste koste is R38 per vark

Bespreking

Die hoë energie voere het tot hoër winste gelei as gevolg van die volgende faktore:

Opsomming

Grondstof aankope

Die sukses van enige boerdery hang af van bestuur, voeding en kwaliteit. Al drie is insette waaraan ‘n koste gekoppel is. Voeding, of in meer algemene woorde die voer of grondstowwe, is die belangrikste en duurste van die drie. Indien ons dan aanvaar dat bestuur en die dier ‘n vaste koste is (voordat ons begin voer, weet ons wat die koste van die dier is) bly die enigste varieerbare inset die koste van die grondstowwe wat gebruik word. Die tuismenger kan homself dus afvra wat gedoen kan word om hierdie varieerbare - wat in sekere gevalle tot 90% van produksie koste kan wees - te stabiliseer.

Die volgende paar wenke gaan oor wat gedoen en nie gedoen moet word om meer stabiliteit aan grondstofkoste te verleen.

1. Moet nooit krisis aankope doen nie m.a.w. daar moet nie gewag word totdat voorraad op is voordat aankope gedoen word nie. Dit plaas druk op besluitneming en daar word van die eerste verskaffer wie voorraad het, gekoop, en nie noodwendig teen die beste pryse nie.
2. Indien grondstowwe per tender of per kontrak van ‘n jaar aangekoop word, moet nooit die totale behoeftes kontrakteer nie. Dit veroorsaak dat u nie van die winskopie wat per geleentheid ontstaan kan gebruik maak nie. Die goue rëel is om u nie vir meer as 60 tot 70% van u behoefte te verbind nie.
3. Beplan u grondstof aankope maandeliks vir 4-6 maande vooruit. Dit gebeur dikwels dat u huidelik ‘n grondstof vir 4 maande se benodighede later goedkoper kan aankoop as wat u dit 4 maande later sou gekoop het.
4. Ingevoerde produkte se pryse verander van dag tot dag. Die prys wat u betaal hang dus af van die dag waarop u dit aankoop. Pryse kan maklik met R 50.00 en meer van dag tot dag varieer. Dit is dus belangrik of die produk se prys in ‘n stygende of dalende prys fase is.
5. Koop kleiner hoeveelhede indien die pryse daal sodat u van die laer pryse gebruik kan maak indien dit verder daal.
6. Koop groter hoeveelhede indien pryse styg, maar nie soveel meer dat die koste aan rente op voorraad meer is as wat die produk se prys styg nie.
7. Indien die produkte se prys redelik stabiel is, koop slegs wat u benodig, maar plaas u bestelling vir ‘n maand vooruit.
8. Die begin en einde van grondstof aankope is inligting. Dit is dus belangrik dat u verhouding met grondstof verskaffers van so ‘n aard is dat u op ‘n gereelde basis markverslae ontvang. Hierdie markverslae gee vir u die redes waarom produkte se pryse op sekere vlakke is. Dit is dus belangrik dat u weet hoekom u ‘n sekere prys vir ‘n produk betaal.
9. Die volgende faktor is tyd. Wat is die totale koste van u voer en hoeveel tyd bestee u aan die aankoop daarvan. Weereens is dit belangrik dat u ‘n betroubare grondstof verskaffer het wat weet wat u behoefte is en u dus adviseer wanneer om te koop of winskopies na u te kanaliseer.
10. Ten laaste is dit belangrik dat u vir u doelwitte stel waarteen u ‘n spesifieke grondstof wil aankoop. Deel hierdie aankoopprys doelwitte met u grondstof verskaffer. Behalwe dat dit kan help om teen die regte pryse op die regte tyd vir u aan te koop raak hy ook deel van u doelwitte.

Kom ons gebruik die afgelope ses maande se Sojaoliekoek pryse V.O.S. Durban Hawe om bogenoemde punte te staaf.

Goed: dit was die afgelope ses maande. Die vraag is nou wat van die volgende ses maande?. Pryse het sedert 28 Junie 1997 drasties begin daal. Die volgende is pryse wat V.O.S. Durban op 2 Julie 1997 vir die volgende ses maande aangebied word:

Julie - R 1340.00/t

Aug - R 1291.00/t

Sept - R 1291.00/t

Okt - R 1291.00/t

Nov - R 1340.00/t

Des - R 1320.00/t

Hierdie pryse verander egter van dag tot dag en geld slegs tot 17h00 op 2 Julie 1997. Die vraag is nou wat het hierdie daling in pryse veroorsaak het. Die nuutste Amerikaanse skatting dui aan een van die grootste verwagte Amerikaanse oeste nóg. Meer hektare is geplant en die weer vooruitsigte is uitstekend. Onthou dit is ‘n skatting, nie die werklike oes nie. Die Argentyne het ‘n groot oes wat hulle moet verkoop voordat die Amerikaners begin oes. Die oplossing is dus - verlaag die prys om aanvraag te stimuleer.

Moet ek koop of nie?

Lees weer die vorige tien punte en besluit. Ek sou beslis 60% van my behoefte tot en met Desember gekoop het.

Sunflower Oilcake

Sunflower oilcake has always been a viable alternative to Soya O/C in South Africa, providing that it conforms to certain standards. Recently there has been an increase of poor quality sunflower both from small local expressers and imported material. Low protein and hence high fibre is not suitable for pig and poultry diets. Even if great care is taken in its use, there is no guarantee that production will be unaffected. Ensure that the Sunflower that you purchase contains 38 % protein and not 33 % or lower.