When we talk about selecting feeds and evaluating feeds it's important to be
able to understand and read the labels that come with these manufactured feeds
or pellets or whatever you might have. Nearly all of them have the same flow
and it's kind of a regulated aspect as well from labeling, but the first thing
they'll normally always have on the label is the crude protein content and
that's a guaranteed analysis normally it'll be that or perhaps a little higher
sometimes but for the most part these are formulated to be at or somewhere
around that guaranteed level. If you notice on this tag it's listed as a
minimum of 12% based on ingredient cost or whatever it may actually be cheaper
for them to formulate a feed that might be a little higher than that in protein
and still meet the other label requirements. Next is listed crude fat
it's also listed as a minimum. In this particular one it's a 3% fat which is
kind of a normal range on fat content in a lot of feeds. Once again it can range
and vary from if they're using rice bran or whatever it may actually elevate the
fat level in a ration above that. In beef cattle nutrition that's not really a
problem when we get into issues in equine nutrition and elevated fat
contents and some other things may come into play a little more but we'd like to
know at least what that minimum level is. Next is a measure of fiber content for
crude fiber maximum level of in this particular feed of 13% that refers to
the ingredients that go in and it's somewhat confusing now because of wheat
meds, soybean hulls that have a fiber content that's not just indigestible
fiber so we really need to then once we look at the fiber content on a feed we
also have to refer to the ingredients to know exactly what that's going to mean
from an energy standpoint. Back before we started using a lot of those feeds the
fiber content was a really good indicator of overall energy value of
that feed now it's going to be probably lower than what the actual energy value
might be in some of the feedstuffs. Once we have the protein fat and fiber the
next thing to be listed in there would be the mineral content of these, calcium
they'll normally have a minimum and maximum level of calcium listed on the
tag, phosphorus, salt content, potassium and vitamin content on these particular
feeds. So those are the ones that would be listed here on the label as you look
down through here the crude protein, fat, fiber. Once again those are indications
of what the formulation guarantees as a minimum and maximum level. Below that on the feed tag
you'll have the ingredient list and there's not as much restriction perhaps
in that as would be in the actual formulation and calculation but it will normally list
the main ingredients first, grain products being descriptive in some of
these feeds. If it's all corn based ration it might have corn listed but it'll have grain
products, molasses products, roughage products and they can be from varying
sources that allows a lot of flexibility in the manufacturing of feeds to where you're
not limited to changing your label every time you change ingredients in the
formulation of a feed and once again the unique ability of the cow to take
various feedstuffs and convert them into a meat product or milk product is
something that is really advantageous to the industry so it doesn't really
matter what those particular products are that go into that ration as long as
these crude protein, fiber and fat levels are met.