Mold and Mycotoxin | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Molds are fungi (fuzzy or dusty – appearing) that occur commonly in feedstuffs, including roughages and concentrates. Molds can infect dairy cattle causing a disease referred to as mycosis. Mycosis is most likely when cows may be immune-suppressed during stressful periods. A mycosis can occur in various locations such as lungs, mammary gland, uterus, or intestine. An intestinal infection may result in hemorrhagic bowel. Molds may also affect cattle by producing poisons called mycotoxins that affect animals when they consume contaminated feeds, resulting in a mycotoxicosis.

Equine Nutrition | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Horses are not ruminants, but still can live off of plant material. Horses are grazing animals with digestive tracts best suited for eating forages for 15- 20 hours per day. Grass and hay are the natural feeds for horses due to the structure and shape of the equine digestive tract. Unlike the cow, their stomachs are relatively small and can only hold about eight quarts. Their stomachs can actually hold more, but the stomach begins to empty when it is only two-thirds full.

Milk Fever | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Milk Fever
Milk fever, also known as hypocalcemia is a common bovine metabolic disorder resulting from calcium deficiency. Cows usually experience milk fever when approaching calving or just after calving. Calcium demand for a cow starting lactation is almost double compared to when she was not lactating and pregnant. Around calving, blood-calcium levels may drop below the normal range leading to homeostatic failure.
Calcium deficiency results in:

  • Reduced smooth muscle tone and contractility of the gastrointestinal tract and the cardiovascular
  • Reduced muscle …

Free Choice Mineral | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Free Choice Mineral 
Free choice mineral mixes are commonly used to provide the mineral that grazing cattle need. Cattle are great self-regulators and they usually know about how much to consume in order to balance the minerals in their body. Free choice programs are an excellent way to allow the livestock to choose the nutrients they need and replenish what might be lacking in their feeds.
Salt can be used as a weapon to control intake.

Why do we ferment forage? | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Why Do We Ferment Forage
Fermenting forages is very beneficial to cattle nutrition and production-wise. When forage is fermented it causes a breakdown of forage material, making it easier for animals to digest. Since the fermented forage is easier to digest, the bodies can digest forage quicker and releases more energy for the animal. The cattle can utilize the feed more efficiently and this will result in less waste in the undigested material that they excrete.

Pig Nutrition | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Pig Nutrition
The most essential items in pig nutrition are energy, protein, and lysine. Pigs need energy to live, grow and reproduce. Pigs need energy just to keep their bodily functions working. The amount of energy needed will vary according to climate, the environment, the age and weight of the pigs, and whether they are breeding or not. For example, during cold weather, pigs use more energy to keep themselves warm. Meaning they have to eat more if they are to keep growing as there is …

Ketosis | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Ketosis
Ketosis is a metabolic disorder that occurs in cattle when energy demands (e.g. high milk production) exceed energy intake and result in a negative energy balance. Negative energy balance occurs when the cow is mobilizing body fat (condition) faster than the liver is able to metabolize it. In order for the liver to normally metabolize that fat, glucose is required. If glucose availability is limited due to inadequate substrate or glucose production via glycogenesis is inadequate or impaired, then ketosis can result because of the …

Sheep Nutrition | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Sheep Nutrition
Sheep nutrition should include water, energy (carbohydrates and fats), proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Sheep are ruminants so they eat grass, forbs, clover, and other plants found on pasture. Comparing a sheep to a cow, sheep tend to eat a greater variety of plants than cattle do. They particularly like forbs. Forbs are herbaceous (not woody), broadleaf plants that are not grass-like. Sheep prefer forbs as they are very nutritious. When pasture is not available, harvested feeds, such as silage, hay, green chop, and crop …

Selenium | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Selenium 
Selenium is an essential trace element for ruminants. It is required in cattle for normal growth and fertility and for helping to prevent other health disorders such as mastitis and calf scours. Many pastures are short in natural selenium levels. Therefore, cattle should be supplemented with selenium. The level of selenium in the pasture is dependent on the level of selenium in the soil. Pastures have the lowest levels of selenium occurring in the spring and summer.

Poultry Nutrition | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Poultry Nutrition
Poultry diets are made up of a mixture of several different feedstuffs including cereal grains, soybean meal, animal by-product meals, fats, and vitamins and mineral premixes. Together with fresh water, these elements provide the energy and nutrients essential for the bird’s growth, reproduction, and health.
To understand poultry nutrition, first, we need to understand their unique digestive system. First, food is taken in with the beak which is a perfect tool for pecking feed in crumble or pellet form, small grains, grass, or insects.