Selection and storage of cereal grains for livestock

INTRODUCTION A six-year research program, “Premium Grains for Livestock”, funded by the Grains R&D Corporation, several animal R&D Corporations and Ridley Agriproducts is focussed on improving the quality of cereal grains for livestock. Cereal grains provide the major source of energy for animals raised in intensive production systems. However, the energy available from cereal grains can vary widely between both grain and animal species. For example, the digestible energy (DE) content of wheat and barley for pigs has been reported to range from 13.3 to 17.0 and from 11.7 to 16.0 MJ/kg, respectively (van Barneveld, 1999). Similarly, Hughes and Choct (1999) reported a range in apparent metabolisable energy (AME, MJ/kg) for broiler chickens from 10.4 to 15.9 MJ/kg for wheat, 10.4 to 13.5 for barley and 8.6 to 16.6 for triticale. There are also large differences between animal species in their capacity to digest starch in cereals. Sorghum starch is almost completely digested by poultry, compared with significant excretion of sorghum starch in the faeces of cattle (Rowe et al. 1999). A primary aim of the research is to identify the chemical, physical and morphological characteristics of grains that determine their nutritional value for sheep, cattle, pigs and poultry.