Volume 12: Livestock Farming
6. Cattle feeding and rearing
Introduction

6.1 Measures to eliminate BSE have been based on the premise that it was spread through the inclusion of MBM in cattle feed. This chapter reviews general aspects of cattle feeding and rearing, including differences between dairy and beef feeding regimes. It looks at why protein concentrates are added to cattle diets, although vol. 13: Industry, Processes and Controls discusses why MBM in particular became a popular source of protein for inclusion in cattle feed. The chapter also describes the different sources of cattle feed and how a significant proportion (25-40 per cent) is mixed on farm rather than bought in a 'ready-to-eat' form. On-farm feed processes and feed storage are covered in this chapter, as are farmers' knowledge of manufactured feed ingredients, and the role of feed labelling. Table 6.1 describes terms commonly used to designate different types of feed, and which are used throughout this chapter.

Table 6.1: Cattle feed terminology

Concentrates	The generic term for all non-forage feeds.
Compounds	Factory-prepared pellets or nuts manufactured from various ingredients including major minerals, trace elements, vitamins and other additivies. The ingredients are mixed and blended in appropriate portions, designed to provide a balanced diet.
Protein concentrates	These are intended for further mixing before feeding with planned proportions of cereals and other feedstuffs either on the farm or in a compound mill. They contain blended high-protein ingredients such as MBM, fishmeal and soyabean meal. When mixed with appropriate straights (see below), they can be equivalent in nutritional terms to compounds.
Straights	Single feedstuffs of animal or vegetable origin, which can be bought in or grown on the farm.
Source: S31 Thompson para. 3; M13B tab 11 pp. 3-4