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Due to the growing demand for food, the availability of starch-rich ingredients (e.g. feed grade cereals), whose areal can be used for producing food, is expect to decline. In turn, the use of co-products, from food- and biofuel industry, is expected to increase in livestock feed. However, these co-products are fibre-rich and can negatively affect pellet manufacturing, by reducing pellet quality and increasing energy costs. The thermomechanical properties of feed mashes are considered to be important for agglomeration processes, but its relation to feed composition and its role in pellet manufacturing is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fibrous co-product inclusion in feed mashes on their thermomechanical properties and subsequent effects on pellet manufacturing. Treatment mashes were formulated to contain 700 g/kg basic mash, consisting of soybean meal, maize, and soy oil, to which 0–300 g/kg palm kernel expeller, sugar beet pulp, wheat straw and isolated native maize starch were added, according to a four-component mixture design. Treatments were prepared in duplicate, conditioned using a single-shaft conditioner and compacted using a ring-die pelletizer (die hole diameter 6 mm, L/D ratio 12). Pellet quality, production capacity and gross specific mechanical energy consumption per megagram (Mg) were documented. Mash deformability was evaluated by increasing the moisture content of a mash sample to 150 g/kg, followed by compression at 10 MPa and increasing temperature by 4 °C/minute using the Phase Transition Analyzer (PTA; Wenger Manufacturing, Sabetha, KS, US). Inclusion of wheat straw significantly increased mash deformability. Inclusion of isolated native maize starch and fibrous co-products was observed to increase pellet quality in comparison to the basic mash. Mash deformability at compactor temperature was correlated with bulk density (r = −0,83; P < 0.001). Pellet compressive strength was associated with mash deformability (r = 0.78; P < 0.001), but this association was observed to be influenced by wheat straw. Material deformability was correlated with production capacity (r = −0.85; P < 0.001) and energy consumption (r = 0.80; P < 0.001). In conclusion, inclusion of fibrous co-products affects pellet quality in a non-linear relation and increases pellet quality similar to inclusion of isolated native maize starch. Mash deformability could provide an indicator for pellet quality, but the underlying mechanism requires further study. Pelleting of feed mashes with a higher deformability increases energy costs of pellet manufacturing, due to the behaviour during compaction. The thermomechanical properties of feed mashes play a significant role in the pellet manufacturing process.

Krabok and coconut oil were assessed for their ability to affect rumen protozoa via a 3×3 Latin square design experiment with three rumen cannulated beef cows. The diets consisted of a concentrate supplemented with either 25.5 g/kg of tallow (control) or the same quantity of coconut oil or krabok oil. The animals were fed at 1.5% of their body weight per d for 28 d per period. The samples of rumen fluid were collected on day 23 and 27 of each period, 3, 6, 9 and 12h after morning feeding. Rumen protozoa numbers, as well as amylolytic, cellulolytic and proteolytic bacteria were counted microscopically. Fragments of the 18S rRNA gene were amplified in a nested PCR using general eukaryotic and ciliate protozoa-specific primers (Euk1a and 539r followed by 316f- Euk516r-GC). Diversity of the ciliate community was analyzed by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) (7% acrylamide, 35-50% gradient; 38 V for 16h at 60 ºC) and gels were processed with BioNumeric software. Protozoa numbers decreased by 0.33 log units in the coconut (P0.10) different between treatments. The propionate proportion was only reduced by supplementation of coconut oil to the TMR. Neither oils affected amylolytic, cellulolytic or proteolytic bacteria counts. Cluster analysis of the DGGE profile showed two clusters of ciliate communities, one including all the T diet-fed animals. All except one DGGE profile of a cow fed the KO diet group into the second cluster. Coconut oil, and to a lesser extent krabok oil, has a marked effect on the numbers of rumen protozoa.

The world-wide demand for animal sourced foods is expected to increase in the coming decades and thus the need for protein sources for application in feed will also increase drastically. This chapter discusses some strategies to meet this demand and focusses especially on novel protein sources for application in feeds. Important aspects inherent to production, composition and processing of novel protein sources are discussed before four novel protein sources are reviewed in more detail: seaweeds, micro algae, insects and leaf proteins for their application in pig and poultry diets. The use of free amino acids, as a possible strategy to lower the protein content of diets for production animals.

The objective of this work was to study the effect of food texture on feeding behavior and associated food intake in cats. Raw meat from beef carcasses was fed as strips or in puréed form to eight cats, and the number of bites, bite size, oral processing time, and number of meals were recorded. The physical structure of the food had a significant effect on the feeding behavior in cats, but less effect on the amount of food ingested. The study is now continuing to look at beef offal with different textural and palatability properties.

BACKGROUNDThe relationship between the chemical and molecular properties, in particular the lignin (ADL) content and composition expressed as the ratio between syringyl and guaiacyl compounds (S:G ratio), of maize stems and in vitro gas production was studied in order determine which is more important in the degradability of maize stem cell walls in the rumen of ruminants. Different internodes from two contrasting maize cultivars (Ambrosini and Aastar) were harvested during the growing season.RESULTSThe ADL content decreased with greater internode number within the stem, whereas the ADL content fluctuated during the season for both cultivars. The S:G ratio was lower in younger tissue (greater internode number or earlier harvest date) in both cultivars. For the gas produced between 3 and 20 hours, representing the fermentation of cell walls in rumen fluid, a stronger correlation (R2=0.80) was found with the S:G ratio than with the ADL content (R2=0.68). The relationship between ADL content or S:G ratio and 72-h gas production, representing total organic matter degradation, was weaker than that with gas produced between 3 and 20 hours.CONCLUSIONThe S:G ratio plays a more dominant role than ADL content in maize stem cell wall degradation.

Commercial pet foods and their ingredients are produced using processing techniques that favor the Maillard reaction and formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

Exercise and physical training are known to affect gastrointestinal function and digestibility in horses and can lead to inaccurate estimates of nutrient and energy digestibility when markers are used. The effect of exercise on apparent nutrient digestibility and faecal recoveries of ADL and TiO2 was studied in six Welsh pony geldings subjected to either a low- (LI) or high-intensity (HI) exercise regime according to a cross-over design. Ponies performing LI exercise were walked once per day for 45 min in a horse walker (5 km/h) for 47 consecutive days. Ponies submitted to HI exercise were gradually trained for the same 47 days according a standardized protocol. Throughout the experiment, the ponies received a fixed level of feed and the daily rations consisted of 4.7 kg DM of grass hay and 0.95 kg DM of concentrate. The diet was supplemented with minerals, vitamins and TiO2 (3.0 g Ti/day). Total tract digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM), CP, crude fat, NDF, ADF, starch, sugar and energy was determined with the total faeces collection (TFC) method. In addition, DM and OM digestibility was estimated using internal ADL and the externally supplemented Ti as markers. Urine was collected on the final 2 days of each experimental period. Exercise did not affect apparent digestibility of CP, crude fat, starch and sugar. Digestibility of DM (DMD), OM (OMD), ADF and NDF tended to be lower and DE was decreased when ponies received the HI exercise regime. For all treatments combined, mean faecal recoveries of ADL and Ti were 87.8±1.7% and 99.3±1.7%, respectively. Ti was not detected in the urine, indicating that intestinal integrity was maintained with exercise. Dry matter digestibility estimated with the TFC, ADL and Ti for ponies subjected to LI exercise were 66.3%, 60.3% and 64.8%, respectively, while DMD for HI ponies were 64.2%, 60.3% and 65.2%, respectively. In conclusion, physical exercise has an influence on the GE digestibility of the feed in ponies provided with equivalent levels of feed intake. In addition, the two markers used for estimating apparent DMD and OMD indicate that externally supplemented Ti is a suitable marker to determine digestibility of nutrients in horses performing exercise unlike dietary ADL.

Fractional passage rates are required to predict nutrient absorption in ruminants but data on nutrient-specific passage kinetics are largely lacking. With the use of the stable isotope ratio (δ) as an internal marker, we assessed passage kinetics of fiber and fiber-bound nitrogen (N) of intrinsically labeled grass silage from fecal and omasal excretion patterns of δ 13 C and δ 15 N. In a 6×6 Latin square, lactating dairy cows received grass silages [455g/kg of total diet dry matter (DM) ] in a 2×3 factorial arrangement from ryegrass swards fertilized at low (45kg of N/ha) or high (90kg of N/ha) levels of N and harvested at 3 maturity stages. Feed intake (16.7±0.48kg of DM/d; mean ± standard error of the mean) and milk yield (26.7±0.92kg/d) increased at the high level of N fertilization and at decreasing maturity. Nutrient digestibility decreased with increasing plant maturity, particularly at the high level of N fertilization, essentially reflecting dietary treatment effects on the nutritional composition of the grass silage. Fractional rumen passage rates ( K 1 ) were highest and total mean retention time in the gastrointestinal tract (TMRT) was lowest when based on the external marker chromium mordanted fiber (Cr-NDF; 0.047/h and 38.0h, respectively). Fecal δ 13 C in the acid detergent fiber fraction ( 13 CADF) provided the lowest K 1 (0.023/h) and the highest TMRT (61.1h) and highest peak concentration time (PCT; 24.3h) among markers. In comparison, fecal fiber-bound N ( 15 NADF) had a considerably higher K 1 (0.032/h) and lower TMRT (46.4h) than 13 CADF. Total N (measured with 15 NDM) had a comparable K 1 (0.034/h) to that of 15 NADF but provided the highest fractional passage rates from the proximal colon-cecum ( K 2 ; 0.37/h) and lowest PCT (17.4h) among markers. A literature review indicated unclear effects of grass silage maturity on K 1 and unknown effects of N fertilization on K 1 . Our study indicated no effect of advancing maturity on fecal K 1 and a trend for K 1 to increase with the high level of N fertilization. Parameter K 2 increased, whereas PCT and TMRT generally decreased with the high level of N fertilization. Omasal digesta sampling largely confirmed results based on fecal sampling. Results indicate that the use of δ 13 C and δ 15 N can describe fiber-specific passage kinetics of forage.

Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), for example, capric acid (C10:0), myristic (C14:0) and lauric (C12:0) acid, have been suggested to decrease rumen archaeal abundance and protozoal numbers. This study aimed to compare the effect of MCFA, either supplied through krabok (KO) or coconut (CO) oil, on rumen fermentation, protozoal counts and archaeal abundance, as well as their diversity and functional organization. KO contains similar amounts of C12:0 as CO (420 and 458 g/kg FA, respectively), but has a higher proportion of C14:0 (464 v. 205 g/kg FA, respectively). Treatments contained 35 g supplemental fat per kg DM: a control diet with tallow (T); a diet with supplemental CO; and a diet with supplemental KO. A 4th treatment consisted of a diet with similar amounts of MCFA (i.e. C10:0+C12:0+C14:0) from CO and KO. To ensure isolipidic diets, extra tallow was supplied in the latter treatment (KO+T). Eight fistulated bulls (two bulls per treatment), fed a total mixed ration predominantly based on cassava chips, rice straw, tomato pomace, rice bran and soybean meal (1.5% of BW), were used. Both KO and CO increased the rumen volatile fatty acids, in particular propionate and decreased acetate proportions. Protozoal numbers were reduced through the supplementation of an MCFA source (CO, KO and KO+T), with the strongest reduction by KO. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays based on archaeal primers showed a decrease in abundance of Archaea when supplementing with KO and KO+T compared with T and CO. The denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles of the rumen archaeal population did not result in a grouping of treatments. Richness indices were calculated from the number of DGGE bands, whereas community organization was assessed from the Pareto-Lorenz evenness curves on the basis of DGGE band intensities. KO supplementation (KO and KO+T treatments) increased richness and evenness within the archaeal community. Further research including methane measurements and productive animals should elucidate whether KO could be used as a dietary methane mitigation strategy.

Processing biomass into multi-functional components can contribute to the increasing demand for raw materials for feed and bio-based non-food products. This contribution aims to demonstrate synergy between the bio-based industry and the feed industry through biorefinery of currently used feed ingredients. Illustrating the biorefinery concept, rapeseed was selected as a low priced feed ingredient based on market prices versus crude protein, crude fat and apparent ileal digestible lysine content. In addition it is already used a s an alternative protein source in diets and can b e cultivated in European climate zones. Furthermore, inclusion level of rapeseed meal in pig diet is limited because of its nutritionally ac tive factors. A conceptual process was developed to improve rapeseeds nutritional value and producing other bio-based building blocks simultaneously. Based on the correlation between market prices of feed ingredients and its protein and fat content, the value of refined products was estimated. Finally, a sensitivity analysis, under two profit scenario, shows that the process is economically feasible. This study demonstrates that using biorefinery processes on feed ingredients can improve feed quality. In conjunction, it produces building blocks for a bio-based industry and creates synergy between bio-based and feed industry for more efficient use of biomass.

An experiment was conducted to determine protein quality in processed protein sources using the content of AA, o-methylisourea (OMIU)-reactive Lys, Maillard reaction products (MRP), and cross-link products; the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of CP and AA; and growth performance in growing pigs as criteria. Differences in protein quality were created by secondary toasting (at 95°C for 30 min) of soybean meal (SBM) and rapeseed meal (RSM) in the presence of lignosulfonate resulting in processed SBM (pSBM) and processed RSM (pRSM). The processing treatment was used as a model for overprocessed protein sources. Ten growing pigs were each fed 1 of the 4 diets containing SBM, pSBM, RSM, or pRSM in each of 3 periods. Ileal chyme was collected at the end of each period and analyzed for CP, AA, and OMIU-reactive Lys. Diets were analyzed for furosine and carboxymethyllysine (CML) as an indicator for MRP and lysinoalanine (LAL), which is a cross-link product. The SBM and RSM diets contained furosine, CML, and LAL, indicating that the Maillard reaction and cross-linking had taken place in SBM and RSM, presumably during the oil extraction/desolventizing process. The amounts of furosine, CML, and LAL were elevated in pSBM and pRSM due to further processing. Processing resulted in a reduction in total and OMIU-reactive Lys contents and a decrease in G:F from 0.52 to 0.42 for SBM and 0.46 to 0.39 for RSM (P = 0.006), SID of CP from 83.9 to 71.6% for SBM and 74.9 to 64.6% for RSM (P

The rapid development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in human health care urges the need for effective strategies to reduce antibiotic use in animal production. The Netherlands and Denmark have already implemented successful strategies to reduce antibiotic usage in animal production. Part of the success of the reduction in antibiotic use may be attributed to the wide application of selected feed additives and combinations thereof targeting intestinal microbiota and immunity. Productivity and health responses can be obtained in animals similar to those reported for antimicrobial growth promoters by improving microbiological quality of drinking water and feed, stabilization of the intestinal microbiota and enforcement of the mucosal barrier of the host. Regulatory recognition of the prophylactic effects of feed additives in animal health should further facilitate the progress to reduce AMR.

BACKGROUNDPrevious experiments demonstrated the existence of in utero learning in goats. However, in contrast to other animal species, in goats there is no information about the potential of flavour transmission from maternal feed to goat kids during lactation. The aim of the current study was to assess the role of post-natal exposure of Chromonaela odorata leaf meal (COLM) in relation to the preferences to this feedstuff by goat kids after weaning. It was hypothesised that exposure of COLM to the dams during both pregnancy and lactation versus pregnancy alone, additionally affects post-weaning intake of COLM by their offspring.RESULTSConsumption of COLM by the goat kids was similar during the first week post-weaning for all treatments. However, after 4 weeks the intake of COLM was at least 1.8 times greater when kids were exposed to COLM during pregnancy whereas it remained virtually unchanged when kids were exposed to COLM during lactation only. The increase in COLM consumption was in line with the observations on latency to eat and meal size.CONCLUSIONTransmission of feeding behaviour from goat dams to offspring does not occur during lactation. However, the concept of in utero learning in goats was confirmed. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry

SUMMARYA meta-analysis was conducted to study milk fatty acid (FA) profile in dairy cows in response to changes in dietary nutrient composition in relation to supplementation of fat sources, their technological form, addition of fish oil and main forage type in the basal diet. Data comprised 151 treatment means from 50 experiments, which were included in the database when diet composition, nutrient composition, FA composition, dry matter (DM) intake, milk yield, milk composition and milk FA profile were reported. Mixed model regression analysis including a random experiment effect and unequal variances among experiments was used. Least squares means were obtained for the different fat sources (unsupplemented, rapeseed, soybean+sunflower, linseed, or fish oil), technological form including addition of fish oil (oil, seed, protected and added fish oil), and main forage type (lucerne silage, barley silage, maize silage, grass silage, maize silage combined with haylage, or haylage) in the basal diet. Results showed that the technological form of supplemental rapeseed, soybean, sunflower, or linseed significantly influenced the effect of dietary nutrient composition on milk fat content and milk FA profile resulting in significant differences between technological forms within the different fat sources. Protected rapeseed and linseed increased C18:2n6 and C18:3n3 proportions in milk fat, respectively, whereas soybean and sunflower seed increased transfer efficiencies for C18:2n6 and C18:3n3 and their proportions in milk fat. Soybean, sunflower, or linseed supplied as oil increasedtrans-11-C18:1 proportions in milk fat, whereas the addition of fish oil to a diet containing soybean or sunflower decreased C18:0 andcis-9-C18:1 proportions in milk fat. The main forage type in the diet also significantly influenced the effect of dietary nutrient composition on milk fat content and milk FA profile, resulting in significant differences between main forage types in the diet within the different fat sources. Maize silage as the main forage type increasedtrans-11-C18:1 in unsupplemented diets or diets supplemented with a source of soybean or sunflower. For rapeseed supplemented diets, barley silage increased transfer efficiency and milk fat proportion of C18:2n6, whereas grass silage increased proportion of C18:3n3 in milk fat. For soybean or sunflower supplemented diets, haylage increased proportions of saturated FA,cis-9-C18:1 and C18:2n6, whereas the combination of maize silage and haylage increased transfer efficiency and milk fat proportion of C18:3n3. For linseed supplemented diets, grass silage as the main forage type resulted in the highest C18:3n3 proportion, whereascis-9-C18:1 proportion was comparable for grass silage, lucerne silage and maize silage as the main forage type. This meta-analysis confirmed that the effect of dietary nutrient composition on several milk FA proportions depends on the type and form of fat supplementation, addition of fish oil, and main forage type in the basal diet.