Grain-based pellet trials

Press, 22 January 1988, Page 11

Grain-based pellet trials

A commercially viable cereal-based feeding system for sheep might be just six months away, according to a former Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries scientist, Dr Ken Geenty. Dr Geenty, who has begun a private consultancy in animal nutrition and breeding, has conducted trials using grain based pellets in feed lots. Sheep used in the trials gained an average of 10kg in six weeks, or 245 g per day, when fed only pellets. Similar growth rates on pasture would be considered “outstanding,” he

said.' ! Pasture-based growth rates would be considered good if they were 180 g to 200 g a day. It took 50kg of feed to achieve tiiat growth rate, which would limit profitability. Dr Geenty is sure that with further refinement of the diet less feed would be needed. In spite „of being relatively confined during the trial (3 sq m per animal), the sheep became leaner as they increased in weight. He sees cereal-based feedlot sheep as filling several gaps. Freezing companies

wanted heavyweight, lean sheep for the chilled meat trade and to spread the kill. Feedlots would be able to provide a reliable supply of suitable sheep year-round. The aim was to produce sheep with a liveweight of 30 to 40kg, providing a carcase weight of 17kg. There were possible market niches for grainfed stock. The Japanese prefer grain-fed animals because they say it has a better cooking odour. If such a niche could be found, freezing companies might be prepared to pay a premium for such

sheep, thus improving the economics of such a venture, he said.

Feedlot sheep would also fill a gap in times of drought when it became difficult to produce heavyweight sheep. Little capital outlay was needed to establish a feedlot. In addition to a feedlot pen to hold 500 sheep, feeding troughs and a holding area were all that were needed. Only a relatively small amount of land was required. A new type of farmer could emerge if feedlots caught on. Someone could either buy sheep from other farms for fattening before sending to the freezing works, or they could accept sheep from farms on a contract basis. Freezing companies also might establish their own febdlots. Dr Geenty said Fortex, which had been involved with his trials, was looking at installing a feedlot at its Seafield plant. A small group of farmers were enthusiastic about starting feedlots of their own, he said. As well as looking at diet refinement to improve efficiency, Dr Geenty will continue research into the conditioning phase, when sheep have to change from pasture to high energy cereal-based food. The change can produce digestive problems such as grain poisoning. Animal health would also come under closer study. Because of their confinement, any contagious disease caught by the sheep would “go through them like wildfire.”