Straw as Fodder; Important Information for Raising Livestock

Straw, as the reader is no doubt aware, is an organic by-product that contains a great amount of cellulose and has a low nutrient value. But it is hard to say that it is an important fodder because it has nearly no nutrient content. Main use of straw in livestock raising is it’s value as roughage, especially for cattle. But also, it is a very cheap material and for years there have been research to improve it’s nutrient profile. This research proved some results by which the straw might become a useful fodder.

Physical Method : Even though many books have different opinions, straw should be cut in 5cm parts before being given to the animal.

straw picture

Chemical Method: Adding sodium hydroxide or ammonia to straw fodder will make cell walls collapse and increase the surface area to ease digestion. Adding nitrogen will increase the raw protein value. Generally, adding sodium hydroxide will increase the energy value of straw while adding ammonia will increase the proteins. Good use of this method will transform straw to a fodder of equal quality to dried clover.

Biologic Method : A very expensive method that will be used in the future when the general awareness for nature and sensitivity to health will be much better than today; it involves adding artificial enzymes and some microorganisms to straw in order to improve food quality.

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