Cómo Preparar Bloques Multinutricionales para Ganado - TvAgro por Juan Gonzalo Angel

Twitter @juangangel The low nutritional potential of tropical forages, especially during drought, determines the need to provide animals with nutritional supplementation of protein and mineral energy elements to achieve greater productivity. Generally, grass is the most abundant and cheapest source of feed for livestock, thus forming the sole basis of our country's production systems. However, grass as a sole source of feed has many limitations. The Venezuelan livestock industry, based on natural pasture production, is heavily dependent on variations in the quality and quantity of green material produced. Our natural pastures, due to their low digestibility and protein content, result in low production levels, which prevents maximizing the genetic potential of herds and sustaining animal production due to protein deficiencies and protein-energy imbalances. Furthermore, many of the soils used for livestock production are deficient in phosphorus and other minerals. One way to improve animal productivity is to provide feed supplements to herds. One of the techniques used is Multi-Nutritional Blocks (MNBs), which represent an alternative strategy and technology for supplementing ruminants with nutrients with a high concentration of energy, protein, and minerals. Their production on farms is very easy and allows the use of some local raw materials. MNBs contain the basic nutrients required by animals for optimal functioning. They are mixed, compacted, and presented in a cubic or cylindrical form, weighing between 15 and 50 kg. These blocks should be provided to livestock to supplement nutrient deficiencies in pastures. With the use of MNBs, a permanent and uniform supply of nitrogen through urea is achieved, as well as bypass protein, minerals, and energy. When these are licked by the animal, the ruminal ecosystem improves and the microbial flora are induced to maximize protein synthesis and more efficiently degrade the fiber in low-quality forage. Block Composition As can be seen in Table 1, there are different formulas for making blocks, varying in the number and type of ingredients used. In the same table, we can see that urea is essential as a non-protein nitrogen source to provide nitrogen in the form of ammonia to the microbial flora; likewise, natural protein would act as a bypass protein to complement the supply of amino acids at the intestinal level; and finally, molasses and cornmeal serve as energy sources. According to trials conducted by researchers at the Táchira State Agricultural Research Center, very significant results have been obtained regarding average daily weight gain in bulls when multi-nutritional blocks were used during the summer in the Coloncito area of Táchira State. It is worth noting that in this same trial, a methyl febendazole-based dewormer was used, significantly affecting the parasite population compared to the control group. Furthermore, at Agropecuaria Paraíso in Guasdualito, Apure State, using multi-nutritional block 5 in Table 1, two batches of bulls with an average initial weight of 402 kg were compared under mid-summer grazing conditions, offering a daily weight gain of 100 g and 486 g for the control and BMN groups, respectively. Source Juan Gonzalo Angel www.tvagro.tv