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Feed management activities may be used to reduce the nutrient content of manure, resulting in less land being required to utilize the nutrient contents of the manure. Feed management activities should be dealt with as a planning consideration and not as a requirement that addresses specific criteria.
An example of the effective use of feed management is presented as follows:
"If a dairy cow is fed 0.04 percent above recommended levels of dietary phosphorus she will excrete an additional six pounds of phosphorus annually. For a herd of 500 cows, this is an additional 3,000 pounds of phosphorus per year. In a single cropping system, corn silage is about 0.2 percent phosphorus on a dry matter basis. For a field yielding 30 tons of silage per acre, at 30 percent dry matter, this is 36 pounds of phosphorus in the crop. If an additional 3,000 pounds of phosphorus are recovered in manure it takes considerably more land for application if manure is applied on a phosphorus basis." Dr. Deanne Meyer, Livestock Waste Management Specialist, Cooperative Extension, University of California.
Specific activities to address nutrient reduction in manure may include phase feeding, amino acid supplemented low crude protein diets, and the use of low phytin phosphorus grain and enzymes, such as phytase or other additives. Information and recommendations regarding feed management may be obtained from the Auburn University Animal Sciences http://www.ag.auburn.edu/dept/ads/ExtPrograms/extension.html
Feed management can be an effective approach to addressing excess nutrient production and should be encouraged; however, it is also recognized that feed management may not always be a viable or acceptable alternative for all AFOs. A professional animal nutritionist should be consulted before making any recommendations associated with feed ration adjustment.
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