Studies on microstructure and chemical characteristics of processed and unprocessed animal feeds for quality assurance.

Quality of feeds is an important factor in animal husbandry as it affects the productivity and profitability_ Quality assurance aims to produce a feed which is digestible, free from adulterants, contaminants, infestants and toxicants and meets the nutritional requirements of livestock. In the present study, efforts were made to introduce feed microscopy as a quick and fast quality, assurance tool to identifY ingredients of mixed feeds along with some precise chemical attributes and energy concentration. The samples of energy and protein sources, adulterants, stored ingredients, cattle feeds. poultry feeds, fish meal, molasses, mineral supplements and mineral mixtures were collected an,d analysed. The microstructures of feed ingredients, adulterants and mineral supplements were defined in terms of colour, shape and size of the particles, opacity, transparency, hardness, softness, texture. The stored and partially damaged feed ingredients were examined microscopically for the presence of infestants and contaminants and their features were defined. These microstructures were applied in mixed cattle feeds and mineral mixtures in order to identify their physical constituents and it was observed that colour and sPape of the particle were the most important criteria for the identification of physical constituents. Rice husk was found to be the most common adulterant in examined cattle feeds. The chemical analysis of energy and protein sources was carried out for proximate principles, cell wall constituents, various protein fractions ego QOP, SOP, ERDP, UDP, ADIP, DUP, Mep, DMTP and MP; and energy fractions ego GE, DE, ME and PME. The data revealed that most of the feed ingredients fullillcd and many of the compounded feeds failed to meet the BIS requirements, thereby, indicating that adulteration is more prevalent in compound feeds than individual ingredients. Among energy feeds, GE, ME and FME (MJ/KgDM) was the highest for oat (21.32), maize (IS.28) and barley (13.74) and the lowest for rice bran'(17.42), (8.67), and (8.09), respectively. The GE content among protein feeds varied from fish meal (10.78) to mahua cake (23.88), whereas, ME and FME varied from fish meal (S.S2 and 3.77) to maize gluten feed (16.2S and IS.83). For energy feeds, the ERDP, UDP, ADI? and DUP(%) were the highest for wheat bran (12.26), gram chlllli (4.76), rice bran (1.78) and gram chlllli (3.44); and the lowest for maize (7.16), barley (1.40), oat (0.2S) and maize (0.92), respectively. For protein feeds, the ERDP, UDP, ADlP and DUP% were the highest for meat meal (50.18), meat meal (23.98), mustard cake ext. (2.17) and meat meal (20.35); and the lowest for walnut cake(5.51), bel/gal gram(white)(0.87), fish meal (0.00) and mustard cake exp. (0.37). It was observed that cereal seeds, namely, oat, barley. bajra (pearl millet), sorghum and maize were deficient in N and had excess of energy, thus, required additional N supplementation, whereas, rice bran, wheat bran and gram chuni, despite being energy feeds, were deficient in energy and had excess of N, therefore, extra 'energy supplementation was required to balance them. Protein feeds, except walnut cake, were deficient in energy and had excess of N, therefore, they required additional ~nergy supplementation for maximum MCP synthesis. All the fish meal samples analysed were contaminated or adulterated with sodium chloride. In most of the poultry feed samples, the sodium chloride contents were below the maximum SIS specified limits. In case of molasses, most of the samples either fulfilled or very close in fulfilling the BIS requirements. Using the observation methods of present study, quality control offeeds can be done more precisely. 'Ill -mm <tt :l'I'1"" qlJ'llW! if '% %"'Loj. 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