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In the field of animal breeding, the scientific proportion of feed is crucial, and maize plays a significant role in many feed formulations. Whether it’s for poultry, livestock or aquaculture, corn is a commonly used and indispensable ingredient. So why add corn to your feed? There are a number of reasons behind this, including nutrition, palatability, economic benefits and many other dimensions.
Providing a solid nutritional foundation for animal growth
A high-quality source of energy
Corn is known as the ‘energy bank’ of animal feed. Its main component is starch, with a content as high as about 70%. After entering the animal’s body, starch is gradually decomposed into glucose under the action of a series of digestive enzymes. Glucose is the ‘fuel’ for the energy metabolism of animal cells, providing the energy needed for daily activities, growth and development, reproduction and other physiological processes. Taking fast-growing pigs as an example, during the fattening stage, the demand for energy increases dramatically. The starch in maize can be efficiently converted into energy to support the rapid deposition of muscle and fat, and achieve rapid weight growth. For milk-producing cows, an adequate supply of energy is the key to maintaining high lactation rates. The energy provided by maize ensures that the energy needs of cows during the milk-producing period are met, which in turn improves milk production and quality.
Protein supply and amino acid supplementation
Although corn is not a major source of high quality protein, it still contains some amount of protein, typically 7% – 10% of dry matter. Corn protein consists mainly of alcohol soluble proteins and glutenins, which provide some of the essential amino acids for animals. However, the amino acid composition of maize protein is not balanced, with relatively low levels of essential amino acids such as lysine and tryptophan. However, in the actual feed formulation, it can be reasonably matched with other raw materials rich in these amino acids (e.g. soybean meal) to achieve amino acid complementarity, thus meeting the comprehensive demand for protein in animals. For example, in poultry feed, corn mixed with soybean meal at a certain ratio can make the amino acid composition of the feed closer to the nutritional needs of chickens, improve the protein utilisation of the feed, and promote the growth and feather development of chickens.
Important contribution of vitamins and minerals
Corn is rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals, which play an indispensable role in the health and growth of animals. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects animal cells from free radical damage, enhances animal immunity and improves reproductive performance. In the feed of breeding pigs, the right amount of vitamin E can help to increase the fertility rate of sows, the number of litters and the survival rate of piglets. Corn is also rich in B vitamins, such as thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), etc. These vitamins are involved in energy metabolism, nervous system regulation and other physiological processes. In terms of minerals, corn contains phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and other elements. Phosphorus is an important component of bones and teeth, and is crucial to the development of animal bones and the maintenance of normal physiological functions; potassium is involved in maintaining cellular osmotic pressure and acid-base balance, and plays a key role in nerve conduction and muscle contraction in animals.
Good palatability to stimulate the animal's desire to eat
Sweet odour and taste
Corn has a unique sweet odour and taste, a natural flavour that is very attractive to most animals. The sweet smell comes from its own volatile compounds, which can stimulate the olfactory nerves of animals, triggering their desire to eat. When an animal smells the aroma emanating from corn, it is instinctively attracted to it and thus feeds more actively. For example, pigs are very sensitive to odour. Adding maize to pig feed can significantly improve the palatability of the feed, making pigs more willing to eat and ensuring that they consume enough nutrients. Corn also has a softer texture, making it easier for animals to chew and swallow, further increasing their enjoyment of the feed.
Improved texture and appearance
The shape and texture of the corn kernel improves the overall quality of the feed. Corn kernels of moderate size can make the texture of the feed more uniform and avoid uneven thickness when mixed with other feed ingredients. When making pellet feed, corn can act as a binder, helping to shape the feed and making the pellets firmer and smoother. This good texture and appearance not only facilitates animal feeding, but also reduces breakage and loss of feed during transport and storage. For birds, feeds with a uniform texture and good appearance are more easily accepted, helping to increase bird intake and growth.
Promote digestion and absorption to ensure healthy growth of animals
Easy to digest
After proper processing (e.g. crushing, puffing, etc.), the structure of corn becomes more loose, which is conducive to animal digestion. In the gastrointestinal tract of animals, the starch, protein and other nutrients in corn can be digested by digestive enzymes, decomposed into small molecules for easy absorption. For example, there are a large number of microorganisms in the rumen of ruminants, and after corn enters the rumen, it can be decomposed into volatile fatty acids and other nutrients under the fermentation effect of microorganisms, providing energy for ruminants. For monogastric animals, such as pigs and chickens, processed maize also has a higher digestibility in the gastrointestinal tract and can effectively provide nutrients to the animal.
Good for intestinal health
Corn contains a certain amount of dietary fibre. Although dietary fibre cannot be directly digested and absorbed by animals, it has an important physiological function in the gut. Dietary fibre can promote intestinal peristalsis, increase the volume of faeces and prevent constipation in animals. At the same time, dietary fibre can also serve as a fermentation substrate for beneficial intestinal microorganisms, promote the growth and reproduction of bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and other beneficial bacteria, and maintain intestinal microecological balance. In aquaculture, corn fibre in the feed helps to improve the digestive function of the fish intestine, increase the utilization rate of the feed in fish and reduce the occurrence of intestinal diseases.
Stable supply and cost advantages
Widely Cultivated
Maize is one of the most widely planted and productive crops in the world. It is highly adaptable and grows well in different climatic and soil conditions. Maize is grown in large quantities both in the temperate plains and in parts of the subtropics and tropics. This wide distribution of cultivation has resulted in a very stable supply of maize, which is able to meet the huge demand for maize from the feed industry on a global scale. Feed companies and farmers do not have to worry about production being affected by shortages of raw materials.
Relatively low cost
Corn has a significant cost advantage over some other feed ingredients. Due to its high yield, its price in the market is relatively low and stable. Corn usually accounts for a large proportion of feed formulations, and its use as a major ingredient can effectively reduce feed costs. For example, maize may account for 50% – 70% of the total cost of pig feed. By making rational use of the cost advantage of maize, farmers and feed companies can reduce production costs and improve farming efficiency while ensuring the nutritional needs of animals. At the same time, the relative stability of maize prices is also conducive to the long-term planning and stable development of the farming industry.
In summary, maize has become an indispensable and important raw material in animal feed due to its rich nutrient content, good palatability, promotion of digestion and absorption, as well as stable supply and cost advantages. In scientific and reasonable feed formulations, the addition of corn lays a solid foundation for the healthy growth of animals, the enhancement of breeding efficiency and the sustainable development of the entire livestock industry. Whether now or in the future, the important position of corn in the field of feed is difficult to be replaced.
