ARS | Publication request: By-Product Feeds

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: October 19, 2009
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: By-product feeds are generated from the production of food, fiber, and bio-energy products for human consumption. They include plant feedstuffs such as hulls, stalks, peels, and oil seed meals, and animal by-products such as blood meal, fats, bone meal, or processed organ meats. Some feed by-products are a result of the production of food which may not be of the quality or composition appropriate for human use. However, they provide economical feeds for dairy cattle and other ruminants. The composition and quality of by-product feeds have the potential to vary greatly, depending upon the specific starting product and particular process. To optimize their use, special attention must be paid to monitoring nutrient composition and absence of factors that could impair animal performance or affect human health. The use of by-product feeds has been and will continue to be important to the efficient use of our natural resources in food production. In this chapter, we will discuss a number of individual by-product feeds, their production, evaluation of and factors affecting their quality as feedstuffs.