Mixture of self-produced legumes and forages as alternative feedstuff for beef cattle

Introduction to the challenge addressed

Driven by the requirements of the CAP to apply greening in     crop management, a farmer took the     opportunity to  produce a mixture of forages and legumes to be introduced in the cropping scheme and feed rations  for his animals.  The product seemed to be an alternative feed to reduce the high cost of raw materials for feeding and when it was introduced in the rations these reveaked to have great potential in beef animals nutrition.

Description of Innovation

Beef Farm “Pangrazio”, a farm in a Verona Province, with 250 French Crossbreds bulls (mostly Aubrac) started 3 years ago the management of the animal feeding plan with the inclusion of an ingredient consisting in a mixture of a self-produced crop:  a mixture of forages and legumes. The mixture is made of ryegrass, triticale, wheat, alfaalfa and peas. 

The mixture is sowed in October and harvested between the end of May and the beginning of October of the following year. For the farmer’s needs 10 hectares are dedicated to the crop and the yield is on average 9 tons per hectare. The product is preserved in square bales (not ensiled) 

Impact on farm performance

The mixture can cover a large part of the dry matter needs of the bulls. It has good characteristics, either as source of soluble fibre (total or partial substitution of dry beet pulps and straw) and as source of protein (partial substitution of other feeds rich in protein, mostly soy). The mixture substituted maize silage, which is an excellent product but at risk of odd fermentations or toxins, a problem that is getting more and more serious in the latest years, due to the difficult seasonal hot and dry weather conditions. At crop level during cultivation, the innovative crop mixit needs much less water to grow and much less fertilization. The Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is well appreciated by animals

After the adoption of this feeding solution there has been a drastic reduction in the use of medicines and isolation of sick animals 

The client, a slaughter house not far away (within 50 km), is enthusiastic about this innovative feed mix.

Farmer comment (for Good Practices)

The farmer showed me the animals and wanted to focus interest on their clean and lucid surface, their calmness and how they were relaxingly ruminating after eating.