US feed database may be set to see updates

By Aerin Einstein-Curtis

- Last updated on GMT

© iStock
© iStock
An ongoing project compiling a database of feed ingredients is in the process of updating how ingredients are added, says a group official.

The database is being generated and maintained by the National Animal Nutrition Program (NANP), and is intended to provide information for high-priority animal nutrition concerns and research while offering a “systemic approach to sharing, collecting, assembling, synthesizing, and disseminating science-based information, educational tools, and enabling technologies on animal nutrition,”​ the group said.

"Feed is the largest livestock and poultry production expense, and better information on animal nutritional needs and feeding strategies is key to making livestock production sustainable and effective," ​said Merlin Lindemann, project leader from University of Kentucky in a release about the project.

The feed ingredient database currently includes nutritional records for about 526 feed ingredients, and is in place to generate a reliable database for producers to use, the group said.

“The project was initiated as a means to supplement research working in the areas of feed composition and animal modeling,”​ said Phillip Miller, chairman of the feed composition committee and professor and interim department head in the department of Animal Science at the University of Nebraska.

The group has been focused on working through the ingredients already included in the database, he told FeedNavigator. But it also has started looking toward next steps.

“Presently, we are really dealing with ingredients as they belong to the overall database,” ​he said. “We are having discussions now to determine the process to update and add ingredients. The feed composition committee is in charge of reviewing the ingredients and composition.”

Database details

The database includes feed and ingredient information for dairy, beef and swine producers said the group. It also offers information about animal nutritional requirements.

It covers ingredients ranging from corn, soybean meal and forms of dried distillers grains to zinc products, yeasts, phosphate rock and candy byproduct. In researching current items in the database, producers can find nutrition tables for ingredients, the group said.

Additionally, the databases offer searchable animal performance information and information about past topic research.

“There are lots of potential users, but it is anticipated that producers can use the ingredient databases for feed evaluation and diet formulation,” ​said Miller.

Looking forward, along with updates and identifying a process to add new ingredients, work is set to expand the information for producers of additional species, he said. “We are going to continue bringing in ingredients and nutrient compositions for additional species, e.g., poultry, fish and aquatic species, small ruminants, and horses,”​ he added.

Project history

The initial project was formed in 2010, but work with the feed composition and modeling committees started in about 2012, said Miller.  

The project is funded by the National Research Support Project, he said. “This is a program overseen by the State Agricultural Experiment Stations and comes from Hatch Funds and US Department of Agriculture,” ​he added.

The effort is a joint project among multiple land-grant institutions and partners including Auburn University, University of California, Davis, University of Connecticut, University of Georgia, University of Illinois, Iowa State University, University of Kentucky, Michigan State University, Louisiana State University, University of Maryland, University of Nebraska, North Carolina State University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Virginia Tech University, Washington State University, University of Wisconsin and the University of Wyoming.

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