Livestock feed concentrates can save money and improve performance when they are used correctly. They can also cause poor growth, mineral imbalance or wasted feed when farmers use them like complete feeds.
The first thing to understand is simple:
A concentrate is not automatically a complete feed.
The FAO feed definitions describe a concentrate as a feed used with another feed to improve the nutritional balance of the total ration and then diluted or mixed to make a supplement or complete feed.
What is a livestock feed concentrate?
In everyday farm language, the word concentrate is used in two different ways.
First, it can mean nutrient dense ingredients such as maize, soybean meal, wheat bran or groundnut cake. FAO also uses this broad nutritional meaning when separating energy concentrates from protein concentrates.
Second, it can mean a commercial concentrate mix designed to be combined with specific ingredients before feeding.
That second meaning is the one farmers must be especially careful with.
Concentrate, premix, supplement and complete feed are not the same
These terms should not be used interchangeably.
- Complete feed: designed to be fed as the main ration, with water provided separately.
- Concentrate: normally intended to be mixed with other ingredients before feeding.
- Premix: highly concentrated vitamins, minerals or other micro ingredients used at a small inclusion rate.
- Supplement: added to another ration to supply nutrients that may be missing or insufficient.
- Additive: used for a specific function and generally included at a small rate.
FAO’s feed terminology makes this distinction clear. A concentrate is intended for further dilution, while a complete feed is formulated to be nutritionally adequate as the sole ration apart from water.
Always read the label before buying
Do not buy a concentrate only because the bag says “high protein” or “fast growth.”
Check:
- species;
- production stage;
- mixing rate;
- ingredients to add;
- batch number;
- manufacturing and expiry dates;
- storage instructions;
- guaranteed nutrient analysis where provided; and
- manufacturer contact details.
If the label says mix 10 kg concentrate with a stated quantity of maize and another ingredient, do not feed the 10 kg concentrate directly as though it were finished feed.
Choose the concentrate by species
A poultry concentrate is not automatically suitable for pigs, cattle, sheep or fish.
Different species digest feed differently and have different nutrient requirements.
For example, cattle and other ruminants depend heavily on forage and rumen fermentation. Pigs and poultry depend much more directly on the amino acid, energy, mineral and vitamin balance of the final mixed ration.
FAO notes that compound feeds for monogastric animals such as pigs and poultry are commonly complete feeds, while ruminants still require the fibre contribution of forage or roughage as part of the total diet.
Production stage matters more than breed name alone
Breed can matter, but life stage and production purpose usually matter more when choosing a concentrate.
A farmer should first ask:
- Is this a chick, grower, finisher or layer?
- Is this a piglet, grower pig, pregnant sow or lactating sow?
- Is this a calf, growing animal, dry cow or lactating cow?
- Is the animal growing, reproducing, producing milk or maintaining body weight?
A concentrate must fit that stage.
Do not select feed by crude protein alone
“This concentrate has more protein” does not automatically mean it is better.
Animals respond to the full nutrient package.
That includes:
- energy;
- digestible amino acids;
- minerals;
- vitamins;
- fibre where relevant;
- fat;
- salt and electrolyte balance; and
- actual feed intake.
Two feeds with the same crude protein can perform differently if their amino acid balance, ingredient quality or energy level is different.
Check what ingredients you are expected to add
A concentrate only works properly if the farmer mixes it with the ingredients the formula was designed for.
Do not replace maize, soybean meal, wheat bran or another named ingredient with whatever is cheapest without recalculating the ration.
Ingredient substitution changes:
- energy;
- protein;
- amino acids;
- fibre;
- minerals;
- fat; and
- the amount animals may eat.
See our Livestock Feed Ingredients Guide before making substitutions.
Mixing rate is not a suggestion
If the manufacturer gives a mixing instruction, treat it as part of the formulation.
Using too little concentrate can leave the ration deficient.
Using too much can make the ration unnecessarily expensive and may create mineral or nutrient imbalance.
Measure ingredients by weight, not by guessing with buckets of different sizes.
Mix thoroughly
Even the correct formula can fail if the concentrate is not evenly distributed.
For small farm mixing:
- weigh all ingredients;
- pre mix the small quantity of concentrate with part of a larger ingredient;
- add that mixture to the remaining ingredients; and
- mix until the colour and texture are as uniform as practical.
Small inclusion products such as premixes require even more careful mixing.
Do not confuse concentrate with premix
This is a costly farm mistake.
A premix may be designed for inclusion at only a few kilograms per tonne of feed.
A concentrate may be included at a much higher rate.
Never use the inclusion rate from one product on another product simply because both are sold in small bags.
For cattle, forage still matters
Concentrate can help supply energy, protein, minerals and vitamins, but it does not make roughage unnecessary.
FAO’s small scale dairy guidance describes concentrates as feeds with higher digestibility and nutrient density than roughages and gives examples such as cereals, bran and oilseed cakes.
For ruminants, concentrate must be balanced against forage quality, animal size and production level.
Too much rapidly fermentable concentrate with too little effective fibre can increase the risk of digestive upset.
Do not use feed to “keep an animal warm” or “cool an animal”
Environmental stress should first be managed through housing, water, shade, ventilation and management.
Nutrition may need adjustment because intake and energy needs change, but a concentrate itself is not an environmental control device.
Health problems need diagnosis, not a special concentrate
A feed concentrate should not be sold as a cure for liver disease, seizures, infection or another diagnosed health problem unless a veterinarian or qualified nutritionist is managing a specific therapeutic diet.
If an animal is sick:
- diagnose the problem;
- check whether feed is contributing;
- correct the ration if necessary; and
- treat the disease appropriately.
Do not select livestock feed by random disease claims on the bag.
Check feed freshness and storage
Even a well formulated concentrate can deteriorate.
Reject feed that shows:
- mould;
- strong rancid smell;
- water damage;
- heavy insect infestation;
- broken or unlabelled bags; or
- an expired date.
Store bags off the floor, away from rain and direct heat, with good air movement.
Compare cost per finished feed, not cost per bag
A concentrate may look expensive because the bag is small, but it may produce a large quantity of finished feed.
Calculate:
Total cost of concentrate + all ingredients required to complete the formula ÷ total kilograms of finished feed.
Then compare the final feed cost with performance.
Use our Phoenix Feed Cost Calculator when comparing formulations.
Check whether the animals are actually responding
After changing concentrate or formula, monitor:
- feed intake;
- body weight;
- growth rate;
- milk or egg production;
- manure or droppings;
- mortality;
- feed conversion where relevant; and
- cost per unit of output.
A bag label is a starting point. Farm records tell you whether the ration is working.
Questions to ask before buying a concentrate
- Is it made for my animal species?
- Is it made for the correct age or production stage?
- What ingredients must I add?
- What is the exact mixing rate?
- Is it a concentrate, premix, supplement or complete feed?
- What nutrient analysis is guaranteed?
- Is the batch fresh?
- What will one bag cost per kilogram of finished feed?
- Can the supplier explain the formula clearly?
- How will I measure performance after using it?
Bottom line
The best livestock concentrate is not simply the one with the highest protein or the most impressive label.
It is the one that fits the species, production stage and complete ration, is mixed at the correct rate and produces a good biological and economic response on the farm.
Read the label, build the complete ration, mix accurately and judge the result from the animals and your records.
