410 ANIMAL BIOCHEMISTRY 



Grains or Cereals 



The cereal grains and their by-products form the greater part of all 

 the concentrated feeds used for livestock. 



Corn is by far the most important crop in the United States. About 

 one-fourth of our crop acreage is planted to corn and 85 per cent of 

 it is harvested for grain. The remainder is used for silage. Wheat 

 ranks second to corn in acreage, but most of it is converted to flour 

 and other human foods. Only a small portion, mostly poorer grades, 

 is used directly for livestock feed. Oats ranks third in acreage among 

 the cereals but is second to corn in importance for stock feed. Barley 

 is fourth in cereal production. It is an important feed crop in both 

 dry areas and those with short growing seasons, conditions which are 

 not conducive to good corn yields. Sorghimi and millet are also 

 grown in the plains states in regions of low rainfall, since they are 

 more drought resistant than corn. 



Cereals such as wheat, corn, barley, oats, sorghinn, and millet are 

 high in carbohydrates (N.F.E.) and low in crude fiber (Table 16-1) 



TABLE 16-1. Per Cent Composition of Some Typical Cereal Grains 



and, therefore, are valued as supplements to the hay and fodder com- 

 ponents of the animal ration. These cereals are rich in total digestible 

 nutrients and net energy and in addition are very palatable to live- 

 stock. Grains are relatively low in both protein content and protein 

 quality, being generally deficient in lysine, tryptophan, and methio- 

 nine (Chapter 5). In feeding poultry and swine, these deficiencies 

 must be corrected by stipplementing with high-quality proteins for 

 efficient production. 



Cereal grains are also low in minerals, particularly calcium. Ani- 

 mals receiving roughages get adequate amounts from such sotirces. 

 The phosphorus content of grains is not high, but the levels are more 

 nearly adequate than in the roughages. 



