Experienced farmers advise pets and poultry fishmeal to be mixed in the feed. This is a very useful product that helps to accelerate growth and development. It just contains a huge amount of all kinds of vitamins and minerals.
Phosphorus and Selenium
What substances that make up a product such as fishmeal are considered beneficial? Phosphorus is contained in very large quantities in fishmeal, as in all seafood. This element is involved in almost all vital processes of animals. It is he who accelerates their growth. A distinctive feature of phosphorus is that it is absorbed by the body without residue.
Another substance found in fishmeal, selenium, provides a boost to the immune system. A lot of this trace element in legumes. However, in the soils on the territory of our country it contains extremely little. Accordingly, feeding peas and beans to animals does not allow to replenish it in full. This is where fish meal comes to the rescue.
Protein content in fishmeal
There are a lot of proteins in fishmeal - at least 60-65%. And in an expensive and high-quality product - 70%. This substance is the source of protein. Another component of it is amino acids. They are necessary for the body to build muscle tissue. He cannot produce them on his own. The flour contains the most effective natural amino acids: cystine, methionine, lysine, threonine.
Fish meal, the composition of which allows its successful use in agriculture, also contains animal fats. They perfectly complement the plant ones that enter the body with grass, fruits and vegetables. The correct balance of these substances stimulates the production of antibodies, as a result of which animals are much less likely to get sick. Another variety of trace elements is polyunsaturated acids. They contribute to the production of a special hormone - progesterone. It, in turn, has a beneficial effect on the ability of animals to reproduce.
The digestibility of the protein contained in fish meal is very high and amounts to about 95%. Actually, there is a lot of protein, as the main product, in it - about 60%.
Flour composition
The chemical composition of this product can be seen in the table below.
Useful material | number |
Protein | 60% |
Cellulose | 1 % |
Crude fat | 1 % |
Phosphorus | 3.5% |
IN | 1 mg / kg |
AT 4 | 3500 mg / kg |
Vitamins in Fishmeal
Fish meal, the composition of which is extremely diverse in terms of trace elements, including vitamins A, D, and B. They are not enough in plant foods. In flour, on the contrary, a lot. Vitamin A promotes the growth and development of animals. He is directly involved in the formation of new cells. Vitamin B stimulates nervous and muscle activity, and D promotes the absorption of animal phosphorus. Its deficiency can cause rickets.
The benefits of fishmeal
Fish flour, whose producers are currently selling a fairly high-quality product, when added to the feed, it allows:
- Accelerate the growth and development of pets and birds.
- Strengthen their immune system.
- Improve the development of nerve and bone tissues. This reduces the risk of various kinds of deformations of the skeleton.
What kind of animals is fishmeal good for?
It is very useful, for example, to give fishmeal to egg-laying chickens. This increases the number of eggs laid. It also prevents the development of various kinds of diseases. In addition, the use of this product significantly improves the quality of the eggs themselves. Fishmeal, the use of which in agriculture is more than justified, is very often used in the field of dairy farming. Feeding her cows can reduce the fat content of milk. Also, the meat of such animals has an optimal fat composition. In fur farming, this product improves the quality of the fur. It is very useful to give it to rabbits and nutria.
What raw material is flour made from?
The production of fishmeal is a process that requires the use of special equipment - presses, conveyors, etc. It can be made from almost any commercial marine fish. However, small varieties are most suitable for this purpose, which, incidentally, are usually not suitable for human nutrition. Flour production is one of the main areas of the fishing industry. To obtain 1 ton of this product, approximately 5-6 tons of raw materials must be processed. About 6.5 million tons of the mentioned useful product are produced annually around the world.
Methods of making fishmeal
Production of fishmeal - a process carried out in the following ways:
- Direct drying.
- Extractional.
- Press-drying.
- Centrifuge-drying.
- Combined.
Direct drying method
The preparation of fish meal takes place in special drums with stirring blades. Before loading the crushed raw materials, they are heated to a temperature of 85-90 gr. Initially, the fish is boiled for about half an hour. The duration of hot processing directly depends on the content of lipids in the feed. After cooking is finished, pressure is pumped in the drum, which is gradually increased. The drying time is usually about 4 hours, if initially the fish contains 10-12% of water.
After the flour is ready, it is removed from the drum with a mixer and fed to a press for partial removal of fat. The resulting briquettes are crushed in a special mill and passed through magnets to remove trapped microscopic specks of metal. Next, the flour is packed in bags or bags and sent to the warehouse.
Extraction method
In this case, the production of a product such as fishmeal is based on the process of azeotropic distillation. He did not receive especially wide distribution. Use it mainly only in the manufacture of granular fish meal. In this case, it is obtained in special plants using solvents such as trichloroethane, isopropyl alcohol, hexane and dichloroethane.
Press-drying method
In this case, the raw material is conveyed through the conveyor to a special loading hopper, and then to the cooking vessel. After hot working, it enters the screw press to remove moisture. The mass remaining after squeezing is dried and crushed.
One of the modifications of this method is centrifuge-drying. In this case, after cooking, the fish does not come under pressure, but in a special centrifuge.
The broth remaining after raw materials processing by all these methods is used to prepare another very useful product - fish oil. It is also very often added to animal feed. It is extremely useful, for example, for ducklings and chickens. Receiving fish oil, young birds are much less sick, and their lunge is also reduced. This product, like flour, is mixed into poultry feed. Experienced farmers recommend pre-diluting it with water in a ratio of 1: 2.
Is it possible to make fish meal with your own hands
Some farmers are interested in how fishmeal is made at home. As you can see, the technology of its production is not complicated, but requires special equipment. Therefore, it is unlikely to be done independently. And in this case the product will cost even more than the purchased one.
Fishmeal: instructions for use
The norms of feeding fishmeal for different animals are different. So, dairy cows can be given half a kilo per day. In the diet of poultry it should be 2-3%. Up to 7% of the total amount of feed can be added to chickens, goslings and ducklings. Too much fishmeal can not be given to the bird, however.
Which manufacturer's product is worth buying
They make fish flour in almost all countries of the world. The highest quality is made in Chile and Peru. However, such flour is quite expensive. Therefore, domestic farmers prefer to purchase a product of Russian production. In quality, it is practically not inferior to the Chilean and Peruvian, but it costs much cheaper.
How to store the product
If the fishmeal is not stored properly, the lipids will begin to oxidize, and the content of vitamins in the supplement will significantly decrease. In addition, the humidity of the product may change. In a damp room, flour will actively absorb water vapor, in a too dry room, on the contrary, give it away. The optimum humidity in the room for storage of this product is considered to be 60-70%. In some cases, this figure may be slightly higher. However, in no case should it exceed 75%.
Thus, fishmeal is a product, as you see, very useful and at the same time inexpensive. It is not difficult to produce it, but you cannot do without the use of special equipment.