Archive:000/Feed: Difference between revisions
(Created page with "'''Myth:''' <q>Farm animals mostly eat stuff that humans can't eat.</q> '''Fact:''' * Chickens and pigs don't. * Cows, sheep and goats can, but that alone can produce only a limited amount of meat & milk globally. Hence human-edible food is added to their diets. * Details: {|class="wikitable" | |colspan=2|Can it be digested and absorbed by |rowspan=2|Notes |- | !Non-ruminants<br /><small>such as</small><br />humans, chickens,...") |
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'''Myth:''' <q>Farm animals mostly | '''Myth:''' <q>Farm animals eat mostly stuff that humans can't eat.</q> | ||
'''Fact:''' | '''Fact:''' | ||
* Chickens and pigs don't. | * Chickens and pigs don't. | ||
* Cows, sheep and goats can, but | * Cows, sheep and goats can, but this alone can't produce enough meat & milk to meet global demand. Hence the animal industry also depends on using human-edible [[food]] as feed. | ||
* | * See below for details: | ||
{|class="wikitable" | {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;width:100%" | ||
| | |rowspan=2| | ||
|colspan=2|Can it be digested and absorbed by | |colspan=2|Can it be eaten, digested and absorbed by... | ||
|rowspan=2|Notes | |rowspan=2 style="width:25%"|Notes | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |<small>Non-ruminants<br />such as</small><br />'''humans, chickens, pigs''' | ||
|Ruminants<br /><small>such as</small><br />'''cows, sheep, goats''' | |||
|- | |- | ||
|'''Products'''<br /><small>such as</small><br />grains, | |'''Products'''<br /><small>such as</small><br />grains, legumes,<br />fruits, nuts,<br />vegetables | ||
|Yes | |'''Yes''' | ||
|Yes | |'''Yes''' | ||
|The grains fed to animals are the same grains that could be ground into flour and used in baking. This includes [[corn]]. | |<small>The grains fed to animals are the same grains that could be ground into flour and used in baking. This includes [[corn]].</small> | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''[[underutilized foodstuffs|By-products]]'''<br /><small>such as</small><br />wheat germ,<br />molasses,<br />soybean meal | |'''[[underutilized foodstuffs|By-products]]'''<br /><small>such as</small><br />wheat germ,<br />molasses,<br />soybean meal | ||
|Yes | |'''Yes''' | ||
|Yes | |'''Yes''' | ||
| | |<small>By-products often contain more nutrients than the main products!</small><br />{{p2|[read more]|When wheat is processed into white flour, nutrient-rich ''wheat germ'' is left behind.{{minor|Note: It's called "germ" because it was the part of the grain that germinates; it has nothing to do with infectious "germs".}}<br />When sugarcane or beets are processed into white sugar, mineral-rich ''molasses'' is left behind.<br /><br />When soybeans are processed to make soybean oil, protein-rich ''soybean meal'' is left behind. Soybean meal is 52% protein, and it can be ground into ''soy flour'' and used in baking.}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''[[Crop residues]]'''<br /><small>such as</small><br />peanut shells,<br />[[straw]], husks<br />empty corn cobs | |'''[[Crop residues]]'''<br /><small>such as</small><br />peanut shells,<br />[[straw]], husks,<br />empty corn cobs | ||
|No | |No | ||
|Yes | |'''Yes''' | ||
| | |<small>These are the fibrous parts left over from food crops. For example straw is left over from wheat and rice plants. Ruminants can digest fiber and use it as a source of calories. Non-ruminants cannot.</small> | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Grass | |'''Grass & leaves'''<br />(pasture) | ||
|No | |No | ||
|Yes | |'''Yes''' | ||
| | |<small>60% of all farmland is already pasture; and that doesn't even include rangelands.</small> | ||
|} | |} | ||
Note: While it's true that ruminants can convert inedible fiber into edible protein, [[mushrooms]] can do this even more efficiently. | |||
==See also== | |||
* [[Food]] | |||
* [[Plant-based#FAQ]] | |||
Latest revision as of 16:29, 26 October 2024
Myth: Farm animals eat mostly stuff that humans can't eat.
Fact:
- Chickens and pigs don't.
- Cows, sheep and goats can, but this alone can't produce enough meat & milk to meet global demand. Hence the animal industry also depends on using human-edible food as feed.
- See below for details:
| Can it be eaten, digested and absorbed by... | Notes | ||
| Non-ruminants such as humans, chickens, pigs |
Ruminants such as cows, sheep, goats | ||
| Products such as grains, legumes, fruits, nuts, vegetables |
Yes | Yes | The grains fed to animals are the same grains that could be ground into flour and used in baking. This includes corn. |
| By-products such as wheat germ, molasses, soybean meal |
Yes | Yes | By-products often contain more nutrients than the main products! [read more]When wheat is processed into white flour, nutrient-rich wheat germ is left behind.Note: It's called "germ" because it was the part of the grain that germinates; it has nothing to do with infectious "germs". When sugarcane or beets are processed into white sugar, mineral-rich molasses is left behind. When soybeans are processed to make soybean oil, protein-rich soybean meal is left behind. Soybean meal is 52% protein, and it can be ground into soy flour and used in baking. |
| Crop residues such as peanut shells, straw, husks, empty corn cobs |
No | Yes | These are the fibrous parts left over from food crops. For example straw is left over from wheat and rice plants. Ruminants can digest fiber and use it as a source of calories. Non-ruminants cannot. |
| Grass & leaves (pasture) |
No | Yes | 60% of all farmland is already pasture; and that doesn't even include rangelands. |
Note: While it's true that ruminants can convert inedible fiber into edible protein, mushrooms can do this even more efficiently.