How can molasses be used as a feed additive for ruminants?
The importance of molasses as an essential and vital ingredient for animal feeds, either for poultry or swine, cannot be overstated. Molasses is a by-product of sugar manufacturing, which undergoes several procedures to turn sugarcane into a liquid form. We have already talked about the nutrients readily available in molasses that can be taken by animals. Molasses also contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and iron, which are essential for animal body activities and development. Yet, some farmers have no idea how to use molasses as a feed additive for ruminants and its proper application. For safety reasons, molasses ad libitum is not recommended for all animals as they can suffer from molasses toxicity and bloating; the restrictive amount should be followed as much as possible. According to S. Senthilkumar et al. (2016), the ideal amount of molasses to be added to complete diets for dairy cows is up to 3kg per head per day. Whereas, in beef cattle, including you