Bundaberg Molasses is the preferred choice of the Australian stockfeed industry because of its:

• palatability to all stock
• low cost per unit of energy
• flexibility as a supplement
• availability all year round
• ease of storage and handling
• competitive price
• nutrient content
• technical back-up and support
• customer service

Molasses can be purchased in bulk or drums through spot sales or contractual arrangements. Prices are very competitive and transport can be arranged to anywhere in Australia.

Molasses for Beef Production

Producer experience and scientific research have shown over many years that molasses has a significant role to play in beef production. As well as being an important ingredient in many feedlot rations, molasses is very popular for drought feeding and as a carrier for protein and mineral supplements.

Energy
Metabolisable energy is critical for animal survival and production yet lack of sufficient energy is the most common deficiency suffered by animals. Molasses contains approximately 10.29 MJ of metabolisable energy (ME) per kg (as fed) making it an excellent source of dietary energy. As a rough guide molasses is generally considered to contain around 0.7 times the energy of feed grains such as sorghum (due partly to the lower dry matter content of molasses compared to grains (75% vs 90%)). Allowing for this, molasses is still often the cheapest source of energy.

Protein
Although molasses contains 3 to 5% crude protein, in cases of gross protein deficiency it is often recommended that a protein source be added to the molasses. It is quite common to add either urea (eg 8%) or a protein meal (eg 10% cotton seed meal) to molasses when feeding it directly to livestock. Urea is a source of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) which means that it needs the rumen microbes to convert it into protein before the animal can effectively use it. Therefore when feeding urea it is especially important to feed the microbes. The sugars in molasses help in this regard.

When feeding urea a source of sulfur is required to ensure full nitrogen utilisation. The sulfur in molasses is adequate for this purpose. Urea is generally cheaper than protein meals however care must be taken to avoid "urea poisoning". Also, if there isn't adequate dry feed (to feed the rumen microbes which turn urea into protein) then it would be advisable to use a protein meal to supplement the protein content of molasses instead of urea.

Extra Nutrient
Molasses contains many minerals that are important for optimum animal health and performance. Molasses is high in potassium, sulfur, iron and manganese relative to the animal's requirements and contains many other essential minerals.

To achieve maximum liveweight gains by adding an energy source such as molasses, the animal's other nutrient requirements need to be met. Where nutrition is inadequate, animal performance is limited by the "most limiting nutrient", The secret to improving animal performance through nutrition is ensuring that the animal's requirements for these limiting nutrients are met as only then will a response be seen with the addition of other nutrients. Therefore, to get the best value out of feeding molasses, the animal's other nutrient requirements need to be met. This is where fortified molasses is important.

Nutrients such as protein and minerals can be added to molasses at varying inclusion levels to enhance its feed value and tailor the supplement for particular circumstances. Using molasses as the carrier for additional nutrients virtually eliminates dust and settling of fines which also ensures uniform nutrient distribution within the supplement. This is important so that all animals obtain the correct level of each of the nutrients to alleviate deficiencies and avoid toxicity problems. Being so palatable, molasses also encourages consumption by all livestock. In these ways molasses helps ensure that nutrients are evenly distributed through the herd.

Intake
The best level of molasses intake depends on the cattle, the remainder of their diet and the conditions. Feeding 2 to 3 kg of molasses per day to breeding cattle and a little less for dry cattle is common for survival feeding (DPI). 3kg is also a common amount to feed to steers or cull cows when feeding for production. At this level the energy from molasses is utilised most efficiently and there is virtually no risk of adverse effects. There have been reports of far higher levels (eg 8-9 kg/day) of molasses being succcssfully fed for production. When molasses makes up a high portion of the diet it tends to be less well digested because, the balance of the micro organisms in the rumen alters and the ratio of volatile fatty acids changes - affecting the animal's energy uptake. When feeding molasses it is always recommended to have another source of dry matter, particularly a roughage such as pasture or hay both to feed the microbes and to ensure the healthy functioning of the digestive tract.

On occasions it may be desirable to limit the intake of molasses to reduce costs or to ensure that no adverse effects result from animals consuming too much of any of the added ingredients, particularly urea. There are two main ways of achieving this, a substance can be added to reduce the palatability and deter animals from over consuming. Alternatively, probably the safest way for home mixes is to feed the liquid supplement in a roller drum so that the intake is mechanically limited to the amount an animal can lick off the roller drum before their tongue gets tired. By adding water to the mixture the amount sticking to the roller drum is reduced and therefore intake is further limited.
(ADDING WATER CAN BE DANGEROUS UNLESS FEEDING IN A ROLLER DRUM)
Possible Roller Drum Construction


Improves Utilisation of Dry Matter
Feeding molasses stimulates the rumen bacteria to increase the digestibility of dry matter and improve the utilisation of dietary N. Due to its buffering capabilities molasses can achieve this without reducing the rumen pH as grain does. This will help achieve maximum production from poor quality forages and encourage cattle to graze the less palatable grasses and shrubs. Adding 3% urea will further increase the efficiency of energy utilisation by giving the microbes a N source for microbial protein synthesis.

Production feeding
There are many cases where it can be economical to feed a supplemental source of energy such as molasses. Fattening to the required weight and condition to suit a particular market can be worth a substantial premium. It may mean not only getting paid for more kilos but getting paid more per kilogram. On some pastures cattle may never reach the required condition to target premium markets or they may be too old before they reached the required weight. Supplementing the diet of the cattle with molasses may mean the difference between being able to sell into a premium market and only being able to sell into a lower priced market. As molasses is relatively inexpensive it can often be profitable to feed in those circumstances.

Getting the cattle to this state more quickly can also substantially reduce costs as it would enable cattle to be sold into the target market at a much younger age particularly where rapidly deteriorating feed would mean that the cattle would have to be kept many more months, (maybe until the next growing season) before they would meet the premium market. Also getting cattle to meet these requirements quickly if the land is drying up, can reduce the pressure on the country and water supplies as these cattle will be turned off sooner, leaving more grass and water for the other cattle.

Blocks
Molasses offers many benefits when used as an ingredient in the production of lick blocks. Its palatability, flavour and aroma encourage livestock to eat the lick and its viscosity helps hold all the ingredients together without risk of the fines settling out. Depending on the recipe it can be involved in chemical reactions to further improve the stability of the block. The molasses also provides a source of many minerals and energy.

Silage
Molasses can assist in the production of silage as well as improving its palatability and attractiveness to stock. To make good silage it is necessary to encourage production of lactic acid and the subsequent drop in pH. This prevents undesirable changes taking place such as the degradation of protein. Some fodder plants, particularly lush grasses and legumes, are deficient in fermentable carbohydrates, which are required for the lactic acid fermentation, The sugar in molasses is a suitable source of this carbohydrate and is converted into lactic and aectic acids, retaining the feed value of the molasses. Molasses can also help seal the air out so that aerobic bacteria do not degrade the silage.

Conclusion
The benefits of feeding molasses have been quantified by many research trials and whilst it was almost always beneficial the actual response varied depending on a number of factors including animal diet, stage of production and level of consumption. There can be no doubt however that molasses is a great source of energy and minerals for ruminants. It can be fed in a number of ways and is very beneficial in many situations. Cattle producers can feel confident feeding molasses, knowing that they are feeding a safe and economical supplement. It also allows growers to tailor supplements to suit their particular circumstances to reliably achieve positive results.

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Molasses in Feedlots

Molasses is a staple ingredient in most feedlot rations. It is commonly included at levels around 5% though MRC (Meat Research Council) research indicates that it would be beneficial to include it at higher levels such as 15 to 25%. Molasses makes an available energy source which also improves the palatability of the ration.

The taste and smell of molasses encourage cattle to eat and because of this it is recommended especially for use in starter rations. Another benefit of using molasses is its ability to hold the fines, such as minerals and ionophores stable within the ration to ensure each animal consumes the desired amount. Because of this characteristic it can also help reduce the dust in the feedlot. Specially formulated molasses based suspension supplements such as Bundaberg Molasses' Peak-F can further improve the consistency of the ration and evenness of distribution of nutrients within the ration by suspending ingredients evenly within the molasses supplement so that mixing the molasses into the feed also ensures that these other ingredients are distributed evenly.

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Molasses for Dairy Cattle

Nutrition has the greatest influence on the productivity and profiability of dairying. Feed is also one of the most significant costs. Therefore it is important to find the most cost effective ingredients to supply the cow's requirements.

Dairy cows have a high energy requirement to maximise their millk production. On Australian farms energy is commonly the most limiting nutrient and is largely responsible for the differences in milk production between herds. Where energy is limiting the cow will use the energy for maintenance and reproduction at the expense of milk production. Providing sufficient energy in the diet to meet all the animal's requirements is therefore of paramount importance. It has been said, by the Queensland DPI, that cows on improved tropical pastures consume sufficient protein to produce 12 litres per day but only enough energy to produce 8 to 10 litres per day. This situation is common and explains the necessity to feed energy supplements to improve production.

Once the cow's maintenance requirements are met almost all additional energy will be used for milk production making this extra milk very cost effective to produce (see Diagram 1 below).

Diagram 1 - The effect of Molasses Supplementation on milk production


Molasses is one of the cheapest sources of energy and, when fed appropriately, can produce between 0.6 and 1 litre of milk per kg dry matter (from molasses) fed. This makes the milk produced from molasses supplements some of the cheapest, most profitable milk.

Molasses also helps maximise the utilisation of dry matter. When fed to ruminants, molasses provides a source of carbohydrate which feeds the rumen microbes and helps promote an efficient and healthy microbial population. This microbial microbial population can then achieve more efficient and more complete fibre digestion. In turn, this encourages cattle to consume the less palatable sources of dry matter which means that you can effectively utilse, and produce milk from even the less palatable foarge species.

There has been evidence to suggest that in order to optimise milk protein content, sugar, starch and fibre need to be in a particular proportion to each other. Due to their different digestibility's this would ensure energy is released at a constant rate throughout the day. Many tropical grasses tend to be low in sugar and, if unsupplemented, can cause reduced milk production. This can be compounded by nitrogen fertiliser which makes the grass grow faster but with low sugar content despite the high protein. To improve milk production cattle grazing these pastures should be supplemented with molasses to increase the sugar content of their diet.

In general, there will be positive results to molasses supplementation where energy is the limiting nutrient. Good results have also been seen by replaclng some of the other, more expensive concentrates, with molasses

The response to molasses supplementation is very similar to the response to grain supplementation on a dry matter basis, according to the QDPI. It is generally not recommended to feed more than 3.5kg of molasses per head per day though good results are common up to this level (see Graph 1 below and Table 1)




Table 1 Response to Molasses Supplementation (QDPI)

When molasses constitutes greater than 25% of the diet dry matter or more than 3.5 kg of molasses is consumed per cow per day, there tends to be declining levels of benefit. At inclusion levels far greater than this there may also be risks of metabolic disorders, Because of this, consumption should be controlled so that all rows receive their share of molasses and none over-consume. This can be achieved by feeding in the bails, using roller drums (see Beef Notes) or by chemically altering the taste of the molasses so that it is less attractive.

It is important to keep dry cows and replacement heifers in good condition also as this will improve their productivity later when they are lactating. QDPI states that for every kilogram a Fresian heifer is lighter than the recommended liveweight, her production is reduced 9 kg in the first lactation and 7 to 8 kg in the following 2 lactations. For these reasons it may be necessary to feed molasses to dry cattle in some seasons.

Overall, molasses is an excellent supplement for improving the efficiency of dairy production. It is a cost effective energy supplement and improves the utilisation of dry matter. Fed wisely, it can be a great profit-enhancing tool.

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Drought Feeding with Molasses

In the initial phases of drought when there is adequate dry matter but the feed is of very low quality, molasses can be used to carry additional protein above the protein it naturally contains. In this situation the addition of urea, such as in M8U, may be all that is required because the rumen microbes will have enough roughage, energy and urea to function effectively and convert the urea into microbial protein, which can then be utilised by the animal. In these cases feed intakes need only be around 2.5kg per breeder per day. It is important to remember that there is a risk of ammonia toxicity associated with feeding urea.

As the drought worsens and the quantity of feed also becomes inadequate molasses will be required in greater amounts to supply energy to the cattle. A source of undegradable protein such as cotton seed meal (CSM) may be required to fulfil the animal's protein requirements. For example, a suitable mix may consist of molasses with 3% urea and 8% CSM. A larger quantity would be required to provide energy than in the initial stages of the drought, for example 4kg per breeder.

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Other Uses

Bundaberg Molasses also finds a wide range of applications outside the livestock feed industry.

• Bakers' Yeast production
• Alcohol production
• Brickette manufacture
   (an alternative to coal)
• Organic Fertiliser
• MSG production
• Degreaser
• Sewerage treatment
   (as an energy substrate to feed microbes)

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Bundaberg Molasses Analysis

Bundaberg Molasses provides cattle with a wide range of essential nutrients.

Quality Assurance
Bundaberg Molasses, Oakey plant, is quality assured to ISO 9001 - 2000 standards. Our products are designed and manufactured to meet nutritional requirements whilst ensuring product stability and ease of handling. Products are tested regularly to further ensure that nutrient content, viscosity and stability criteria are met.

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storage and handling

Molasses is 40% heavier than water, and is more viscous, so special consideration must be taken of these requirements when preparing to use molasses.

Tanks

Strength
• extra strength is required as molasses is 1.4 times as heavy as water.

Size
• consider freight costs
• need larger than load size (so doesn't have to be empty before each load - reduces risk of running out)

Material
• steel, fibreglass and poly common
• non-toxic (toxic substances from either the tank, its protective coating or the substances it has previously held must not be released into the molasses) non-corrosive (or coated with a protective coating)
• Concrete may be ok but will corrode (can coat to protect against this). Stronger walls required than for water tanks or risk the tank bursting.

Other
• Beware extra costs eg protective coatings, repairs, cradles or foundations.

Protective Coatings
• cost
• waterproof
• acid resistant
• non-toxic to animals
• suitable for the surface to be coated

Toxicities
• Beware of fuel tanks which have held leaded petrol. Galvanising creates a risk of zinc poisoning.

Fittings and Connections
• 4" outlet and pipes generally recommended (3" may slow the flow) unrestricted type valves eg gate, plug or ball valves elbows, bends & long radius bends all suitable
• keep pipes as short as possible especially on the inlet side of the pump.

Location
• all-weather access for delivery truck and feed out vehicle
• foundations must be adequate to support the weight per area touching the ground

Temperature Control
• rarely required in Australia though the molasses will flow more slowly when cold, heating the pipes and pumps may be sufficient to reduce this.

• must be positive displacement
• gear, mono, internal lobe gear, and vane pumps all suitable
• consider viscosity, capacity (l/min) & delivery pressure (static head + friction + margin)
• non-corrosive material
• self-priming beneficial

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Manufacturing

Bundaberg Molasses is produced by Bundaberg Sugar as a by-product of the sugar-milling process. This close association of companies ensures a reliable supply at a stable price.

Bundaberg Molasses is in growing demand due to marketing initiatives and the availability of year round contracts to supply a range of customers including the developing cattle feedlot and stockfeed industries

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