1963_cleasby_the feeding value molasses

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Proceedings of The South African Sugar Technologists' Association-April 1963 113

THE FEEDING VALUE OF MOLASSESByT. G. CLEASBY

of readily available energy. Molasses contains 4%protein based on its nitrogen content multiplied by6.25. It also contains mineral and trace elements andvitamins of the B complex. It is a good source ofpantothemic acid but isdeficientin riboflavin-thiamine.. It is interesting to compare its analysis with maizeor yellowmeal as shown below:

Molasses YellowMeal

Work in America has established that when molassesis fed correctly, its feeding value is at least 70%that of maize and some experiments show it as highas 85%. Experiments have also shown that the maximum feeding value of molasses occurs when it is fedat approximately 10% of ruminant rations. Abovethis level, the feedingvalue tends to decrease. Thisdoes not, however, mean that 10 per cent is necessarily the most optimum economical level to feed asthe price difference between molasses and othersources of carbohydrate is obviously important.It is proposed to discuss the feeding value ofmolasses under the following headings:-its palatability factor, use in silage, use of molasses forfeeding ruminants including the use of urea, uses ofmolasses for feeding pigs and the use of molasseswith sugar cane bagasse or pith.

Palatability FactorThis is the feeding value "plus'? with molasses. Itis universally liked by stock; cattle, sheep and pigsbeing immediately attracted to it. A very importantpart of the feeding value of molasses is therefore itsability to enable stock, particularly ruminants, to eatunpalatable feeds, such as mealie cobs, poor qualitydamaged hay or pastures, sweet veld in winter, chaffand stover. This is particularly important in times ofdrought or shortage of food during winter. If ureais added to the molasses, the mixture can serve as asource of protein, which together with one or otherof the unpalatable roughages mentioned above canmean the differencebetween losing or saving animalsduring difficult times. The usual practice is to dilutethe molasses with water and' then spray it on thematerial to be eaten. I t is tragic to think of thenumber of cattle and sheep which could have beensaved by such a simple procedure during times ofdrought.

%8.2568.003.8015.000.020.2580.00

%4.0062.0022.000.600.0255.00

- - _ . ~ - - - -Crude Protein .Nitrogen-free extractFat .WaterCalcium.Phosphorus .Total digestible nutrients

Molasses is the most valuable by-product from theSugar Industry. The molasses referred to in thisarticle is blackstrap molasses, that is the molassesfrom the production of raw sugar from sugar cane.It is similar to, but should not be confused with, beetmolasses, refinery molasses, corn molasses or hightest molasses, all of which have slightly differentanalyses. Molasses has been used to manufacture anumber of industrially important compounds byfermentation reactions. Ethyl alchohol is the bestknown of these,although its production from molasseshas been largely superseded by more economicalmethods. Citric and Glutamic acids are other productswhich are made from molasses. Today, however, thebulk of the world's molasses, for example 85%of thatimported into the United States of America, finds itsway into animal feeds. Its value is therefore determined by its feeding value and is obviously relatedto the price of other animal feeds, such as barley,oats, maize, etc. The London price of molasses hasvaried between Rl4 and R28 per long ton over thelast five years, not due to the variations in the priceof the other feeds, but mainly due to the relationbetween the supply and demand. The New Orleansprice for molasses has varied similarly, which showsthat in Europe and in America, even at the lowestprice, the value of molasses as a feed is high, particularly as these landed prices, and additional distribution costs, must be incurred.The reason for publishing this paper is that factsrelating to the feeding value of molasses are notgenerally appreciated. There is, however, a growinginterest in the value of molasses in South Africa,which in the past has been content to export the bulkof it to other countries where it has been chieflyusedin animal feeds. This paper is not an original one,but a survey of facts relating to the use of molassesas an animal feed supported by some work which hasbeen done at Tongaat.The growing appreciation of the feeding value ofmolasses in South Africa is evident by the number ofnew products reaching the farmer, based on molassesor molassesresidues.These include products marketed

under the following trade names :-Rumevite, Fermavite, Morea, Molameal, Voermol Meal, and a highmolasses ruminant feed X-16. In addition to this,there are many blocks on the market which containmolasses and serious attempts have been made todehydrate molassesin order to convert it into a moreeasilyhandled form.Molasses is also a constituent of the majority ofcompounded animal feeds, excluding poultry and pigfeeds where it is used up to 12t% becauseof its palatability, nutrient value and its physical propertieswhich reduces the dustiness of feed and helps in themanufacture of pellets.The feeding value of molasses is based on the factthat it contains approximately 50%sugars in the formof sucrose and invert sugar. I t is therefore a source


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114 Proceedingsof The South African Sugar Technologists' Association-April 1963Use of Molasses inSilage

Another important use for molasses is in makingsilage, which is the preservation of fresh fodder bypacking and compacting it in a pit, bunker or silo.Under these conditions, the living cells rapidly use upthe oxygen in the air, trapped in the mass, and giveoff carbon dioxide. This prevents the development ofmoulds which are unable to grow in the absence ofoxygen. Acid forming bacteria multiply enormouslyin silage by attacking the sugars in the forage andforming chiefly lactic acid with some acetic acid. Theproduction of acids is the most important change inthe process, the acidity preventing the growth of undesirable bacteria which cause rotting and putrifaction.The value of silage can generally be improved bythe addition of molasses which provides a readysource of sugar for the acid forming bacteria. Thedrier and less succulent the material ensiled, the moreimportant the addition ofmolasses becomes.Morrisonrecommends the addition of 50 to 100 lb. of molassesper ton of material being ensiled and states that 75%of the nutritive value of the molasses is retained inthe silage. In addition, it improves the quality, palatability and carotene content. It is fact that the bulkof silage made in South Africa could be improvedeconomically by the addition of molasses.

Use of Molassesfor Feeding RuminantsMolasses can be fed to ruminants, cattle and sheepin many different ways. In the case of cattle it can beused with advantage for both dairy and beefanimals-

either (1) as a lick to stimulate the appetite and condition of the animals in addition to providing carbohydrate; (2) as an ingredient of mixed rations fordairy, maintenance, or fattening (as already mentionedcommercial rations contain up to 1 2 ~ %molasses) forits carbohydrate and palatability;. (3) as a wintermaintenance feed or a drought relief ration.The main uses of molasses with sheep is as aconstituent of a winter maintenance ration which willimprove the condition of ewes and lambs and alsothe quality of the wool. The improvement in woolquality has been attributed to molasses feeding, butit is probably only a direct means of better nutrition.Before going on to discuss these uses, it is appropriate to say something on the subject of urea as asource of animal protein. A great deal of work hasbeen published on this, and the main factors can besummarised as follows: .(l ) Urea contains 46%nitrogen and if this is converted into crude protein, it represents 287.5%.(2) Excess urea is toxic to cattle and, sheep andthe generally recommended rates of feeding foradult animals are 3 ounces a day for cattle and! oz. for sheep. Although the animals can takeover twice these quantities without any seriouseffect, there is definitelya point where urea becomes dangerous and deaths result.(3) U r e ~ can definitely be converted to protein byrummants. The efficiency of this conversion

has occupied research workers for a long time.One thing, however, must be remembered, inthat urea is a cheap source of protein in whichthe cost per lb. of protein is 26 cents compared with R1.25 per lb. of protein fromground nut oil cake. The efficiency of urea asa protein source is apparently effected by twofactors.(a) The total amount of other proteins availableto the animal. In general, the efficiency ofurea protein decreases with an increasingamount of other proteins. In other wordsurea is of greatest value as a supplementfa poor quality grazing or roughages in theform of a maintenance or drought reliefration.(b) The carrier used withurea isalso important.It is essential that the carrier provides theruminant with energy, in order to enable itto convert the urea into protein. Two maincarriers have been used - molasses andmaize or yellow meal. The results of thework done indicates without any doubtthat molasses is the most efficient carrierfor urea. It is certainly the cheapest.

With regard to the use of molasses as a lick forcattle, the main point is that the intake has to belimited to an economical amount, depending on theprice of molasses delivered on the farm. I f ad lib.feeding is practiced, then cattle will take up to Igallon of molasses per head per day. The NatalEstates and WeweSugar Planting Co. dairies, situatedadjacent to sugar industries, allow their cows half tothree-quarters of a gallon of molasses per head perday. Also a beef breeding herd, run by The TongaatSugar Company on Cranbrook Estates, receives adlib. molasses when it is available and the cattle consume a similar amount. In none of these instancesdo the cattle suffer from being over laxative. As amatter of interest, the United States Sugar Corporation Factory at Clewiston, Florida, disposes of thewhole of its molasses from a crop of 60,000 tons ofsugar by feeding it to its beef cattle on an adjacentranch.There is no doubt that feeding molasses to cattleon the veld, particularly in winter, can be advantageous, but where the molasses has to be transportedover large distances, the amount fed has to be limitedto I to 2 lb. per head per day. In order to be economical, the amount actually fed will depend primarilyupon the price of molasses on the farm. In spite ofhigh railage charges due to the large distances of themain cattle areas from the sugar belt, molasses isstill by far the cheapest feed supplement available tofarmers.Farmers mixing their own cattle rations, either fordairy, maintenance or fattening, can certainly improve them, and generally cheapen them by includingmolasses. The difficulty in this is the problem of in

corporating the molasses in the ration. I t can bemixed easily if it is diluted with its own volume ofwater and mixed by hand. Alternatively, it can be


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Proceedingsof The South African Sugar Technologists' Association-April 1963 115done by feeding the molasses portion of the rationseparately in a small trough or simply by pouring therequired amount of molasses over dry mix ration,when it is in the manger. The recommended level offeeding in these rations is between 10 and 20 percent, replacing other carbohydrate sources, such asmaize or yellowmeal and ground corn and cob meal.If as much as 20 per cent is used in the ration then theprotein level should be insreased to compensate forthe protein difference between molasses and thematerial it is replacing. As already mentioned, thiscan be done cheaply by using urea.A typical cattle fattening ration which has been fedat Tongaat with cane tops and which has produced, weights gains of over 2 lb. per head per day on anad lib. basis, has been made up of the following:40% molasses35%Corn and Cob meal or yellowmeal12%bagasse pith8%nut oil cake2% urea3%minerals, vitamins and trace elements.

The crude protein content of this ration is about12%but it has been kept low on purpose because ofthe ad lib. basis of feeding. The animals consumedabout 15 lbs. per head per day, together with approximately 40 lb. of freshly chaffed cane tops.The value of molasses in mixed rations can besummarised easily and accurately as follows. If itsprice, delivered on the farm, is less than three-quartersof that of yellow meal, then it can be used economically by replacing yellowmeal by something between

10 and 20%of the total ration. It will also improvethe palatability of the ration.The use of molasses as a drought relief ration hasalready been dealt with under the heading ofmolassesand urea mixtures. However, to appreciate the importance of molasses as a maintenance or droughtrelief ration, it is necessary to consider the rumen.This is the vital part of the ruminant's complicatedstomach which has been likened to a vat, where themicro-organisms break down the fibrous tissue ofroughages into carbohydrates which can be utilisedfor energy. The winter feeding of cattle in SouthAfrica is based on hay and silage, reaped and storedduring the summer months. In the majority of casesit consists mainly of hay or dry grass on the veld. Inorder to work efficiently, the micro-organisms themselveshave to be fed carbohydrates and protein, bothof which are deficient in the normal winter feed.Molasses can supply the carbohydrate in a veryreadily available form and in combination with urea,can provide the protein as well.There is no doubt that molasses/urea mixtures dohave a very important part to play in minimising theeffect of droughts and winters and that they havebeen recommended by the Department of Agriculturefor this purpose. The fact that they have not beenused to a much greater extent already can only be

due to ignorance of their value on the part of thefarmer; also handling and feeding difficulties, aggravated by the toxic nature of urea.

The Use of Molasses for Feeding PigsVery little molasses is used at the present time forfeeding pigs; practically none is used by the farmerwho is mixing his own rations. Experiments whichwere started in Hawaii and which have been con

tinued by The Tongaat Sugar Company over the lasttwo years, suggest that molasses has a very importantpart to play in feeding pigs and that it can lead tomore palatable and cheaper rations. The reason forits neglect is probably the fact that molasses is believed to cause scouring in pigs, and scouring is wellknown to be the worst enemy of the efficientpig man.Again the work done at Tongaat shows that thisdanger has been over-emphasised and that with properfeeding it can be overcome.The work done in Hawaii showed that economicallyas much as 20%of weaner rations, that is the ration

fed from weaning to 70 lb., could be molasses and asmuch as 40% of pig fattening rations. .In these experiments, the molasses was costed at approximatelyone-third the price of rolled barley.As mentioned above, this work has been repeatedat Tongaat. The rations that have been fed are shownbelow together with the results of one experiment, inwhich these high molasses rations were used. Thehigh molasses rations had some laxative effecton thepigs, which horrified pig experts, but as the rationsgave results recorded below, the overall effect couldnot have been serious. As a matter of interest, it

might be mentioned that new experiments are nowunder way at Tongaat, utilising a mixture of molassesand bagasse pith and even in cases where this mixturehas constituted 50%of the ration, no marked scouringhas been observed.PIG RATIONS used by THE TONGAAT SUGAR CO. LTD.

Sow and Growth I Growth 2 Fattening!Fatten;ngIngredient Boar Weaning 70-100 I 2 CreepRation -70Ibs. Ibs. 100-150 150-220 Rationlbs. lbs.----------% % % % %Molasses. 40 14 20 30 40 7Yellow Meal 23 60 50 37 27 63Lucerne Meal 20 5 10 15 15 5Nu t Oil Cake 10 8 12 12 12 10Fish Meal 3 6 4 - - 14Carcass Meal 4 7 4 6 6 -Mineral Supple-ment (No.3) . 20 20 20 20 20 40lbsj'Ton l bs /Ton I bs /Ton Ib s/Ton l bs /Ton lbs/TonVitamin Supple- I I I 2ent I IIb/Ton Ib/ Ton Ib /To n I b/ Ton Ib/Ton Ibs/TonAnti-Biotic(Rx444) - 4 I - - 8Ibs/Ton Ib/Ton Ibs/TonFerrous Sulphate I 2 I - - 4Ib/Ton Ibs/Ton Ib/Ton Ibs/TonCopper Sulphate - 2 2 2 2 -I Ibs/Ton Ibs /Ton Ibs /Ton Ibs /Ton


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116 Proceedings ofTheSouth AfricanSugar Technologists' Association-April 1963RESULTS OF .PIG FATTENING EXPERIMENT WITHTHE ABOVE RATIONS FROM WEANING TO BACON

WEIGHT AT 220 LBS.No. of Pigs tested . . . . . . . 10No. of days from weaning to bacon weight 130Mean daily weight gain in lbs. . . .. 1.38

Feed conversion ratios:Growth 1 . 4.4Growth 2 . 3.2Fattening 1 . 4.5Fattening 2 4.0Mean . . 3.95

As the price ofmolassesat Tongaat is obviously verydifferent from its price when it has been transportedto a farm away from the sugar belt, the above rationsare not recommended for general use. However, asthe price of molasses delivered on the farm is cheapereverywhere in South Africa than yellow meal, it hasreally a place in the rations, not only for its feedingvalue but also for its ability to make dry rations morepalatable. The problem of getting pigs to eat dry andsometimes dusty home-mixed rations can readily beovercome by incorporating some molasses, either bydiluting it and mixing it in or simply by pouring itover the dry ration. I t is suggested that pig rationscould be improved by including up to 10% molassesinthe growth ration and 20% in the fattening rations.I t can also be used up to 7t%in the creep feed whereit definitely encourages the young pigs to eat. Pigsuniversally like molasses and will always pick ourmolasses lumps first in any home-mixed rations.Use of Molasses with Bagasse Pith

A paper on the feeding of molasses would not becomplete without mentioning the amount of workwhich has been done on the combination of molassesand bagasse pith. I t is significant that many sugarbeet companies dispose of the whole of their molassesproduction in the form of a molasses meal made byabsorbing molasses on the dried beet pulp. Unfortunately, bagasse pith does not have the feed value ofbest pulp but it does have the ability to absorb largequantities of molasses, which enables the molasses tobe bagged. A solid mixture can be made with 10%dry bagasse pith and 90%molasses, but it is stickyand not easily handled. A mixture of 30%dry bagassepith and 70%molasses is, however, relatively friable.I t is interesting to note that in a paper presented tothe recent meeting of the International Society ofSugar Cane Technologists in Mautitius on "SugarCane Bagasse and Molasses Rations for Beef Cattle"showed that bagasse from sugar cane is an excellentroughage carrier for feeding blackstrap molasses tocattle, also that optimum results were obtained whenthe rations contained 20%bagasse and 50%molasseswhich corresponds roughly to the 30%bagasse pith

"Mean cost per lb. gain in centsGrades of pig marketed:Grade 1Grade 2Grade 3"Molasses costed at R4.00 per ton.

8.37. 3T

and 70%molasses mixture mentioned above.' Thismixture can be packed in paper pockets and storedwithout any seepage of molasses through the paper.There appears to be no reason why, in time, molassesmeals with bagasse pith should not be as popular astheir counter-parts in America, and Europe, molassesbeet pulp mixtures from the sugar beet industry.

Mr. Wilson (in the Chair) said the paper was ofgreat interest especially as many cane growers weregoing for diversification in their farming.Mr. Coignet remarked upon the sulphur content ofmolasses, especially from sulphitation factories.In the case of sheep, sulphur apparently improvedthe quality of wool whilst in the feeding of cattle andpigs sulphitation molasses caused galls. -Mr. Main stated that his experience with the manufacture of Molameal, which was a mixture of bagasseand molasses, showed that the scouring particularlyin the case of pigs could be avoided if the bagassewere sifted before mixing to get rid of sand. Thekeeping quality of molasses mixtures deterioratedafter a time causing them to become hard and decomposing eventually into a charred mass. This was agreat handicap in the transportation of Molamealfrom the coast to up-country. Mr. Ritter's patent forthe preparation of paper from bagasse might be tosome extent applicable to bagasse/molasses mixturesprovided that the product did not become toxic.Some sort of preservative added to the bagasse before

mixing might result in a long lasting cattle feed whichwould fetch a better price.There was a world-wide competition for molassesbecause of its shortage and prices were very high andthe whole question of the most lucrative disposal ofmolasses was ripe for reconsideration. With the possibility of the construction of a pipe line to convey fuelto the hinterland it was likely tha t many tank-carswould become available in the near future and thesecould be used for distribution of molasses throughoutthe country. In the past the transport facilities hadproved to be a bottle-neck.Dr. Cleasby said that the storage quality of molasses/bagasse mixture was very largely a function of theamount of molasses in the mixture. Mixtures with ahigh proport ion of molasses, say 90 or 80 per centdid not store well, but if the bagasse pith contentwas increased to about 30 per cent the mixture keptwell under dry conditions and after several monthsno deterioration was detected.The Ritter process has been tried on cane tops tosee if the feeding value would be enhanced but unfortunately only good compost was produced. Theuse of the process on bagasse met with the difficulty.of putting it into suitable heaps which would enablethe fungus to do its work properly. His opinion was

that it was criminal to export molasses at all and theIndustry should see that all of this product was usedin this country. .

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Proceedingsof The South African Sugar Technologists' Association-April 1963 117Mr. Boyes said that in 1957 Dr. Douwes Dekkerhad presented a paper to our Congress in which heshowed that there was no difference in the sulphurcontent of sulphitation molasses as compared withthat produced by the defecation process. When.80-90parts of molasses to 20-10 parts of bagasse pith was

made into the mixture the moisture content wasabout 19 to 20 per cent which was sufficient forbacterial activity to take place. By decreasing to amixture of 70 molasses and 30 parts of pith andmaking sure the moisture content of the pith was .reduced to about 6 per cent the resulting mixturehad a moisture content of only about 16 per centand this preserved extremely well. He had found thatquicklime added to the extent of about 1 per centacted well as a preservative as the high pH thus produced destroyed all bacterial activity. However thiswas unnecessary as a 70/30 mixture was quite stable.Mr. A. C. Barnes referred to his experience in the

West Indies where he found that the use of molassesas a supplementary feed increased the yield of milkfrom dairy 'cattle and the herd itself improved inhealth. The molasses was used in silage as describedin the paper, the other components being choppedyoung cane and Guinea corn. The silage was readilytaken by the animals and it was a standard feedduring the Winter season when other feeds of thattype were not available. .The feeds were supplemented by high proteinsubstances such as oil seed residues.There was a great field for the use of molasses fordairy cattle and this subject was.worthy of further

investigation.Dr. Cleasby agreed 'with Mr. Barnes that molasseswas useful for dairy cattle. He had mentioned onlythe use as a lick in the case where it did not haveto be transported and where it could be suppliedad lib.Another important point in the use of molassesapart from its nutrient value for dairy cattle was thefact of its palatability. Often the dairyman when heprepared his own feed ration produced a very dryone and the problem of inducing the animals to takeit could be solved by adding molasses.Mr. Grice asked if the author had any informationon the use of molasses in conjunction with pineapple

residues from the canning factories. He had been toldin Hawaii that the excellence of beef there was dueto the use of pineapple residues together with molassesas feed.Dr. Cleasby replied that this type of feed had been

used at Empangeni for fattening cattle with success.This raised the controversial point of the value ofalcohol in the ration. One feed. on the market foraddition to molasses contained urea and in additionto all the trace elements had 6 per cent alcohol,which was said to improve the absorption of the ureaby the animal and the quality ofmarbling of the meat.In Japan a certain farm, renowned for the steaks itsupplied, .was said to give its animals a bottle ofbeer daily.The whole point was still an unsolved problem.Mr. de Robillard said there was a mortar preparedfrom quicklime and molasses which set very hard and

he asked if Mr. Boyes could enlarge on the use ofquicklime as a preservative.Mr. .Boyes said when only 1 per cent of quicklimewas added the mixture became very hot, pointing tothe formation of calcium hydroxide before calciumsaccharate was formed, but in his opinion the preserving action of the lime was due to the high pHproduced. The product did not become hard with theaddition of the small amount of lime used.Mr. Main said if it could be proved that alcoholwas of value in cattle feed this suggested that a smalldistillery could be with advantage attached to thesugar factory as was done in other countries and

feed consisting of molasses, alcohol and roughagecould thus be produced.Mr. Coignet asked if the use of lime as a preservative might prevent the digestion of the proteins androughage by the animal.Dr. Cleasby thought this unlikely as the sugarspresent would enhance the activity of the digestive .process.Mr. Boyes asked if the use of a preservative to killoff the bacteria would affect the value of molassesin silage.Dr. Cleasby replied that the molasses so treatedwould be quite suitable for silage production.

1963_cleasby_the feeding value molasses

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