In today’s ingredient-conscious climate, choosing a diet for your livestock can be overwhelming. Part of this indecision is fueled by lengthy feed tags and nutrition labels on products. Feed makes up 60-80% of the total cost of raising animals, so knowing how to read feed tags and nutritional labels is crucial in deciding how to spend your feed budget. Learn how to read feed tags accurately so that you can provide your livestock with a quality diet for better production and performance.
What is a Feed Tag?
Feed tags are nutritional labels required by law that are attached to the outside of each commercially milled livestock feed bag. These tags allow purchasers to see the contents of that particular formulation, provide valuable information, and aid in quality control. Feed tags must clearly state:
Brand and product name
Animal species and class it's intended for
Guaranteed analysis of specific nutrients
List of ingredients
Feeding directions
Warnings or cautions
Drug ingredients
Name and address of the manufacturer or distributor
Net weight of the product
How to Read a Feed Tag
Feed tags help purchasers compare different feeds and formulations quickly, but people can quickly get lost in the data points listed. A quality feed supplier will have feed formulations available for your animal’s specific needs, but it’s helpful to understand the differences in dietary requirements between species or classes of animals. Talk with your veterinarian or an animal nutritionist if you need help determining the ideal nutritional ratios for your livestock.
What is Guaranteed Analysis?
One of the more confusing, but enlightening sections of a feed tag is the guaranteed analysis. This is a breakdown of required nutrients, written as a percentage, international units (IU), colony forming units (CFUs), or parts per million (ppm). IUs are used to measure vitamins and minerals, while CFUs are used for microorganisms such as probiotics. You can think of a guaranteed analysis as the equivalent of nutritional labels on your cereal box and multivitamins.
It’s called a “guaranteed” analysis because the quality and amounts of these nutrients are subject to testing to determine their accuracy. This ensures that each bag of feed contains the minimums and maximums of each nutrient as stated by its analysis. A guaranteed analysis isn’t a comprehensive list of ingredients, but it does give the reader an overall snapshot of the nutritional content of a feed.
Feed Tag Format
At first glance, a feed tag may appear confusing. But once you’ve studied one feed tag, they’ll all begin to look familiar. All feed tags follow the same format and order, aiding you in finding the necessary information quickly. The following is the format feed tags follow.
Top Section: Brand name, followed by the product name. If the feed is medicated, the medication will be listed by the product name, followed by the label “medicated”. The purpose statement and active ingredient(s) will then be listed.
Mid Section: The guaranteed analysis, with percentages of each nutrient listed on the right-hand side. This data is followed by the list of ingredients and directions for use, and feed management instructions.
Lower Section: A barcode for stocking and distribution purposes is immediately followed by the manufacturer or distributor’s information, including name, address, and contact information. The net weight is also listed in this section.
Bottom Section: Storage instructions and any applicable cautions will be listed here, followed by any applicable warnings.
What a Feed Tag Won’t Tell You
While comprehensive, feed tags aren’t required to state certain values or measurements. Some things a feed tag won’t tell you:
Serving sizes
Calories per serving
Energy content
Bioavailability of ingredients or nutrients
Feed cost
Feed tags will also not state the risks of “off-label” feeding. The purpose statement on the feed tag will list what animals are safe to be fed that particular formulation, but feeding to other animals beyond a feed’s original purpose can be dangerous. For example, goats need a good amount of copper in their diet, while high levels of copper are toxic to sheep. Similarly, if you have a mixed flock and feed medicated chick starter, it will contain the drug amprolium, which is not approved for use in ducks or geese. Always read feed tags carefully when selecting your livestock’s diet.
Feed with Confidence with Thomas Moore Feed
At Thomas Moore Feed, we work closely with livestock nutritionists and use only the highest quality ingredients to bring nourishing feed at an affordable cost. You can view and compare the guaranteed analysis of all of our feeds online to help you determine the best diet for your livestock. Find a dealer near you to start feeding your animals Moore.
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