written by: dr. jacquie jacob, university of kentucky
fats and oils provide a concentrated source of energy. sources of fat include the following:
- tallow: derived primarily from the rendering of beef offal
- lard or choice white grease: derived primarily from the rendering of pork offal
- poultry fat: derived from poultry offal
- feed-grade animal fat: derived primarily from a mixture of rendered beef, pork, and/or poultry raw material
- yellow grease: derived primarily from reprocessed restaurant grease and cooking oil
- blended animal-vegetable fat: includes blends of different types and amounts of animal fats and vegetable oils from restaurant grease
in addition to providing concentrated energy, fats provide the following benefits:
- improved physical characteristics of the feed
- decreased dustiness (feed loss is reduced by effective dust control)
- improved palatability of feed
- increased lubrication value of feed
- reduced particle separation, which helps maintain a uniform mixture of each ration
- possible contribution of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid