Star Alka Calf Nuts 18%

Alkanuts and Alkablends are completely alkalised feeds and only made by the inclusion of a specialist Alkagrain concentrate such as that in our Star Alka Calf Nuts 18%.

We at Star Fuels are well aware of the importance of the first few months of an animal’s existence because they affect how it will develop, how healthy it will be, and how productive it will be throughout its lifespan.

Our selection of calf feeds is nutritionally optimised to guarantee that, coupled with sound farm management practises, our rations will fully satisfy each calf’s genetic potential requirements.

Alkaline Compound Feeds

Feeds with alkaline pH > 8.0
Increased safe inclusion level of highly digestible native cereals and starch
Increased safe feed levels
Stabilised rumen function and maintain higher total feed intake across the day
Reduced reliance on costly bypass proteins, bypass fats & rumen buffers

Alkagrain Produces Environmentally Friendly Feeds

Effects of Standard Diet

Upset Rumen > Increases flow rate through the gut > Causes Acidosis > Reduces Rumen pH > More protein (peptides) converted to ammonia and excreted in the animal urine > Nitrogen losses through leaching and to the atmosphere

Effects of Alka Diet

Stable Rumen > Increased appetite > Drier Faeces > Less nitrogen in urine > More thrive > Less leaching of nitrogen in the atmosphere Better overall for environment

Rumen pH

The ideal rumen pH is between 6-7. The ruminal microorganisms or stomach bugs are healthiest within this range increasing the dry matter intake and absorption of what animal eats including grass and silage.

Trials have shown through the use of rumen bolus that animals fed a standard feed which is acidic can take up to 7 hours to get the pH back to its optimum level or at all.

The following calf nuts have a high starch content which has already a pH of 8 and above and therefore does not affect the Rumen pH negatively, significantly reducing the calves own energy in getting the rumen pH back to its desired level and maximising the DM energy intake the calves eat.

What about Rumen pH?

What is pH?

pH is a measure of the strength of acid or alkali
Optimum rumen pH provides
Rumen stability & optimum bacteria growth
What is the ideal Rumen pH?
Rumen microbes tend to perform at their best at their best within a pH range of around 5.8 – 6.6

Abnormal or unstable rumen pH can cause disruption or Rumen function, poor diet utilisation, acidosis, poor performance and have a negative affect on animal health.

Reading the pH scale

Changes are bigger than you think.

pH6 is 10x more acidic than pH7
pH5 is 100x more acidic than pH7
pH4 is 1000x more acidic than pH7
pH3 is 10,000 times more acidic than pH7
Star Alka Calf Nut 18%