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Astragalus feed types and feeding examples
Astragalus, commonly known as Huangqi, is primarily fed with animal-based feed. Fresh feed is essential, and rotten or spoiled feed should be strictly avoided. In artificial breeding environments, the diet should mainly consist of animal feed, supplemented with plant-based ingredients to ensure balanced nutrition.
1. **Fresh Animal Feed**: This includes sources like alfalfa, silkworm pupae, fly larvae, snails, crickets, and small fish or shrimp. Among these, wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) is highly favored by Astragalus due to its high protein content—around 61% in dry form, comparable to fish meal and silkworm pupae. These feeds are rich in protein and nutrients, which support the growth and development of Astragalus. They are commonly used in cage farming as the primary food source.
2. **Plant-Based Feed**: While Astragalus has a digestive system that efficiently processes animal proteins, starches, and fats, it struggles to digest plant proteins and cellulose. Therefore, in large-scale breeding, some plant-based feed is necessary. This helps promote intestinal motility and improve feeding efficiency. Common additions include wheat flour, corn flour, bran, and soybean residue, which also serve as binders in compound feeds.
3. **Artificial Compound Feed**: Using formulated feeds is becoming increasingly common in large-scale breeding. Studies have shown that these feeds are suitable for Astragalus cultivation. Typically, they contain high levels of protein—ranging from 35% to 45%, sometimes even higher. Palatability is also important. However, a significant portion of the feed still needs to come from animal sources to meet nutritional requirements.
4. **Alternative Feeds**: Expanding feed sources is crucial for sustainable breeding. For example, animal by-products such as pig or cow organs can be used as supplementary feed, provided they are fresh and not spoiled. Insects can also be attracted using black lights, and some farmers raise small clams and snails inside cages to serve as live feed. This method not only diversifies the diet but also enhances the sustainability of the breeding process.
**Example of Artificial Compound Feed Formulation**
At Zhejiang University, researchers developed a successful feed formula for caged Astragalus. The composition included 60% fishmeal, 22% starch, 4% yeast powder, 2% wheat gluten, 4% soybean meal, 1.2% multivitamins, 1% minerals, 1% additives, and 4.8% other ingredients. Nutritional values included a crude protein of 46.3%, crude fat of 5.36%, and essential amino acids such as lysine (1.37%), methionine (1.04%), and arginine (3.21%). After 120 days of feeding, the survival rate was 90.5%, with a feed conversion ratio of 1.27, yielding a net profit of 2,240 yuan and a capital return ratio of 1:2.63.
Another example comes from Hubei Province, where the feed formula consisted of 20% bean cake powder, 20% bran (dry matter), 40% cooked soybean powder, 2.5% blood meal, 1.5% corn gluten, 3% calcium dihydrogen phosphate, and 5% binder. This formulation supports a well-balanced diet while being cost-effective for large-scale operations.