Sunflower is famous not only for the grains that are used to make first-class oil, but also for residual products. Cake, meal, husk is no less valuable, because it is a good additive to feed in agriculture. In this article we will tell you about sunflower oilcake, what it is and how to use it properly, whether it is possible for a pig and a cow, as well as other animals, to be given a tops.
Cake - what is it?
Sunflower cake is obtained by squeezing the oil from the residual seeds. For the preparation of feed is an important additive. Since the cake is a useful protein, it can be added to the diet of any pet. Unlike cereals, sunflower oilcake is much better.
Did you know? Cake has another name, in the people it is often called "Makukha."Since there is a large amount of fat in oilcake, it is quite nutritious and has a high energy value. Many often wonder what makes a cake different from a cake. The answer is simple. Both that, and another - production wastes when processing some cultures. The only difference is in the method of manufacturing these products.
The composition of sunflower cake
Sunflower cake is quite nutritious, its composition includes 30-40% protein. It also contains water, the amount of which should not exceed 11%, fiber - 5%, oil - up to 9.4%. When grinding the seeds of the shell are eliminated by themselves, therefore, such a small amount of fiber.
Did you know? The most important thing that is part of the sunflower meal is the healthy protein, as well as fats, which account for 7-10%.
Sunflower oil, which remains in oil in large quantities, is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E and phospholipids. Also, the oil has a low oxidation rate, so the product is quite nutritious.
How to apply sunflower cake in agriculture
Branches where sunflower cake is used are various, but most often it is used in agriculture. If you enter sunflower cake in the diet of farm animals as a food additive, the growth of young animals will be stimulated. The metabolism of animals will improve, the egg production of poultry will increase, and the immunity of animals will be strengthened.
Pets using cake
Sunflower cake can be used in feeding cattle, including cows, ducks, rabbits, pigs, chickens, geese, turkeys. Cake also found use in fish farming. Before feeding animals, sunflower oil cake must be crushed using special crushers. 
How to dose the cake
Safe for future product quality and health. Sunflower cake for animals is given in different dosages:
- Poultry farmers are often interested in how to give cake to chickens. Now this product is in the composition of almost all feed, the dosage may be different, but not much. If you prefer to control yourself what to give to your birds, then sunflower cake is used for chickens in concentrations up to 15%, and for adult chickens - up to 20%;
- if you don’t know if the piglets can be given a cake, then there’s no reason to worry. For young cattle per day will need 1-1.5 kg of sunflower cake;
- meal for fattening pigs is better to give at the level of 0.5-1.5 kg per day, only in the first half of the fattening period, otherwise the fat may turn out to be soft;
- when breeding horses cake can also be useful. Sunflower cake is used for feeding horses, its share in the composition of the feed should not exceed 20%;
- work horses need 2-3 kg of cake;
- for dairy cows, in order to sell the milk in its entirety, it will take up to 4 kg of cake per day.
Important! If cow's milk is used for processing into butter, you need up to 2.5 kg. If you exceed this dose, the oil may be too soft.
How to store sunflower cake
For storage of sunflower oil cake, it is necessary to fulfill some requirements. Firstly, the level of humidity in the room where the cake is located should not exceed 12%, otherwise its use is dangerous, it can give bitterness or completely rot. Quality cake does not contain odors, bitterness or mildew. Sunflower cake must be heated before storage or shipment in winter to +35 ºC, and in summer time the temperature should be no higher than 5 ºC from the environment.
Important! Sunflower cake must be stored in bags, stacked in piles, or in bulk in dry, clean rooms that are not contaminated by pests of grain stocks.
The room must be ventilated or equipped with a hood. Sunflower must not be exposed to direct sunlight, and raw materials should not be close to the heat source. If it is stored in bulk, then it must be periodically mixed.
Is it possible to poison animals with meal, overdose
When adding sunflower meal to the diet of animals, it is not recommended to deviate from the recommended dosages. This can degrade the quality of the final product and adversely affect the health of the animal. It is also important to comply with the above storage conditions. If the cake is spoiled, it will rot or mold, then its application will only cause harm, the animals are likely to be poisoned and start to hurt.
