CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMAL FEEDS

This is based on nutrient composition:

Feed additives.

Roughages

Are feeds of low available nutrients per unit weight and high fibre content

Examples:

1. Dry roughages,
2. Succulent roughages,
3. Residues from agricultural by products and conserved materials.

Characteristics

1. Low level of available nutrients.
2. Have high level of calcium especially legumes.
3. Good source of vitamin A.
4. Have high fibre content.

Concentrates

Are feeds of high available nutrients per unit weight.

Examples:

1. Maize germ and bran,
2. malt extract,
3. milk products,
4. soyabeans,
5. oil seed cakes,
6. meat meal,
7. bonemeal

Characteristics

1. Low fibre content.
2. Feed content is consistently high.
3. High digestibility of the feed.
4. High in nutrient content.

Feed Additives

1. These are substances added to the feed to increase;
2. palatability,
3. medication
4. or hormones to make animals produce more.

There are two types:

1. Nutritive additives, such as mineral licks (maclick).
2. Non-nutritives additives, such as:

– medicants (coccidiostats),

– Stilboestrol (used in beef animals)

– Oxytocin (to increase milk let down).

Functions

1. Stimulate growth and production.
2. Improve feed efficiency.
3. Prevent disease causing organisms.

Compounded Feeds

1. These are the feeds prepared and mixed by use of machines.
2. These feeds can be round, pelleted, pencils, cubes or mash.

Poultry feeds can be categorized as:

1. Chick mash having 20% D.C.P. given to chicks.
2. Growers mash having 16% D.C.P. given to growers.
3. Layers mash having 12-15% D.C.P. given to layers.

Meaning of terms used to express feed values

Nutritive ratio (NR):

–  ls the proportion of protein to carbohydrates and fats.

– In young animals 13:6

– In old animals 1:8.

Crude protein (C.P): ls the total amount of protein contained in a feed.

Digestible Crude Protein (D.C.P): Is the portion of crude protein which an animal is capable of digesting.

Crude Fibre (C.F.):

–  ls the total amount of fibre contained in a feed.

–  It is mainly lignin and cellulose.

Digestible Fibre (D.F.): ls the portion of the total fibre contained in a teed which an animal is capable of digesting.

Dry Matter (D.M.): ls the material left in a feed after water has been removed.

Starch equivalent (S.E.): ls the amount of pure starch which has the same energy as 100kg of that feed.

Total Digestible Nutrients (T.D.N.): ls the sum of all the digestible organic nutrients such as fats, proteins, carbohydrates and fibre.