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:

• Dry roughages,
• Succulent roughages,
• Residues from agricultural by products and conserved materials.

Characteristics

• Low level of available nutrients.
• Have high level of calcium especially legumes.
• Good source of vitamin A.
• Have high fibre content.

Concentrates

Are feeds of high available nutrients per unit weight.

Examples:

• Maize germ and bran,
• malt extract,
• milk products,
• soyabeans,
• oil seed cakes,
• meat meal,
• bonemeal

Characteristics

• Low fibre content.
• Feed content is consistently high.
• High digestibility of the feed.
• High in nutrient content.

Feed Additives

• These are substances added to the feed to increase;
• palatability,
• medication
• or hormones to make animals produce more.

There are two types:

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

– medicants (coccidiostats),

– Stilboestrol (used in beef animals)

– Oxytocin (to increase milk let down).

Functions

• Stimulate growth and production.
• Improve feed efficiency.
• Prevent disease causing organisms.

Compounded Feeds

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

Poultry feeds can be categorized as:

• Chick mash having 20% D.C.P. given to chicks.
• Growers mash having 16% D.C.P. given to growers.
• 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.

See also:

LIVESTOCK HEALTH (PARASITES)

NURSERY PRACTICES

SEED RATE

SELECTION OF PLANTING MATERIALS

FACTORS AFFECTING ROOTING OF CUTTINGS