Animal Feeds and Feeding

Animal Feeds and Feeding

Animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs.

Meaning of feed

Food is known as the complex organic material which is being used by all living organisms for production of energy, growth, repairs and regulation of body functions. Livestock feeds consist mainly of grains such as maize, guinea corn, millet and rice.

4.2 Types of feed

4.2.1   Energy yielding feeds: these are feeds that are very rich in energy; they are mainly plant sources of feedstuff and it helps to provide energy to the animals.  the energy yielding feed ingredients/stuffs for farm animals include:  sorghum, millet, cassava chips, maize etc.

4.2.2   Protein yielding feeds: these are the type of feeds that are very rich in protein; it is for the body building of the animals. The protein sources which may be plant or animal sources in animal feed includes: fishmeal, blood meal, soya beans meal, groundnut cake meal, cotton seeds meal etc.

4.2.3   Minerals sources: the mineral feeds helps to build up the skeletal tissues of the animals as well as their reproductive organ for good maintenance and development. The mineral sources in farm animal feeds includes: oyster shell, bone meal, di-calcium phosphate, limestone etc.

4.2.4   Roughages: Roughages are basically food materials for ruminant animals, examples of roughages include: Grasses and legumes. They grow faster during the rainy season and they provide fodder (feed) for the ruminant animals and can also be used as raw material for hay and silage. The sources of roughage in animal feed production are: rice bran, wheat offal, etc.

4.2.5   Hay: hays are those grasses and legumes which are being dries and preserved to be used in feeding the animals during the dry season since they grow faster during the raining season.

4.2.6 Silage: silage are either grasses or legume forage crops that are being stored for further use in the feeding of livestock’s as it supplies protein and energy to the livestock animals.

4.3       Feeding Tools

Feeding tools are those equipments that are used in feeding and serving feeds and water to the animals for example:

4.3.1   Feeding Troughs (Feeders): feeding troughs also known as feeders are those plastics, metals or containers that are used in serving feed to the farm animals. They have different sizes, and different shapes. There is the small tray like plastic which is used to serve feed to the chicks (small chicken) and other small farm animals and also a big size which may be hanged or constructed so long using aluminum for the feeding of the adult chickens and other adult farm animals.

4.3.2   Drinker Sets: drinker sets are used to supply water to the animals.  Just like the feeders, the drinkers also come in different sizes; the smaller size is also used for the small animals while the bigger size is used for the big ones.

SUMMARY

Animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs.

Food is known as the complex organic material which is being used by all living organisms for production of energy, growth, repairs and regulation of body functions. Livestock feeds consist mainly of grains such as maize, guinea corn, millet and rice.

Feeding tools are those equipments that are used in feeding and serving feeds and water to the animals.

Energy yielding feeds are feeds that are very rich in energy; they are mainly plant sources of feedstuff and it helps to provide energy to the animals.  The energy yielding feed ingredients/stuffs for farm animals include:  sorghum, millet, cassava chips, maize etc.