Supplementary feeds. Learning objectives

Supplementary feeds

Supplementary feeds are given when the grass is poor and dry or when an animal is pregnant, giving milk or is a working animal.

The best supplementary feed is cake. The cheapest of which is the waste material from the processing of coconuts, groundnuts, cottonseed and palm oil. You can use whatever is available locally.

Water

Animals need plenty of fresh clean water every day. Always give water before feeding animals and allow them to drink at least three times a day. Ruminants on pastures can be watered every 2 - 3 days. Water needs will vary according to the feed they eat and the weather. A pinch of salt can be added to the drinking water to provide minerals. New methods of feeding animals have been developed and are used in many countries:

· feeding urea-treated straw. Straw is a low nutrient feed for ruminants but if it is wetted with urea and covered for a week it becomes more nutritious;

· molasses-urea-mineral blocks. Blocks made of molasses, mineral salts and urea are a good supplement for ruminants which lick the block and take in the nutrients.

Learning objectives

1 What nutrients do animals need in their feed?
2 What is a daily ration?
3 What are roughage and concentrate feeds?
4 What feed is for the dry season?
5 What do you know about the water needs of animals?

⇐ Предыдущая 1 2 34