Animal Nutrition: Feeds and Rations

Animal Nutrition, Feed, and Ration

• Bulky feeds: high in fiber, low in protein, and have high water content, e.g., grass, silage, hay, and forage crops
• Concentrates: low in fiber, high in protein, and have low water content, e.g., meal, oats, barley, wheat, cereals, maize, and molasses
• Bulky feeds maintain weight, while concentrates promote weight gain due to high energy and sugar content

Types of Diets

• Maintenance diet: the amount of feed required to maintain a constant body weight
• Productive diet: the extra amount of feed required to produce 1kg of live weight gain (LWG), 1L of milk, 1kg of wool, or to produce a calf or lamb

Animal Conformation

• Beef breeds: block-shaped conformation, wide shoulders, and well-fleshed hindquarters, with a focus on muscle and thickness
• Dairy breeds: triangular-shaped conformation, narrow shoulders, and large hindquarters, with a focus on milk production

Body Condition Scoring (BCS)

• A scale from 1-5 to assess the level of fat reserves in cattle, sheep, and pigs
• Proper BCS is required for animal reproduction, milk production, and fat for slaughter

Welfare of Animals

• Freedom from:
  • Hunger, thirst, and malnutrition: access to fresh food and water
  • Discomfort: provision of shelter and comfortable resting area
  • Pain, injury, and disease
  • Fear and distress: avoidance of animal mental stress
  • Expression of normal behavior: proper space, facilities, and company of other animals

Notifiable Diseases

• Diseases that must be reported to the district veterinary office
• Infectious diseases: caused by micro-organisms or other agents that enter the body
• Contagious diseases: easily transmitted by contact through bodily fluids or contamination
• Zoonoses: diseases and infections transmitted between vertebrate animals and humans, e.g., brucellosis and Rabies