Complete feeding of animals: norms, diet, basic nutrition and control methods

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The system of rationed feeding of animals includes the following components: the norm, the structure of the diet, the type of feeding and its regimen, methods for monitoring the usefulness of the given feed, and others. The list of indicators included in the calculation of recipes is constantly expanding. Thanks to rationed feeding, it was possible to significantly increase the productivity of farm animals.

Concept

Full feeding of animals is of paramount importance for them, because due to it the representatives of the fauna receive the nutrients, vitamins and energy that ensure their livelihoods.

Those feeds that enter the animal's body are processed under the influence of various juices. One part of them is used to build their tissues, to replace some cells. The other is necessary to maintain the work of internal organs and maintain a certain body temperature.

Inadequate animal feeding and poor quality feed contribute toreduce their productivity, lead to various disorders and diseases.

Main indicators taken into account in dosed nutrition

Feeding standards for animals are set based on the following key indicators:

1. Dry matter content, which determines the amount of feed given. It must be taken into account in order for the animal to receive sufficient and non-redundant nutrition. So a cow per 100 kg of live weight should be given 2-3 kg of dry matter.
2. Number of feed units received with feed. Use them in different sizes. Currently, oat feed units (c.un.), energy (EFU), exchangeable energy (OE) are used.
3. Nitrogen content in digestible substances. In farm animals, digestible protein is usually taken into account, and in poultry, crude protein. Both in those and in others, the norms and diets of feeding include the content of amino acids.
4. Also take into account the zootechnical security of 1 k. unit. digestible protein, which for cattle ranges from 100 to 110 g.
5. In addition, take into account the need for crude fat, fiber, sugar and starch in animal feed rates and rations.
6. The content of macro- and microelements in the feed is also subject to regulation. Of the first, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are the main ones, and of the second - zinc, copper, cob alt, iodine, etc.
7. Calculate the provision of the diet with vitamins: A, D, E, carotene, for pigs and poultry take into account the presence of vitamins of group B.

Feed classification

When feeding and keeping animals are usedthe following feed groups:

• compound feed;



• juicy food: root and tuber crops, gourds, ensiled and green food;
• coarse: chaff, straw, hay;
• vitamins and antibiotics;
• mineral supplements;
• protein fillers;
• animal feed: fish, meat, dairy;
• food leftovers;
• those from technical industries: sugar beet, brewing, alcohol, starch and others;
• concentrates.

The latter include:

• animal dry foods;
• barda;
• beer pellet;
• flour dust;
• bran;
• meals;
• cakes;
• compound feed.

Their assignment to this classification group is due to the fact that they contain the largest number of feed units when compared with other feed products.

Animal origin feed

The diet of animal feeding includes such feed. They contain complete protein, are rich in minerals, some are vitamins, are well absorbed and processed by livestock and poultry.

Dairy foods include the following:

• whole milk - necessary for young animals in the first weeks of life;
• colostrum - the secret of the mammary glands during lactation of animals in the first days of its passage, contains less sugar, but more vitamins, minerals, protein and fatcompared to milk, used in feeding newborns to relieve original feces;
• reverse - whole milk after removal of fat, mainly used in diets of calves, weaners and suckling pigs;
• buttermilk - a by-product of oil milling (mainly obtained from sweet cream), nutritionally close to skim milk, used in feeding older calves and pigs;
• whey is a by-product of cheese making, nutritionally inferior to skim milk and buttermilk, used for fattening.

Also, the following types of flour are included in the diets of farm animals as animal feed:

• from hydrolyzed feather;
• bloody;
• feather meat;



• meat and bone;
• meat;
• fish.

The latter and meat and bone are rich in phosphorus and calcium. All animal feeds have a higher crude protein content than other feeds.

The concept of norms

If there is a lack of certain nutrients or elements in the diet during feeding of animals, this can lead to:

• to the development of beriberi;
• stunted growth and development;
• lower productivity;
• appearance of viral diseases.

If animals are fed ad libitum, then they can eat more than they need, and exceed the amount that the body can process and assimilate. As a result, there may appeardigestive disorders, other pathologies that can lead to their death. For breeding animals, obesity as a result of overfeeding is harmful.

Feeding rate is the content of energy and nutrients that fully meet the needs of a particular animal of a particular age and sex group. If feeding is carried out in accordance with their needs, it is called rationing. It should be complete and balanced.

The concept of feeding rations

Based on the dosed amount, feed rations are made up, which is understood as the totality of all feed consumed by a particular animal in a certain time period. In this regard, their daily, seasonal and annual norms are distinguished.

Choosing the right diet on your own is a rather difficult task, since they are normalized by a large number of indicators that need to be balanced. Therefore, there are special programs that calculate rations for each species and sex and age group of animals depending on the available feed on the farm.

They have their own names depending on what types of feed prevail in them:

• voluminous - if concentrates account for up to 10% of units;
• dry - if the main feeds are straw and hay;
• juicy - if most of the diet is root vegetables and silage.

Concentrate, concentrate-root and concentrate-potato types predominate in pig breedingrations.

Feeding requirements

As with humans, the exact time of feeding must be determined for animals. This is due to the fact that untimely feeding adversely affects the activity of the digestive glands, digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Other feeding principles are as follows:

• number of times feed is dispensed to saturate animals;
• the diet should contain various feed products, they should be given to livestock and poultry in such a sequence as to stimulate their appetite;
• new types of feed are introduced into it gradually, since their abrupt addition can lead to indigestion and refusal of animals to feed.

Control of the nutritional value of feed

It is carried out by the following methods:

• veterinary-biochemical;
• zootechnical.

With the help of the first, milk, urine, blood are examined to determine the state of animal he alth and metabolic disorders.

Using zootechnical methods, they establish the compliance of feed with the requirements of the relevant standardization documents, as well as with the reference book "Norms and diets for feeding farm animals".

Control is carried out during the clinical examination of animals and when deviations from the normal values of certain indicators are detected. The first is held in spring and autumn. Routine examinations of animals should be carried out monthly.

Feed nutritional assessment

It is mainly produced by digestible substances. The latter are understood to be those that, at the end of the digestion process, enter the lymph and blood. The digested substance is calculated as the difference between its content in the feed and its mass concentration in the feces.

There is the concept of "digestibility ratios", which is understood as the ratio of the digested nutrient to the total amount consumed. Feeds are considered the best nutritional value when these indicators are high in relation to carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Factors affecting digestibility

First of all, this process is influenced by species of animals and birds. Grain and succulent feeds are best digested by ruminants: sheep, goats, cattle. Roughage is worst affected by this process in pigs and horses. The bird does not digest fiber well.

In addition, this indicator may be different in the same animals of the same sex and age group. This is especially true for mixed diets. The older animals get, the less nutrients are processed.

With an increase in the amount of fiber in the diet, the digestibility of the diet decreases. It is also affected by the level and availability of protein. To control the diet, their protein content is determined, which is the ratio of the sum of digestible fiber, BEV and fat multiplied by 2.25 to the digestible protein. For pigs it should be 12:1, for ruminants - 10:1, for young animals - 5-6:1.

Feed differentdegrees of processing are assimilated by animals differently. They should not be fed single ingredients, but feed mixtures that are complete and balanced.

The digestibility of feed also depends on their quality class, which is determined after storage before distribution to animals. Nutrients are depleted in many feeds, reducing their digestibility and nutritional value.

In closing

The article discusses the basics of animal feeding. More detailed information is given in specialized textbooks for zootechnicians and veterinarians. Rations are balanced in terms of energy content and key nutrients: crude protein, fat, fiber, amino acid composition, content of macro- and microelements, vitamins. The data for each ingredient are summarized and obtained, as a result, they are compared with the norms for each group of animals of a certain sex and age group.