Balanced Diet For Livestock: Why do cattle need a balanced diet? Importance of minerals in the animal body

Balanced Diet For Livestock It is usually seen that animals are given grass, straw or dry fodder as food, but if they are dependent on this alone, then animals get many diseases and they also become victims of malnutrition. Just as humans need a complete diet (balanced diet for livestock), your livestock also needs it, so that cows and buffaloes remain healthy and milk production can also improve. Therefore, it is important to give iron, vitamins and protein to animals as well.

It is usually seen that animals are given grass, straw or dry fodder as food, but if they are dependent on this alone, then animals get many diseases and they also become victims of malnutrition. Just as humans need a complete diet (balanced diet for livestock), your livestock also needs it, so that cows and buffaloes remain healthy and milk production can also improve. Therefore, it is important to provide iron, vitamins and protein to animals.

Nutrients according to the total body weight of animals

Nutrients like water, carbohydrates, protein, lipids, vitamins, mineral salts should be given to animals (Nutritious Food). It is important to mention that nutrients (balanced diet for livestock) should also be given to animals according to their total body weight, even if it is less or more, problems start arising in dairy animals.

According to the total weight of animals, about 55 to 75 percent protein, 3 to 23 percent fat and 2 to 5 percent mineral salts are found, if there is a lack of energy and protein in animals, then along with animal production, their health also starts getting affected.

Different food for ruminant and non-ruminant animals

According to the National Dairy Development Board, the owners should keep providing nutritious food to the animals. In which non-ruminant animals need folic acid as well as vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin E and iron, zinc, selenium and copper.

On the other hand, copper, selenium, cobalt, chromium, vitamin E and vitamin A control the immune system in ruminants.

Importance of vitamins in green fodder

Green fodder is rich in vitamins, so to make it a more nutritious diet (balanced diet for livestock), adding maize, wheat, barley, sorghum oil cake to it increases the nutritional value.

On the other hand, vitamins A and D, E produce cytokines and have a direct effect on the immune system. Vitamin C affects the problem of inflammation in animals and T cell and macrophage prostaglandin production.

Nutrients that are very important for animal health

Zinc

Zinc (Zn) prevents infection as well as produces antibodies. Zn deficiency impairs cell proliferation. Body cells such as T- and B-lymphocytes require Zn for rapid growth.

Vitamin

Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Itprevents liver infections. It reduces the toxicity of environmental pollutants in the body. Vitamin C also helps maintain the redox integrity of cells.

Cobalt and Vitamin B12

Cobalt and Vitamin B12 are very important for animals that ruminate. Calves and heifers deficient in Co may lose B12. B12 plays a central role in immune processes, as it regulates and promotes cell growth. Without adequate B12, WBCs do not mature.

Iodine

Just as iodine is important for the human body, it is also important for the animal body. Iodine is present in the thyroid gland hormone called thyroxine. The main function of thyroxine hormone in the body is to increase the metabolic rate, increase the growth rate and increase the proper nutrition of oxygen in the body.

Its deficiency causes a disease called ‘goiter’ in animals. Due to which the size of the thyroid gland increases in them. Thyroxine stops being produced. Along with the reduction in milk in dairy animals, the children born do not have hair or wool on their body, many times the children are born dead.

Copper

The deficiency of copper (Cu) increases the possibility of disease in ruminant animals. It strengthens the immunity system including the formation of white blood cells in animals. The deficiency of copper reduces the ability to fight diseases, due to which the animal keeps falling sick again and again. Copper is involved in the antioxidant system through the enzyme Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) and this makes SOD play a major role in the prevention of oxidative stress.

Problems caused by not feeding balanced diet to animals

The growth rate of animals slows down and their maturity is delayed.

The working capacity of animals starts decreasing.

The body of animals starts getting weak due to lack of balanced diet (Nutritious Food) and immunity also decreases.

The lack of sperms in bulls and delay in pregnancy in cows is due to lack of nutrients in the body.

The calves born after cows get pregnant become unhealthy and weak.

The lack of nutrients in cows and buffaloes also increases the possibility of abortion.

The milk production in animals also starts decreasing.

Different types of bone diseases like crooked bones, their early breakage, muscle weakness etc. occur.

Animals start having a tendency to eat things like wood, leather, plastic etc. Things to keep in mind while preparing food for animals

Prepare their diet according to the age and weight of the animal, keeping in mind the elements rich in protein, vitamins, zinc and digestibility.

In dry substances, decide the quantity of grains, green fodder, dry fodder etc.

Add other nutrients including protein to the dry substances.

Minimum quantity of fodder is very important for the proper functioning of the digestive system of cows and buffaloes.

Importance of minerals in the animal body

By feeding balanced diet (Nutritious Food) to animals, giving the right amount of nutrients like protein, fat, sugar, vitamins in their body, animals remain healthy. By giving balanced diet, milk, wool, meat also increases.

Due to the abundance of minerals in animal feed, they get less diseases, due to which dairy animals give more milk, along with their weight and height also increase.