Balanced Diet For Livestock: Why is balanced diet necessary for animals from birth to pregnancy? Know from Harvinder Singh

Balanced Diet For Livestock: A large part of the cost in animal husbandry is spent on feed, so with the help of balanced diet for animals available in the market, livestock farmers can not only reduce costs but also get bumper milk production. 60-70 percent of the cost of animal husbandry (milch animals) is spent on feed. In such a situation, if even after spending so much, livestock farmers do not get enough milk, then it is obvious that they have to suffer losses.

But if the female calves are taken proper care of and given nutritious food from the time of birth, then they not only mature quickly but also give more milk. Green fodder alone is not enough for animals, it is also important to feed them nutritious animal feed available in the market. Muskan Kettle Feed’s ASM Harvinder Singh discussed in detail with Kisan of India’s correspondent Sarvesh Bundeli about what diet should be given to animals from birth to calving.

Feed Nutrition By Age 

Nowadays, animals are not fed only green fodder and hay, but a balanced diet is available for them in the market. Many companies make cattle feed. Harvinder Singh’s company Muskan Kettle Feed also prepares a balanced diet for animals according to their different needs, from newborns to adult animals. Regarding his product, Harvinder Singh says that he has diet available for animals from newborns to post-delivery. He has different categories of products like-

Calf Starter – This diet is especially for newborns. For 8-10 day old babies who do not eat green fodder, they only drink mother’s milk. Eating this diet helps in good development of the newborn and the special thing is that its cost is less than milk. This will benefit the farmers. Because by giving this diet, the newborn grows up quickly, it also saves milk. Suppose earlier if 4 liters of milk was fed to the calf, then after feeding calf starter, only 1 liter of milk needs to be given, this gives complete nutrition to the calf and the cattle owner also saves 3 liters of milk which he can sell and earn profit.

Calf Grower-

From 6-7 days old to 3 months old, calf starter is fed, after this calf grower is given. Because now the calf has learned to eat and has also learned to digest food, so now there is a need to focus on its development. A calf weighing one quintal should be given 1.25 kg of food/feed within 24 hours and as it grows, the amount of food also needs to be increased accordingly.

Hoffer- Calf grower is given to a calf up to 7 months old. By this time their body develops properly. Now their body has grown but they should be able to lift their weight too. Therefore, to make them stronger, another diet is given which helps in strengthening the bones. This diet called Hofer provides calcium, protein, phosphorus etc., due to which the uterus and ovaries develop properly in the female animal.

Nutritious diet for better milk production (Role of Nutrition in Milk Production) 

Harvinder Singh says that farmers who use all three products of Kettle Feed, Calf Starter, Calf Grower and Hofer start extracting milk from the calf within 2.5 to 3 years. Whereas those cattle keepers who do not know about balanced diet for such animals keep feeding traditional diet like bran, husk etc. to increase milk, in such a situation they think about getting the animal pregnant after 3-4 years, which increases the cost further. Whereas cattle keepers who feed Kettle Feed start getting milk early. To ensure that dairy animals produce more milk, it is important to adopt advanced diet management.

Cattle Diet During Pregnancy 

Harvinder Singh says that some cattle farmers feed the animals mustard oil, gram etc. during this period. But during pregnancy, the animal needs all kinds of nutrients including minerals and vitamins, which can be fulfilled only by animal feed prepared especially for them. In the last days of pregnancy, the eating capacity of the animals decreases due to which they are not able to get complete nutrition. In such a situation, they should be fed transition (animal feed) 25 days before delivery. By feeding this, the animals do not become weak after pregnancy and there is no problem in giving birth to the child. Transition + 21 is given to the animals after the birth of the child so that the dirt comes out of their body. 

Cattle Diet In Lactation Stage 

Each breed of cow and buffalo has different milk production capacity, so their diet is also decided according to the quantity of milk. Harvinder Singh says that the diet of an animal giving 20-25 liters of milk and an animal giving 5-8 liters of milk will not be the same, they will need different types and different quantities of nutrients. Therefore, when a farmer comes to them for food, they first ask the farmer how many liters of milk the animal gives, because this gives information about the breed of the animal. If someone tells that his animal gives 10-12 liters of milk, then the company’s nutritionist prepares a balanced diet for the animals by collecting nutrients accordingly. Usually, half the amount of milk the animal gives should be given in a day.

What to feed when the milk stops? (Feed For Dairy Cattles In Dry Period) 

Harvinder Singh’s company is not only preparing feed for calves and calving animals, but it is also making feed for animals that stop giving milk. This time is called dry period. In such a situation, animals should be fed hopper (animal feed) for one to one and a half months. He advises farmers to dry the animal 70 days in advance. For this, give them less water and stop feeding. This reduces milk. Also, stop giving grass and silage and give only straw and milk them after a day.

Farmers do not need to add anything separately in the animal feed made by any company, because it is a balanced diet. When animals are given a balanced diet from the beginning, their milk production will also be more, which will increase the profit of the farmers.

Frequently asked questions on balanced diet for animals 

Question: Why is a balanced diet important for animals?

Answer: Balanced diet for animals is very important for their health and productivity. It also affects their immune system and production capacity.

Question: What is a balanced diet?

Answer: In a balanced diet, the animal is provided with all the necessary nutrients and energy, such as protein, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and natural fats. 

Question: Which diet is good for pregnant animals? 

Answer: Pregnant animals should be given energy, protein, and vitamin-mineral rich diet according to their condition. This keeps them healthy and their babies also develop properly. 

Question: What nutrients should be included in the diet for animals? 

Answer: Animal diet should contain protein, vitamins (vitamin A, D, B complex), minerals (such as calcium, phosphorus), and amino acids, which are necessary for their balanced growth and health. 

Question: What are some important instructions for preparing a balanced diet for animals? 

Answer: While preparing a balanced diet, the age, species, and special requirements of the animal should be kept in mind. In this, the correct quantity and proportion of energy source, protein source, and other nutrients are very important.