Nutritional Balance In Livestock Feed: What should be a balanced diet for animals?

Nutritional Balance In Livestock Feed: The most important thing for success in livestock business is proper care of cattle and milk production of dairy animals in high and good quality. Both these things are true only when livestock farmers give proper and balanced diet to their cattle. Along with this, they take good and better care of their cleanliness and health. Cattle feed should be nutritious. For this, they should not only be given green fodder but also different types of nutritious food. It is important to maintain nutritional balance in animal feed.

Whichever cattle farmers rear, they must know that they should give balanced food to the cattle based on their body weight. Cattle feed should be given according to their productivity, working capacity and reproductive state. Various types of nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, vitamins etc. should be given in the right proportion. For their convenience, cattle farmers should divide the cattle feed into three parts. First is the diet to keep the cattle healthy. Second is the diet to increase their productivity and third is the diet for pregnancy. Taking care of the nutritional balance in the diet of animals improves their health and productivity.

What should be the nutritional balance in cattle feed?

Feed the cattle by mixing 2/3rd of the total diet (cattle feed) with coarse fodder and one third part with grains. In coarse fodder, both leguminous and non-leguminous fodder should be prepared and given.

In India, cattle farmers use straw the most as fodder for their cattle, but it lacks nutrients. For proper nutrition of cattle, it is important that they are given rice bran, bran and gram.

Green fodder should also be included in their diet (Cattle Feed) which is much more nutritious than straw.

For good health and good milk production of dairy cattle, 2.5 kg of dry fodder is required for every 100 kg of weight. In this, the ratio of dry and green fodder should be 50-50 percent.

When the animal is getting ready to give milk, it is necessary to give it a balanced diet consisting of dry fodder, green fodder and grains. In this, 6.5 kg of dry fodder, about 30 kg of green fodder and one kg of grains should be given every day.

When the animal becomes capable of giving milk, keep the dry fodder and green fodder the same, but increase the grains to four kg and reduce the grains to two kg during pregnancy.

Harmful Effects Of Not Providing A Balanced Diet

If nutritional balance is not given in the diet of animals, then they may have the problem of malnutrition, due to which many types of problems start arising. For example-

The ability of cattle to mature will slow down.

The animals will start becoming weak and sick.

The fertility will decrease.

The milk production will decrease.

The problem of abortion in cattle will start arising.

The physical capacity of cattle working in the fields will start decreasing.

The excitement of the bulls will decrease.

How much food should be fed to an adult animal daily?

An adult animal should be fed 6 kg of dry fodder and 15-20 kg of green fodder daily. For green fodder, it is right to feed it when half of the crop has flowered. Along with this, ‘silage’ of green fodder should be prepared and kept. Which you can use to fulfill the shortage of their green fodder in summer.

Balanced diet for female cattle

Child-bearing animals like cow, buffalo and goat are very sensitive as compared to other cattle. Because many types of hormonal changes take place in the body of female cattle during pregnancy. During this time, special attention needs to be paid to their upbringing. When a female animal is 4 to 5 months pregnant, there is a fear of abortion. The biggest reason for this is that they do not get a balanced diet before and after pregnancy. Special arrangements should be made when they become pregnant as compared to normal days, especially the nutritional balance should be taken care of in the diet of the animals. A cow gives birth to a calf around 9 months and 9 days after pregnancy, while a buffalo gives birth in 10 months and 10 days.

Diet of Heifer Cattle During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the amount of grain in the diet of female cattle should be increased by 1.5 to 2 kg. Along with this, 5 to 6 kg of dry fodder should be given, which includes straw, chopped straw, wheat husk. On the other hand, a pregnant animal should be given 20 to 25 kg of green fodder. In the summer season, seasonal fodder including millet and maize should also be given. Making necessary changes in the diet of animals keeping in mind the nutritional balance is beneficial for their health and productivity. 

Balanced Diet for Dairy Cattle

Dairy animals should be fed according to the season and their capacity. Dairy animals need a lot of balanced nutrients. If they do not get balanced food, then the cattle farmers do not get milk and even if they get it, that too is not enough. The diet of dairy animals should contain plenty of protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.

According to animal experts, the balanced diet of cows and buffaloes should include 25-10 kg of groundnut, mustard or soybean cake, wheat, maize or barley, 10 to 25 kg bran or porridge, 1 kg mineral salts along with 20-30 grams of vitamin-A and D-3, 5-20 kg pulses peel, 1 to 4 kg soybean or its peel. Keeping in mind the nutritional balance in the diet of dairy animals, their diet should be decided by experts.

The fodder of dairy animals should contain protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.

Dairy animals should be given Growel Agrovet tonic and medicine regularly. This not only increases the disease resistance of cattle but also reduces the cost of fodder.

Dairy buffalo should be given dry fodder, protein and digestive elements. A buffalo weighing 400 kg needs 10 to 12 kg of dry fodder daily.

Green fodder should be given to cattle because it contains a lot of vitamins. Green fodder contains plenty of water. Legumes, non-legumes, grass, tree leaves are included in it. Cattle should be fed by mixing some dry fodder in it, otherwise they may have gas problem.

Apart from green fodder, nutrients are also found in green grass, Napier grass, oats, maize, sorghum, millet. Which fulfill the deficiency of many types of nutrients in cattle.

How much grain should be fed to dairy animals in the diet?

1.5 kg daily for cow and 2 kg for buffalo.

1 kg grain should be fed to cow for every 2.5 liters of milk and 1 kg grain should be fed to buffalo for every 2 liters of milk.

One kg to 1.5 kg grain should be fed separately to pregnant cow or buffalo above 6 months.

1 kg to 2.5 kg grain should be given to calves daily. Give this on the basis of their age or weight.

2 to 2.5 kg daily for bulls and 1 kg daily for non-working bulls.

ISI based Cattle Feed Standards

20-21 percent protein

2.5 to 3 percent fat

1 percent calcium

0.5 percent phosphorus

4 percent sed silica

12 percent fiber

3 percent mineral salts

In the end, we can say that balanced diet is the most important part of animal husbandry. An unbalanced diet affects the physical condition of cattle, pregnancy and their productivity. It is very important to provide a balanced diet to maintain the health and productivity of cattle.

Frequently asked questions on nutritional balance in animal feed

Question 1: Why is balanced nutrition important in animal feed?

Answer: Balanced nutrition is important for the health, growth, productivity, and immune system of animals. It ensures that they are getting all the necessary nutrients in the right amount, so that they remain healthy and productive.

Question 2: What nutrients are included in a balanced diet?

Answer: A balanced diet includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Each nutrient has a specific importance, such as proteins are essential for muscle development, carbohydrates for energy, and vitamins and minerals for overall health.

Question 3: How are the nutritional needs of animals determined?

Answer: The nutritional needs of animals are determined based on their age, weight, reproductive status, and productivity (such as milk production, meat production). Nutritional tables prepared by experts are used to ensure that animals get the required nutrients in the right amount.

Question 4: What problems can animals face in the absence of a balanced diet?

Answer: In the absence of a balanced diet, animals may suffer from problems like malnutrition, weak immune system, slow growth rate, reproductive problems, and low production. Apart from this, they are also susceptible to disease.

Question 5: What type of food should be included in the diet of animals?

Answer: Animal feed should include green fodder, dry fodder, grains, oil cake, mineral mixtures, and vitamin supplements. Green fodder provides vitamins and minerals, while grains and oil cake provide energy and protein.

Question 6: Can balanced feed for animals be prepared at home?

Answer: Yes, balanced feed for animals can be prepared at home. For this, the animal keeper should consult experts and plan the diet according to the needs of the animals. Sometimes feed mixtures available in the market are also helpful.

Question 7: How can the nutritional needs of animals be monitored?

Answer: To monitor the nutritional needs of animals, their growth, health condition, production level, and behavior are monitored. Regular weighing, blood tests, and monitoring production data can also be useful.