Animal Nutrition and Feed Management
Animal nutrition and feed management tests nutrient requirements, feed evaluation, ration balancing and safe feeding of Punjab-grown roughages and concentrates. Questions often ask you to identify a deficiency, calculate a simple nutrient supply, or judge a feeding practice.
Core rules
- Water first; dry matter intake drives production. Energy is usually first-limiting; TDN and ME express energy, DCP expresses protein.
- Maintenance plus production: a lactating buffalo needs more than a dry animal; each kg milk has energy and protein cost. Bypass protein and protected fat suit high yielders.
- Roughage:concentrate ratio: high-forage diets support rumen pH; sudden concentrate increase risks acidosis. Wheat straw is low in protein and high in fibre; berseem is high in protein and water.
- Minerals: calcium:phosphorus ratio about 2:1; salt, trace minerals; cobalt for vitamin B12; selenium/vitamin E for white muscle disease.
- Colostrum within the first hour supplies immunoglobulins; colostrum quality falls rapidly after calving.
Worked example
A ration supplies 6.0 kg DM with 12% DCP, i.e. 0.72 kg DCP. The cow needs 0.90 kg DCP. Deficit = 0.18 kg DCP. Reasoning: multiply DM by DCP fraction, compare with requirement; correct with a protein concentrate such as mustard cake, not by adding more wheat straw, which adds bulk but little protein.
Traps
Do not confuse DCP with crude protein. Do not add minerals without checking the Ca:P ratio. Do not feed urea to non-ruminants or without a readily available energy source. Do not treat mouldy feed as a minor issue-mycotoxins reduce intake and immunity.