Question

What is feed? What are different type of feed? How is it differ with respect to age and functions?

Answer 1

Feed refers to the food that is eaten by farm animals.
There are two types of feeds:
1. Roughage: It contains fibres such as green fodder, silage, hay, and legumes.
2. Concentrates: They are a mixture of substances that are rich in one or more of the nutrients. They are low in fibres and have relatively high protein and other nutrient contents. They include oil seeds, grains of maize, oats, barley, gram, etc.
The daily average feed of a cow are as follows:
1. Green fodder and dry grasses (roughage) = 15–20 kg.
2. Grain mixture (concentrates) = 4–5 kg.
3. Water = 30–35 l.
A younger animal needs more food and nutrients than an older one because more energy is needed for the growth and development process of the young animal.