2. .Increasing the amount of
energy,protein,minerals and
vitamins;
•Increasing the palatability of
the feed (e.g., by adding
molasses, salt etc) to enable
the animal take sufficient
amount of the same
voluntarily;
3. • Improving digestibility
of the feed by adding
microbes;
• Increasing feed
absorption by ensuring the
animal takes enough water;
6. In a non-pregnant lactating
cow, nutrients available
in the digested forage and
feed supplements are
mainly used for
maintaining
The body of the cow, and
for milk production.
7. In feeding a non- pregnant
lactating cow for milk, a
farmer should feed energy,
protein, minerals, vitamins
and water above the body
maintenance requirement
8. Inadequate feeding in the
above case denies a farmer
milk and greatly affects calf
reproduction since the cow
will not come on heat on
time resulting in a calve
interval of longer than a
year
9. .
The same implies loss of
calves due to poor feeding.
Available fodder is never
enough to supply
the animal with all her
body requirements and
those of her calve.
11. In pregnant lactating cows:
•The first priority of nutrients
allocation is given to
maintenance of the body;
•The second priority goes
to the growth of the
unborn calf and
12. •The third priority is
given to milk
production.
Inadequate feeding in
this case results in low
milk production.
14. To maximize returns from a
dairy cow, a farmer must
feed a balanced diet that
comprises
of forage, roughage,
concentrates, minerals,
vitamins, and water.
16. Forage includes all plant
materials used to feed
livestock. They include
grasses such as Napier and
tress leaves. Forage with high
fiber content is called
roughage. Lush forage with
high water is called fodder
17. Preserved forage includes hay
and silage. Crop residue such
as maize stover’s and straws
are usually treated with urea
or molasses to improve their
nutritive value, and improve
their palatability.
19. For animals to properly
utilize :
•Straws;
•Maize stover, and
•Hay
20. They should be assisted
by increasing the
population of beneficial
micro-organisms
in the fore stomach.
21. The above calls for
supplementation of micro-
organizations. Maize stovers,
and cobs, various types of
grass, bran (mainly found in
dairy meals), straws etc,
consist of cellular and other
complex compound that are
difficult to digest.
22. Animals need a lot of
energy to digest them –
the energy they would
have used to make milk.
This is why they need
supplementation of
microbes
26. Roughage is plant feed
with high fiber content.
The same (Read: fiber) is an
important compound
of ruminant feed because it
is
necessary for normal
functioning of the rumen.
27. If the diet of a cow is too
low
in fiber, milk fat
decreases,
and the animal will
have problems with
digestion
28. If the diet is too high
in fiber, the intake
of energy and
protein will be
inadequate
29. The result of the above
is that the animal will
produce less milk. The
higher the fiber content,
the less the animal will
eat
30. Micro-organisms, in
this case yeast, are said
to have high levels of
amino acids such a
glutamic acid that
increase feed
palatability.
31. They secret nutrients
that stimulate the
growth of rumen
bacteria that do the
bulk of fiber digestion in
the rumen
32. It is recommended that
18% to 20% of the
feed (as dry matter) be
fiber.
34. Concentrate are feeds
which are high in protein,
energy, and are highly
digestible. They are
necessary in dairy farming
because milk production
has very high energy and
protein requirement.
