This document discusses livestock feed resources in Pakistan. It divides feed resources into conventional and non-conventional categories. Conventional feeds include green and dry roughages like fodder crops, grasses, hays and straws, as well as concentrates that are high in energy and protein. Roughages provide bulk and fiber to ruminant diets. The document also discusses pastureland and the varying nutritional composition of pastures depending on growth stage and soil/fertilizer conditions. It provides details on different types of grasses and legumes used as forage crops in Pakistan.

1. AN-202
Livestock feed resources and
forage conservation
Dr Humera hamid

2. What is feed resources?
• Feed resources available in the country can be divided into two main
categories as Conventional Feed Resources and Non-conventional
Feed Resources.
• Conventional resources are grouped further into three categories: (i)
green roughages, (ii) dry roughages and (iii) concentrates.
• Green roughages include fodder crops, range grasses including shrubs
and forbs, sugar beet tops, sugarcane tops, silages and tree leaves.
• Dry roughages include hays, straws, stovers and hulls.

3. What is ruminants?

7. ROUGHAGES
•Feed consisting of bulky and course plants or plant parts, containing a high fiber content
and low total digestible nutrients, arbitrarily defined as feed with over18%C.F.and60%TDN.
Succulent roughages:
•A condition of plants characterized by juiciness, freshness and tenderness, making them
appetizing to animals.
Dry roughages:
•Feeds in dry state that are bulky and low in weight per unit volume; usually they contain
more than18%CF and relatively low in energy.

8. CONCENTRATES
A broad classification off feed stuffs which are high in NFE and TDN but low in
crude fiber(under18%)
Energy feeds:
Feeds that are high in energy and low in fiber(under18%), and that generally
contain less than 20% protein.
Protein supplements:
Products that contain more than 20% protein or protein equivalent.

9. Roughages
•Three types
 maintenance type: Digestible crude protein (DCP)-3-5% : non legumes,
cereal crops and their hay.
 Non maintenance type: DCP below -3% : straws & stover
 Productive type: DCP more than 5% : legumes fodder and their hay

10. Land covered with grass and other
low plants suitable for grazing animals
Natural pastureland includes rough and hilly grazing land
Natural pastureland includes large number of species
Cultivated pastureland sub divided into permanent or temporary
cultivated pasture land contain fewer number of chosen species

11. •NUTRIENTS IN PASTURE
 The nutrient composition is extremely variable; CP range:3% in mature
herbage to 30% in young heavily fertilized grass.
 Digestibility declines as the plant matures.
 Green herbageis rich in carotene, precursor of vitamin A and quantities as
high as 55 mg per 100 grams of dry matter of young green crops

12.  In early stages of growth , moisture content is high about 75 to 85%
and as the plant mature, it falls to about 60 percent.
 The pasture lipid contentrare exceeds 4 percent of the dry matter.
 Based on the stage of growth, soil type, amount off fertiliser applied
etc the mineral content varies with species.

13. Grasses
 Grasses are the best and cheapest bulk feed for the livestock.
 In natural pastures and grazing area of the country: different kinds of
native grasses: Bracharia, Anjan, Hariyali, Giantstar, Marvel, Spear,etc.
 Under irrigated conditions, grasses like Napier-Bajrahy brids,
Guineagrass and Deenanath grass are suitable for cultivation.

14.  Non legume forages contain5-10% crudeprotein,0.3-0.5% calcium and
0.2-0.3% phosphorus.
 while legume forages like Cowpea, Leucern and Sesbania contain 20-
25% crude protein, 1.4-1.6% calcium and 0.1-3% phosphorus and dry
matter basis.

16. Theory syllabus
• Classification and nutritional composition of feed stuffs for ruminants:
fodders, forages, dry roughages and concentrate feed stuffs.
• Antinutritional factors in feed stuff for ruminants.
• Improvement of nutritional quality of low-quality roughages.
• Forage production systems in Pakistan and their implication.
• Lean period in forage production and methods to overcome shortage in lean
period.
• Strategies and techniques to improve the nutritional quality of low-quality
roughages.
• Conservation of forages for commercial livestock production operations.

17. Theory syllabus
• Silage and hay making.
• Ruminant nutrition: calf nutrition, heifer nutrition, dairy nutrition.
• Meat animal nutrition.
• Feeding system for commercial dairy.
• TMR feeding.
• Feed additives and performance modifiers for ruminants.
• Nutritional and metabolic disorders.
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