Some Guidelines and Hints for Feeding Livestock

7.3 Some Guidelines and Hints for Feeding Livestock 1. A balanced diet contains food from both protein and carbohydrate sources.

2. Higher quality feed should be reserved for pregnant and nursing mothers, as well as for growing animals. These animals especially need more protein in their diet.

3. Poorer quality feed can be fed, with less problems, to adult animals that are being kept for meat, adult oxen and buffalo that are not working, and adult females that are not in late pregnancy or giving milk.

4. Avoid sudden changes in the diet of animals. For instance, an animal eating straw or hay that is suddenly changed to green grass will often get diarrhea or bloat.

5. All animals, even grazing animals, need fresh, clean water. Offering water before other foods can help prevent bloating.

6. Minerals and vitamins have their best effect when livestock are already getting enough water, energy and protein. Antibiotics, as well as vitamin or mineral injections, will not make your livestock healthy and productive if they are not being fed well. It is more effective and less expensive to feed a proper combination of energy and protein, and to seek local sources of vitamins (green forage) and minerals to feed by mouth.

7. Young animals, particularly at the time of weaning, need extra protein in their diet. They should be fed some protein-containing foods like soya beans or protein-rich forages.