Strategies for Intensive Utilization of Feed Resources | Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Optional for UPSC PDF Download

Strategies for Intensive Utilization of Feed Resources

• Crop Residues: Crop residues are fibrous materials that remain after crop cultivation. They make up a significant portion of the total feed produced annually. These residues typically have a low crude protein content, ranging from 3.3 to 13.3 percent on a dry matter basis. Most crop residues lack fermentable energy, have low organic matter digestibility, and may be deficient in minerals.
• Agro-Industrial By-Products (AIBP): Agro-Industrial by-products are derived during the processing of main products in industries. Unlike crop residues, they are less fibrous and more concentrated, with a higher nutrient content. Examples include molasses, rice bran, pineapple waste, palm-oil mill effluent, and coconut cake.
• Non-Conventional Feed Resources (NCFR): Non-conventional feed resources are feeds not traditionally used in animal feeding or in commercially produced livestock rations. These feeds include a variety of sources from perennial crops, animals, and industries. They are often referred to as 'new feeds.'
  Examples of NCFRs:
  • Oil palm by-products
  • Single-cell proteins
  • Feed materials of plant and animal origin (e.g., poultry excreta)
  • Poor-quality cellulose roughages from farm residues such as stubbles, haulms, and vines

Utilization of Non-Conventional Feeds

• Many of the nutrients from crop residues are utilized by ruminants, converting them into valuable animal products such as meat, draught power, skin, and fiber.
• Energy and protein concentrates are predominantly used by non-ruminants and lactating ruminants.

Feed Balance Sheets:

• Feed balance sheets are vital tools for evaluating the adequacy of nutrition for animal resources.
• They help in identifying deficiencies and surpluses, leading to the development of strategies to enhance feed production and optimize resource utilization.

Inclusion in Feed Formulations:

• Determining the optimal levels of utilization of non-conventional feeds is crucial for incorporating them into practical diets for farm animals.
• Non-conventional feeds such as blood meal, poultry excreta, castor bean meal, etc., have specific inclusion levels ranging from 3% to 40%, varying across animal species.

Optimum Levels of Inclusion:

• For poultry excreta, the optimal inclusion level is around 30% for ruminants and 5-10% for poultry.
• With palm-oil by-products, the recommended inclusion level is 30-40% for ruminants and 10-15% for poultry and pigs.
• Rubber seed meal is ideally included at 20% for ruminants and 10% for sal seed meal.

Factors Influencing Inclusion Levels:

• The recommended inclusion levels are approximations that are likely to elicit positive responses in animals.
• These levels can be influenced by other dietary ingredients, the animal species' ability to digest the feeds, and the presence of any harmful components in the feeds.

Deleterious Principles in Feedstuffs

Little is known about the detrimental effects on animals when AIBP and NCFR are included in their diet, whether in the short-term or long-term.

Toxic Components in Feedstuffs

• Bitter cassava leaves and stems, as well as rubber seeds, contain Hydrocyanic acid (HCN), also known as prussic acid, which can lead to fatalities if these feed ingredients are consumed without proper processing.
• Tannins, commonly found in feedstuffs such as sal seed cake, tamarind seed hulls, and sorghum, have the potential to impede the function of microorganisms in the rumen, affecting the digestion of protein and fiber.
• Theobromine from cocoa pod husks and trypsin inhibitor in guar meal are additional examples of harmful substances in feed resources.

Examples of Toxic Principals in Common Feed Resources

• Type of Feed:
  • Banana waste, stems, and leaves
  • Cassava leaves, peeling, and pomace
  • Castor seed meal
  • Cocoa seed husks
  • Coffee seed hulls, pulp
  • Cottonseed cake
  • Cowpea seed meal
  • Guar meal
  • Kapok
  • Mango seed kernel
  • Neem seed cake
  • Palm-oil mill effluent
  • Rubber seed meal
  • Sal seed meal
  • Spent tea leaves
  • Water hyacinth
• Toxic Principal:
  • Tannins
  • HCN (17.5 mg/100 g in leaves)
  • Ricinoleic acid (0.2%)
  • Theobromine (Trace)
  • Caffeine and tannins (2.8% DM)
  • Gossypol (0.05-0.20%)
  • Trypsin inhibitor
  • Trypsin inhibitor and gum
  • Cycloponopenoid acid
  • Tannins (5-10%)
  • Tannins
  • High ash (12-26% DM)
  • HCN (9 mg/100 g)
  • Tannins (6.2-18.7%)
  • Tannins (12% DM)
  • Oxalic acid (2.4% DM)

Strategies for Enhanced Utilization of Feed Resources

Prioritizing Feed Resource Utilization

Involves categorizing feed resources based on importance:

• Primary Feedstuffs: Form the main base in a feeding system, constituting 70-80% of the diet.
• Secondary Feedstuffs: Comprise minor ingredients, making up 20-30% of the diet.

• Examples of AIBP and NCFR strategies include:

  • Intensive use in stall feeding systems.
  • Increased utilization of proteinaceous forages like Cassava leaves and leucaena forage.
  • Enhanced use of dietary nitrogen sources.
  • Strategic deployment of supplementary protein sources.
  • Utilization of urea-molasses block licks.

Large Scale On-Farm Testing

Crucial for evaluating new technologies through on-farm tests:

• Identifies constraints to adopting new feeding systems.
• Successful feeding systems are simple, practical, and economically viable.
• Farmer participation in technology implementation is vital for success.

Institutional Support

Essential for expanded utilization of AIBP and NCFR:

• Prioritization of resources for efficient utilization.
• Commitment to the program's execution and allocation of adequate resources.
• Focus on on-farm research and development.
• Addressing constraints like inadequate on-farm research.