FACTORS AFFECTING THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FEED STUFFS

Following are the factors:

1. Soil types: It is the major factor affecting the chemical composition of feed stuffs. Soil with rich nutrients, plants has also high and vice-versa.
2. Irrigation: It determines the nutrients solubility but heavy irrigation wastes away nutrients.
3. Fertilizer: Type and amount of fertilizer determines the nutrients contents of the feed stuffs.
4. Genetic factor: can cut its nutrients basis. Improved varieties possess more yield and palatability
5. Stage and maturity: With the increase in plant growth, the CP & moisture is decreased and CF & DM is increased. (Graph)
6. Frequency of harvesting: It also determines the yields, chemical composition and toxity.

               Short frequency                                Long frequency

• Yield           =     less                                        More
• Nutrients  =     More CP & P  More             CF
• Moisture   =     High                                       Low
• Toxicity   =      High                                        Low

UTILIZATION OF CROPS AND INDUSTRIAL BY-PRODUCTS

The nutritive value of straw

Straw having the poorest protein content and have largest amount of crude fibre. The DCP content is practically negligible while TDN value is about 40%. In western countries and Europe, Straw is not feed to farm animals. But in our condition usually 1-2 kg of concentrate mixture is added to basal dose to form maintenance ration. In general leguminous fodder straw like cowpea, mung, gram etc having high nutritive value eg 2-3% DCP and 30-40% TDN. The palatability of rice straw doed not exeed 2.5% causing voluntary in take.

Oxalic acid content of the rice straw averages 1.6% out of which 1.35% is insoluble and 0.25% is in soluble form. The rumen microbes can depredates some oxalate but the rate of degradation is low in mature plants. It forms complex with calcium and causing less absorption and also cause milk fever in high producing animals. It increases urinary excretion after its absorption and then leads to metabolic alkalosis because of the formation of CO3 and HCO3. Persistent oxalic acid also causes the kidney damage leading to uremia

The nutritive value of rice straw can be improved by following treatments:

1. Soaking of straw (H2O): Paddy straw when soaked few hrs before feeding @ 1kg straw in 1 litr water is believed to have beneficial effect by removing oxalate, silica dust etc from straw. At the same time the straw become soft also. Soaking straw reslt in the reduction of dry matter to the extent of 17%.
2. Alkali treatment of straw (NaOH): It has been reported that addition of 3.3% NaOH to straw improves the palatability and digestibility. It also helps n removing liguin and also reduces oxalate and thus calcium absorption increases. (1 kg+1 lit.+1.05% NaOH)
3. Ammonia treatment (NH4OH): The use of ammonia has the added advantage that it increases the crude protein context of straw. It is also support as fungicides to control the problems. Any excess ammonia will volatilize when treated material exposed to the air.
4. Urea treatment (NH2-CO-NH2): A cheaper and safer form of ammonia is urea. Urea decomposes into ammonia that acts as enzyme urease. For every 100 kg of straw, 40 kg water and 4 kg urea is needed to sprayed uniformly and covered by polythene bag or any other covering materials for 3-4 weeks. It will increase palatability, digestibility and entrance nitrogen content of straw and beneficial in feeding. NH2-CO-NH2 + H2O = (Urease) = 2NH2 + CO2
5. By silage making: The quality of straw can also be increased by making silage with legumes in succulent condition of fodder such as beersem. Urea pretreatment will upgrade the nutritive value of silage.

Molasses-Urea Block: Suppose Block wt. is 30 kg,

• Molasses: 15 kg
• Urea: 3 kg
• Salt: 1.5 kg
• CaCO3: 3 kg
• Bran: 7.5 kg + Water  = 30 kg →Prepare block →Allow to hard →Feed as licking

UTILIZATION OF WASTES IN ANIMAL FEEDING

A) Livestock farm wastes:

1. Cow manure (Cow dung meal): It can be used at 10% level satisfactorily in growing ration in replacement of maize. Attempt was made to replace cereals in poultry ration by dried cow dung meal. Sundried sheep dung meal is recommended at 5% level in starter mash. Sun dried manure is as effective as oven dried cow dung manure. In layers 10% inclusion of air oven dried cow manure satisfactorily supported egg production, egg weight, body weight, hatchability & feed consumption.
2. Bone, meat and blood
3. Liver residue meal: This can profitably be used as animal protein supplement in place of fish meal. Liver residue can be fairly introduced in poultry ration at 10% level or at 5% level along with same level of fish meal as in animal feed supplements. A good quality of liver residue meal should contain about 65% protein, 5% lysine, 1.5% metheonine & 1% cysteine apart from other amino acids.

B) Poultry farm wastes:

1. Incubator waste or Hatchery by product meal (HBPM): It is mixture of egg shells, infertile eggs, un hatched eggs which have been cooked, dried & Produced. Broiler chicks when fed at level of 3-6% of the total ration with dried incubator waste proved a satisfactory substitute for meal or soybean oil meal. Properly proceed HBPM containing infertile eggs and eggs with dead embryo is found to be replaced 33% fish meal & is a good substitute for increasing body wt of chicks
2. Dried poultry manure : Poultry manures are likely to be rich in nitrogen and energy. Poultry drooping contains the urinary nitrogen as uric acid & 9-10% as ammonium salt. The digestion of nitrogen in pure drooping ranges from 70-85%. The composition varies, but on the average it contains about 5% nitrogen equivalent to about 31% CP. Properly dried poultry manure can be used as 10-15% level in chick and broiler ration with good results. If the fiber contains is high, it is preferable for extra energy and proper Ca & P inclusion.          Dried poultry manure can also be used in cattle ration with economic advantages. It is, however, not palatable & hence should be used with other palatable feedstuffs.
3. Poultry by-product meal: In the ground product obtained after by dry rendering or wet rendering process from parts of the carcess of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, underdeveloped eggs & intestine exclusive feathers. It must not contain the more then 16% ash& not more then 4% acid insoluble ash. It is an excellent source of protein (50-55) % for chickens. It is also fairly rich in energy, fat (10-13)%, Ca 3%, & P 2%. It is fairly rich in minerals and can be used in broiler and layers rations. It is a good substitute for fish meal.
4. Hydrolyzed poultry feathers: It is the product resulting from the treatment under the clean un-decomposed feathers from slaughtered poultry. A minimum of 80% of its must consists of digestible protein. It is rich in protein (80-85) % and rich in energy & is said to be unidentified growth factor, which ia inorganic in nature. But, the protein is deficient in methionine & lysine. Feathers can replace 2% fish meal in poultry ration satisfactorialy

The share of livestock   sector in AGDP will rise from 31% to 45% by the end period of APP.

FEED AND FEEDING SITUITION IN NEPAL

Available information suggest that 53% of the total 55%, ruminant livestock are found in the hills where feed deficit is serious (- 56%). while about one third livestock in the Terai (34%) has the feed deficit of about – 42%. Only 13% of the total population is found in the mountain, where feed is surplus (+26%). By development region, all four region keep almost equal number of ruminant livestock (23.7% for eastern region; 23.8 % for Central region; 21.2%, for Western region; 19.7% for mid western region), while far western region has only about 12 % of the total population.

• Crop residue: straw, stover, stalk, cobs and sugarcane tops.
• Grain and by products: rice bran, wheat bran cakes
• Green forage: seasonal forage, fodder grasses
• Tree leaves: forest plants and fodder trees

Livestock in Nepal are feed deficit by over 3 million MT per annum. Shortage of feeding material/fodder is the major constrains for livestock production in Nepal. Supply quality feed all the year round, particularly during the lean period of October to March is severe. The milk supply drastically drops out during the winter period where the green is most scarcity. Feed particularly in the form of fodder is the major factor limiting livestock productivity in Nepal. It is also because when animals are underfed, they would unquestionably get more susceptible to diseases and parasite. In shortage of fodder, farmers try to compensate the nutrient competitiveness of the domestic animal products with the imported products and in the long run on the sustainability of the agricultural system in the country.