Exercise 8 (Nutrient Sources)

• Feed


  Any material grown or processed to be fed to livestock and poultry to sustain life
• Importance of Feed


  Feed affects FARM PRODUCTIVITY and FARM PROFITABILITY (accounts for 80% of the total farm expenses
• Basic Function of Feeds

  To provide nutrients for:

  • Energy production
  • Regulation of body processes and formation of body-produced regulators
  • Building and maintenance of body structure
• Classification of Feeds

  • Roughages
  • Concentrates
  • Feed supplements
  • Feed additives
• Roughage

  • feed materials containing more than 18% CRUDE FIBER
  • generally low in energy content (<60% TDN)
• Crude Fiber


  Insoluble carbohydrate fraction: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin
• Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN)

  • Relative energy value of the feed
  • TDN = digestible protein + digestible fiber + (digestible fat x 2.25) + digestible nitrogen-free extract
• 1. Grass

  • 6-10% Crude protein
  • <0.9% Calcium
  • Ex: Guinea grass, Para grass, Napier grass, Star grass, Alabang grass / Marvel grass
• 2. Legume and other forages

  • >10.5% Crude protein
  • >0.9% Calcium
  • Example: Madre de cacao, Ipil-Ipil, Centrosema, Madre de agua
• Forage Feeding

  1. Hay
  2. Soilage
  3. Silage
  4. Crop residues
• Hay


  forage harvested and dried for later use
• Soilage


  fresh herbage cut and chopped in the field; offered to animals in confinement
• Silage


  fermented forage stored in a silo or plastic
• Crop residue


  crop by-products left in the field after the harvest of the major crop e.g., rice straw and corn stover
• B. Concentrates

  • Feeds that are LOW IN FIBER (<18% crude fiber)
  • Contain HIGH IN ENERGY CONTENT (>60% TDN)
  • Energy feeds and Protein feeds (animal or plant origin)
• 1. Energy feeds

  • contain medium to high energy
  • <18% crude protein
  • Cereal, grains, milling by-products, processed tubers
• 2. Protein Feeds

  2.1 Animal Protein Feed

  • By-products from meat packaging, dairy processing and marine industries
  • Ex: Blood meal, Pork meal, Fish meal
• 2.2 Plant Protein Feeds

  End product if oil extraction from a group of seeds e.g., Soybean meal and copra meal
• C. Feed Supplement


  a concentrated source of 1 OR MORE NUTRIENTS used to enhance the nutritional adequacy of a ration
• 1. Synthetic Amino Acids

  • Feed stuffs carrying large amounts of pure amino acids
  • Essential vs non-essential amino acids
  • Ex: DL-menthionine and L-lysine
• 2. Mineral Supplements

  • Feed stuffs rich in one or more of the inorganic elements needed to perform certain essential body functions
  • Macrominerals vs Microminerals
  • Ex: Copper sulfate, Limestone, Salt, Monocalcium phosphate
• 3. Vitamin Supplements

  • Organic substances required by animals in very small amounts regulating various body processes toward normal health, growth, production and reproduction.
  • Fat-soluble (A, D, E, K) vs Water-soluble (Vitamin B complex and C)
  • Provided in the for of vitamin premix
• D. Feed Additive

  • NON-NUTRITIVE SUBSTANCES that when added to diets may improve the performance and feed efficiency of livestock and poultry
  • E.g., antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, acidifiers, antioxidants, mold inhibitors, toxin binders and flavor enhancers