Feeding Farm Animals

Feeding farm animals for optimum and economic production is the most important aspect, costing about 60-70% of total input on animal raising. Keeping this in view forage based animal farming seems to be the appropriate answer for the successful development of animal husbandry in the developing countries like India. A considerable amount of work has been done on the various aspects of forage/ herbage production, harvesting & processing, storage and utilization at IGFRI, NDRI, IVRI and elsewhere. In this book an attempt has been made to organize the available pertinent information on feeding of farm animals, like cattle, buffalo, sheep and goat. Being introduced with the farm animals in Indian perspectives, this book constrains adequate information on basic and practical aspects of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, minerals and vitamins, feeds and fodder evaluation. Detailed information has been given on forage, pasture and silvipasture production, and their utilization through farm animals. Use of agro-industrial by-products their processing and conservation of forages for scarcity feeding, and codex alimentarius to face the challenges of feeding in an era of WTO market are the special feature of the book. It is hoped that this will be highly useful to researchers, teachers, students and farmers alike.