Forage animal diets

Chilliard Y, Ferlay A and Doreau M (2001), Effects of different types of forages, animal fat or marine oils in cow s diet on milk fat secretion and composition, especially conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids , Livestock Production Science, 70, 31-48. 

FFF Feeds, feed crops, forages, roughages, animal diets, premixes, concentrates. 

Molybdenum (Mo) is an essential plant nutrient. It acts as a metallic cofactor in plant and animal enzymes. At high concentrations in forages, it can be toxic to ruminants by interfering with assimilation of copper (Cu). The range between toxicity and deficiency in animals is narrow, and therefore careful control of Mo in animal diets is essential. 

Chilliard. Y., A. Ferlay, and M. Doreau. Effect of Different Types of Forages, Animal Fat or Marine OUs in Cow s Diet on MUk Fat Secretion and Composition, Especially Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids. LJvegoc gjj ... 

The current view of rumen protozoa is that with low-protein, forage-based diets, their presence is detrimental to the host, and defaunation can therefore increase animal productivity. With concentrate-based diets, better supplied with protein, the presence of protozoa is beneficial. Ironically, it is difficult to keep ruminants free of protozoa when they are on a forage diet and difficult to maintain protozoa on a concentrate diet. 

For housed ruminants, the increases in heat loss associated with a 1 °C fall in environmental temperature are comparable (10-20 kJ per kg per day) to those for pigs and poultry, but are much greater (20-40 kJ) for ruminants kept out of doors and exposed to wind and rain. In ruminants it is often possible to influence heat production by changing the quality of the diet. Metabolisable energy derived from low-quality forage-based diets is used with a lower efficiency (k) than that derived from high-quality concentrate-based diets, and thus more heat is liberated to keep the animal warm. 

Ragnarsson, S., 2009. Digestibility and metaholism in Icelandic horses fed forage-only diets. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Doctoral thesis no. 2009 92. 

Sodium chloride is relatively inexpensive and is provided either free or incorporated directly into animal feed to prevent sodium and chloride deficiencies. Potassium is usually not deficient because most forages have adequate quantities. Therefore, it should be supplemented only when animals consume poor quaHty roughages or a high concentrate diet, or when they are under stress, dehydrated, or suffering from diarrhea (5). Potassium deficiency usually is alleviated by changing the diet or by supplementing with potassium sulfate. 

Agriculture. Most forages provide insufficient sodium for animal feeding and may lack adequate chloride. Thus salt supplementation is a critical part of a nutritionally balanced diet for animals. In addition, because animals have a definite appetite for salt, it can be used as a deflvery mechanism to ensure adequate intake of less palatable nutrients and as a feed limiter. Salt is an excellent carrier for trace minerals. Salt, either in loose form or as compressed blocks, can be mixed with feed or fed free-choice to improve animal health and productivity (see Feeds and feed additives). 

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