Animal Nutrition I SS1 Livestock Farming Lesson Note

Just like you and I need a balanced diet to grow tall, stay strong, and fight off malaria or the flu, farm animals need the right “fuel” to produce meat, milk, and eggs.

Animal Nutrition is simply the study of what animals eat, how they use that food, and how it helps them stay healthy. We call their food “Feed”.

The Five Main Classes of Feed

Think of these as the “Five Fingers” of a healthy animal. If one is missing, the animal won’t grow properly.

1. Energy-Giving Feeds (Carbohydrates & Fats)

This is the “petrol” for the animal’s body. It gives them the strength to walk, graze, and keep their heart beating.

• What they do: Provide heat to keep the body warm and energy for daily movement.
• Common Ingredients: Maize (corn), Guinea corn (Sorghum), Cassava peels, Yam peels, and Millet.

1. Body-Building Feeds (Proteins)

If you want your goats to have plenty of muscle (meat) or your chickens to grow big quickly, they need protein.

• What they do: Build new muscles, repair wounded skin, and help young animals grow.
• Common Ingredients: Fish meal, Groundnut cake (Kulikuli), Soybean meal, and Blood meal.

1. Bone and Teeth Builders (Minerals)

Minerals are like the “cement” of the body. They make sure the animal has a strong frame.

• What they do: Form strong bones and teeth. They also help in making eggshells hard and producing milk.
• Common Ingredients: Bone meal, Oyster shells, Limestone, and common Salt (Salt licks).

1. Health Boosters (Vitamins)

Animals don’t need a lot of vitamins, but without them, they get sick very easily.

• What they do: Protect the animal from diseases and help their eyes and skin stay healthy.
• Common Ingredients: Fresh green grass (pasture), leafy vegetables, and Vitamin “premix” (added to commercial bags of feed).

1. The Life-Giver (Water)

Water is the most important but often forgotten “food.” An animal can survive for days without food, but it will die quickly without water.

• What it does: Helps digest food, cools the body down when it’s hot, and makes up a large part of blood and milk.
• Source: Clean, cool, and fresh water should always be available (Ad-libitum).

Common Feed Ingredients in Nigeria

In our country, farmers use what is around them to save money while keeping animals healthy.

How We Mix the Feed

Farmers don’t just throw everything together. Depending on the age of the animal, we change the “recipe.”

• Starters: For babies (like chicks). This has very high protein so they can grow their bodies quickly.
• Growers: For “teenager” animals. A balance of energy and protein.
• Layers/Finishers: For adults. “Layers” get extra minerals for eggshells; “Finishers” get extra energy to get fat before they are sold in the market.

Signs of Poor Nutrition (Malnutrition)

How do you know if an animal isn’t eating well?

1. Stunted Growth: The animal stays small even though it is old.
2. Rickets: Bowed legs or weak bones (not enough minerals).
3. Poor Coat: The fur or feathers look dull and rough instead of shiny.
4. Low Production: The hen stops laying eggs, or the cow stops giving milk.

Summary for Students

Feeding is the most expensive part of livestock farming (it takes about 70% of the farmer’s money!). If you learn how to mix local ingredients like maize and groundnut cake properly, you will be a very successful and wealthy farmer because your animals will be the healthiest in the market.

Review Activity

1. If a hen is laying eggs with very soft shells that break easily, which class of feed is missing in her diet?
2. List three local energy-giving foods you can find in your kitchen or village.
3. Homework: Visit a local feed mill or a market where they sell animal feed. Write down the names of three ingredients you see and what “class” they belong to.