Second Term Lesson Note for Week Two
Class : JSS 2
Subject : Agricultural Science
Topic : Feed of Farm Animals
Duration : 40 Minutes
Period : Single Period
Reference Book :
- Agricultural Science for Junior Secondary School, JSS 2 (Basic 8)
- Lagos State Unified schemes of work for Junior Secondary School, JSS 1 – 3
- Online Resources
Learning Objectives : By the end of the lesson learners will be able to :
i. Define Feeds of Farm animals
ii. Identify and mention the types of feeds.
iii. State the characteristics of each type of feeds.
Content :
FEED OF FARM ANIMALS
The food given to farm animals is called livestock feed or simply put ‘feed’.
The livestock farmer must supply his animals with the appropriate quantity and quality of feed for the following reasons :
i. Growth
ii. Repair of worn out tissues
iii. Energy
iv. General well being of animals
v. High production of animal produce such as milk, meat, and egg production
TYPES OF FEED
Animals are fed with different kind of feeds which vary in composition and uses. Hence, they are classified according to the quantity of fibre and moisture in the feed into four. These are :
1. Basal or Energy feeds
2. Concentrates
3. Roughages
4. Supplements and additive
Basal of Energy Feeds
Basal feeds are feeds made to supply energy to the animals. They have crude fibre content less than 18%. They usually make up 60 – 90% of livestock ration. Examples are maize, rice, millet, guinea corn, roots and tubers like yam and cassava. Basal feed must be supplemented to meet the growth and maintenance need of farm animals.
Characteristics of Basal or Energy feed
- It is high in carbohydrates or starchy food
- It is low in fibre
- It is low in protein
- It lacks vitamins and importance minerals.
- It is highly digestible,
- It is acceptable to most farm animals especially the monogastrics
Concentrates Concentrates These are feed or feed mixtures which provide all the primary dietary needs of farm animals. It may be either whole grain feeds or mixture of basal and supplement feed. Concentrates may be high in energy called energy-efficient concentrates or high in protein called protein concentrates. They have high nutritive value because they are important sources of energy, protein, minerals and vitamins. Examples are blood meal, bone meal, fish meal, groundnut cake, palm kernel cake, oyster shell cake, cotton seed cake and coconut cake. They are usually fed to monogastrics but can be used as supplements for some herbivores
Characteristics
- It has low fibre content
- It may be high in protein or energy
- It is highly digestible
- It is low in minerals
Roughages
Roughages are feeds which are high in fibre content. They add bulk to animal feeds and are relatively less digestible. Roughages are poor in nutritive value hence, animals fed on roughage need supplements. Roughages are fed mostly to ruminants (cattle, sheep and goat). This is because other animals cannot digest them. They include the vegetative part of plants or dry (preserved) vegetative matters.
Roughages include :
i. Succulent feed : This is also called fresh forage or wet roughages. It include grasses, legumes, cereals and root crops grown for soilage (grazing) or silage. Silage refers to succulents which are stored in air-light containers such as silos in order to preserve their freshness.
ii. Fodder or dry roughages
Hay: This is the young band legumes and other plant cut and dried for feeding animals. It is a cheap source of food for ruminants during the dry season. It is higher in nutrient than straw.
Straw: This refers to the parts of harvested crops or grasses cut and stored for future use. After the ripe seeds have been harvested the remains of plants are cut, dried and fed to animals during the dry season.
Chaff: This is the husk separated from grain during threshing. It is gotten from threshed grains such as maize, rice, cowpea an others.
Characteristics
- They are high in fibre
- They are low in protein and digestible carbohydrate.
- They have poor digestibility
Supplements and Additives
Feed supplements are added to the main feed to supply nutrients that are lacking in the main feed or diet of the animals. They may be supplied separately or mixed with the feeds.
Feed supplement include : Cotton seed, cake, Soya bean meal, Groundnut cake, Egg shell meal, Oyster shell meal, Bone meal, Fish meal, Salt licks, Lime stone,
Vitamins. Etc.
Evaluation :
1. Define feeds
2. Feeds can be classified into _________ types
3. Mention the types of feeds and give two examples of each.
4. State two reason for giving farm animals quality feeds
5. Hay, straws and chaffs are examples of __________________.
6. The type of feed that have high nutritive value because they are important sources of energy, protein, minerals and vitamins are known as _______________________.
CONCLUSION : The teacher summarizes the lesson and makes necessary corrections.