Maharashtra Board Class 11 Animal Science And Technology Chapter 8 Feed Technology PDF Download

Feed Technology

Can you recall?

1. The different types of feed fed to the animal

2. Methods of feed preservation

Preservation Of Forages

In our country, the availability of greens is limited to a particular season only. During the lean months of April to July, green forages are not available for feeding to the dairy animals. However, during Kharif season plenty of greens are available. But excess greens are neither properly utilized nor preserved scientifically. Hence, when green forages are in plenty, they need to be conserved as either hay or silage to meet the demand during the lean season.

4. Both hays as well as silages are more nutritious than their unpreserved counterparts.

5. During the process of preservation, harmful compounds present in the weedy plants are destroyed.

Hay Making

Hay is defined as green forage dried up to 15 percent moisture level enough to inhibit the action of plant and microbial enzymes.

Crops suitable for hay making:

1. All thin and hollow stemmed legumes and grasses are best suited for hay making.

2. Forages like Oat, Lucerne, Berseem, Soybean, Jawar, Bajara, Cow peas and quality grasses like Marvel, Napier can form a good hay.

Methodology for hay making

1. There should be plenty of sunshine during the complete process of hay making.

2. The crop for hay making should be cut when it is in 50 percent flowering stage.

3. Keep it in the field for further 2 days with morning and evening turning till it achieves 60 percent DM.

Remember... that

Green forages are preserved without reducing their palatability or nutritive value by converting them into hay or silage.

Besides the main advantage of feeding greens during the lean period in the form of hay or silage, preservation of greens has following advantages:

1. Hay making protects green forages of the pasture land from fire hazards.

2. Preserving large quantity of greens in limited space releases the land for the cultivation of other fodder-crops.

3. Such preservation retains higher proportion of nutrients more than keeping forages in the field which may have the risk of nutrients loss due to shattering or natural maturity of the forage.

Teacher's Note

Hay is dried grass that we give to cows during winter when fresh grass is not available. In Indian villages, farmers dry grass during summer to feed animals in dry season.

Exam Trick

Remember: Hay = dry grass with 15% moisture. Like our dried chillies at home, hay is just dried green grass! Both last long and keep animals healthy.

Points to Remember

Hay is green forage dried to 15 percent moisture level.
Hay protects grasslands from fire hazards.
Good hay has aroma and is rich in carotene and calcium.
Hay must be dried in sunshine with proper turning.
Thin and hollow stemmed plants are best for hay making.

Ensiling / Ensilage

It includes all physical and chemical changes that take place when forage with sufficient moisture is stored in a silo in the absence of air.

Remember...

Hay should not contain more than 15 per cent moisture.

Characteristics of good hay

1. It contains 15 per cent moisture.

2. It has typical aroma of the forage and it is palatable.

3. It is rich in carotene and calcium.

4. It contains 9 to 11 per cent DCP and 50 to 60 per cent TDN.

Observe and try this:

1. Forage crops used for hay making in your area

2. Observe the process of hay making in your locality

Silage Making

Silage is defined as green fodder preserved in more or less in its original form with a minimum deterioration of nutrients under anaerobic conditions for minimum 60 days.

Silage is a fermented feed resulting from the storage of high moisture crops, usually green forages, under anaerobic conditions in a structure known as a silo.

Do you know?

Silage is the pickle for dairy animals.

The entire ensiling process requires two to three weeks for converting forage into silage.

Remember...

If the lactic acid production is insufficient, butyric acid fermentation begins and quality deterioration occurs.

Qualities of forage crops suitable for silage making

1. It should have minimum 30 to 35 percent dry matter and 8 to 10 percent soluble carbohydrates.

Teacher's Note

Silage is fermented green grass kept without air. It is like the pickle we make at home - we seal it so air cannot enter, and it stays fresh for months.

Exam Trick

Remember: Silage = no air + fermentation = pickle for cows! Just like we seal pickles in jars, silage is sealed in silos to stay fresh.

Points to Remember

Silage is green fodder preserved under anaerobic conditions for 60 days minimum.
Silage has high moisture content and is fermented.
Lactic acid bacteria help make good quality silage.
pH between 3.5 and 4.2 shows very good silage.
Silage should not be fed to calves below 6 months of age.

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