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Animal feed is food given to domestic animals, especially livestock, in the course of animal husbandry. There are two basic types: fodder and forage. Used alone, the word feed more often refers to fodder. Animal feed is an important input to animal agriculture, and is frequently the main cost of the raising or keeping of animals.
Many animals regularly visit mineral licks to consume clay, supplementing their diet with nutrients and minerals. In tropical bats, lick visitation is associated with a diet based on wild figs (), which have very low levels of sodium, [3] [4] and licks are mostly used by females that are pregnant or lactating.
It uses between 20 and 33% of the world's fresh water, [81] Livestock, and the production of feed for them, occupy about a third of the Earth's ice-free land. [82] Livestock production contributes to species extinction, desertification, [83] and habitat destruction. [84] and is the primary driver of the Holocene extinction.
A feed additive is an additive of extra nutrient or drug for livestock. Such additives include vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, pharmaceutical, fungal products and steroidal compounds. The additives might impact feed presentation, hygiene, digestibility, or effect on intestinal health. [1] [2]
Antibiotics are routinely given to livestock, which account for 70% of the antibiotic use in the United States. [18] This practice contributes to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria . [ 19 ] Antibiotic resistance is a naturally occurring phenomenon throughout the world due to the overuse and/or inappropriate use of antibiotics. [ 20 ]
Bone meal, along with a variety of other meals, especially meat meal, is used as a dietary/mineral supplement for livestock.The improper application of bone and meat meal products in animal nutrition can contribute to the spread of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known in cattle as Mad Cow Disease.
Meat and bone meal. Meat and bone meal (MBM) is a product of the rendering industry. It is typically about 48–52% protein, 33–35% ash, 8–12% fat, and 4–7% water.It is primarily used in the formulation of animal feed to improve the amino acid profile of the feed.
Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is the ratio of inputs to outputs; it is the inverse of "feed efficiency" which is the ratio of outputs to inputs. [2] FCR is widely used in hog and poultry production, while FE is used more commonly with cattle. [2]