Fodder
In agriculture, fodder or animal feed is any foodstuff that is used specifically to feed livestock, such as cattle, sheep, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some fodder is of animal origin.
Contents |
Common plants specifically grown for fodder
- grass (as grazing pasture and for cropping and storage as hay and silage)
- ryegrass
- bermuda grass
- timothy-grass
- danthonia
- wheat
- millet
- soybean
- oats
- alfalfa (lucerne)
- sorghum
- clover
- red clover
- white clover
- subterranium clover
- maize (corn)
- brassicas
- birdsfoot trefoil
Types of fodder
- hay, silage, stover and straw
- oil cake and press cake
- compound feed and premixes
- yeast extract and oligosaccharides
Health concerns
Meat and bone meal, a common feed ingredient, can cause mad cow disease in beef due to prion contamination. Consumers can avoid this risk by buying grass fed beef.
Growing Fodder Hydroponically
Fodder may be effectively grown in a hydroponic environment. Growing fodder, instead of feeding the "raw" grain to stock, can greatly increase the value of the grain. For instance, 1 ton of barley can be converted to 7 tons of fodder in less than two weeks.
See also
Categories
Livestock | Nutrition