Effects of Locally Available Non-Conventional Feeds for Nutritional Security of Ruminant Animals

The review was carried out on different locally available non-conventional feeds with the objective of determining the effect of different locally available non-conventional feeds on the nutritional security of ruminant animals. Non-conventional feeds are feeds that are not usually common in the market and are not the traditional ingredients used for commercial feed production. Non-conventional feed resources include feeds like residues of local drinks like Areke, Tella, and Khat left over, fruits and vegetables left over, poultry manure, waste products of animal processing, such as offals from fish or Monogastric animals, and feather meal. Those non-conventional feed resources are partially richer in energy and protein. It is well known that the inclusion of non-conventional feed resources in livestock feeding at different levels meets the objective of bridging the gap between demand and availability of feed and reducing the cost of feed as well as production. They can also improve the productivity of livestock that are kept on overgrazed pastures and crop residues. However, care should be taken to avoid the negative effects of these feeds on animals by using various methods to improve the utilization of non-conventional feeds. Finally, current review concluded that locally available non-conventional feeds as important for the nutritional security of ruminant animals.The review was carried out on different locally available non-conventional feeds with the objective of determining the effect of different locally available non-conventional feeds on the nutritional security of ruminant animals. Non-conventional feeds are feeds that are not usually common in the market and are not the traditional ingredients used for commercial feed production. Non-conventional feed resources include feeds like residues of local drinks like Areke, Tella, and Khat left over, fruits and vegetables left over, poultry manure, waste products of animal processing, such as offals from fish or Monogastric animals, and feather meal. Those non-conventional feed resources are partially richer in energy and protein. It is well known that the inclusion of non-conventional feed resources in livestock feeding at different levels meets the objective of bridging the gap between demand and availability of feed and reducing the cost of feed as well as production. They can also improve the productivity of livestock that are kept on overgrazed pastures and crop residues. However, care should be taken to avoid the negative effects of these feeds on animals by using various methods to improve the utilization of non-conventional feeds. Finally, current review concluded that locally available non-conventional feeds as important for the nutritional security of ruminant animals.

Keywords:

Local Feed , Quality , Ruminant Animals