While survival can be effected with help of natural diet that the animals take, it does not ensure a balanced all-round growth for the animals concerned. In the animal husbandry business where health of the animals directly translates into better productivity and profits, it becomes important to ensure that the animals concerned are well-looked after and in the best of health.
Need for animal nutrient premixes
In order to ensure this, it becomes important for the farm and other domestic animals to take regulated quantities of animal nutrient premixes with their normal diet. These premixes which are specially formulated by nutritionists and dieticians and backed by years of scientific research, help cater to all the nutrient needs of the animals. This, in turn, helps animals to perform better in their neonatal stages, growing years and also breeding healthy livestock.
Optimal nutrient requirements
As with humans, water is a crucial requirement for animals too. Hence care must be taken to ensure good quality of water is available to them for a number of diseases and sicknesses occur from drinking substandard water. Additionally improper intake of water will also adversely affect the intake of the animal nutrient premixes thereby making the whole process of rearing animals for profit to fall into jeopardy.
Along with the intake of good quality water in sufficient quantities, animals also need adequate intakes of the following main nutrients:
- Nucleic acids: These are obtained from both the tissues of both animals and plants and are required for the production of genetic materials like DNA, RNA and also for the production of ATP or adenosine tri phosphate.
- Proteins: This provides the basic framework of the animal body and is made up of certain essential and non-essential amino acids, some of which are synthesised within the animal body and some need to be obtained from food and animal nutrient premixes.
- Carbohydrates: They provide the energy required by animals. It has been statistically seen that about a half to about 2/3rd of the total body energy requirements is met with the help of the carbohydrates consumed daily by the animals. Glucose is the most important carbohydrate required while other carbohydrates which are also needed in adequate quantities are starch, sucrose, maltose and lactose.
- Fatty acids and lipids: The presence of lipids and fats in the body of an animal helps to provide insulation thereby conserving body heat especially in adverse climatic conditions. They are also required to form the sheath which surrounds nerve fibres, membranes of cells and organs, help in the proper functioning of certain hormones etc.
- Minerals: Zinc, Phosphorous, sulphur, Potassium and Magnesium are some of the very important minerals required by the animals. While these are generally obtained from the plants that they consume, more often than not the required quantity is not obtained and thus need to be supplemented by mineral premixes from animal nutrient manufacturers, such as Champrix.
- Vitamins: These are certain organic compounds which are required in minute quantities but have a very important role to play in an animal’s lifestyle. Some of the common essential vitamins required by animals include:
- Vitamin A which facilitates good vision;
- Vitamin B to help and assist in cellular respiration;
- Vitamin D to enable calcium absorption in the body.
Additionally the presence of nutrients like conjugated linoleic acid, arginine, zinc, glutamine etc., helps in the regulation of key metabolic functions and gene regulation in animals. Thus there is:
- Improvement in fertility with a healthy outcome of pregnancy;
- Better chances of neonatal survival and their proper growth;
- Improvement in immunity of the animals;
- Feeding efficiency;
- Quality of meat produced etc.
Thus a balanced diet for animals comprising of appropriate quantities of the required nutrients makes for a productive and economically viable nutrition program.
Some essential points
While there are several types of premixes available in the markets today, it must be kept in mind that each animal has different requirement for nutrients. Thus care must be taken to ensure that the correct animal nutrient premix is given to an animal so as to make them healthy and economically viable. Some points that need to be kept in mind when buying premixes are:
- Qualitatively they should conform to the standards set by the regulating authorities;
- They should be of the correct potency;
- They should be stable enough to prevent their oxidation;
- The mixture should be homogenous;
- Carriers and other preferred adjuncts which facilitate proper intake of nutrients should also be present;
- The formulation of the premix should be as per the requirements of the targeted animal or animal group;
- The rate of use needs to be clearly mentioned on the packet;
- The reputation of the brand is also a determining factor since reputed brands use better quality ingredients, have better storage and transport facilities, use procedures and equipment that promote premix integrity and adhere to the rules and regulations set by the authorities.
Today premixes have become extremely customised. Hence it is possible to get a premix formulated as per the specific requirement of the animal stock in a farm. This ensures that specific needs are catered to and productivity also increases.
Our nutritional and technical team will be pleased to advice you with the right premix that fits your requirements.
