(a) Define balance ration in livestock production.
(b) Outline the stages involved in the preparation of each of the following animal feed ingredients. (i) bone meal. (ii) blood meal; (iii) fish meal; (iv) cotton seed meal;
Explanation
A balanced ration in livestock production is one which contains all essential nutrients in the correct proportions.
(b) Methods of preparing (i) Bone meal: This may be either Dry Process: collect bones from the abattoir, dry the bones, burn the bones, crush the burnt bones to the desired texture. Wet Process I Rendering: collect bones from the abattoir, heat it with steam, crush the bones and dry the crushed bones.
(ii) Blood meal: collect fresh blood from • the abattoir and allow the blood to clot in the open, and heat the blood to reduce the moisture content and kill the pathogens. Then dry and crush the bones
(iii) Fish meal: It may be Dry Process: Collect fresh fish, sun dry smoke to reduce the moisture content and grind the dry fish to powder. Wet Process or Rendering: Collect the fi and heat with steam, crush the fish and dry the crushed fish
(iv) Cotton seed meal: Collect cotton seeds, grind the seeds, extract the oil from the crushed seeds, then dry the residue/cake.