Nutritional Evaluation of Non-Conventional Feed available in Chattogram

Abstract

Being an agricultural country, livestock is an important part in the economy of Bangladesh but there is a huge gap between demand and supply of animal feed. The concentrate production or availability is far below than the animal requires, and the deficit is 79.8% compared to its demand. Similarly, DCP production deficiency is 71.2%, and only 22.5% of the demand is available. In this scenario the requirement should be met from nonconventional feeds. For the purpose of this review, the chemical composition and nutritional value of NCFR include agro-industrial by products, some common tropical browse plants, concentrate, roughages and leaf meals, fruit and vegetable wastes potentially available in Chattogram were included. Most of these wastes have high acceptability and palatability and also can be as replacement or as a supplement in the nutrition of livestock. There is a need to monitor pesticide and its residues, toxins, heavy metals and anti-nutritional factors before using these vegetable products in animal diets. In conclusion, the results obtained of this review suggest that all the by-products can contribute to ruminant diets without adverse effects on feed intake, growth rate and apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients. These resources are yet untapped, and their efficient use will enlarge the feed resource base, enhance feed availability, and bring the wasted food back to the human food chain. Judicious incorporation of these non-conventional feeds in the rations of livestock will help to minimise the feed deficiency and help to achieve maximum production, reduce the cost of production which will ultimately result in growth of livestock population in Chattogram. Key