Eureka! Institutional Repository

It is generally accepted that nutrition is the most important factor in the livestock sector, as it affects the health and hence the productivity of farm animals, and also determines the production costs of the produced livestock products. Animal nutrition requires a high level of knowledge in the fields of chemistry and biochemistry. The 95% of life consists of four elements, that are carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. For example, one molecule of water consists of an oxygen atom and 2 hydrogen atoms. The basic definition of feedstuffs includes all matter of plant, animal or mineral origin, which is produced either naturally or technically and promotes the nutritional effect without affecting the health of the animal that consumes it (Kalaisakis, 1975). Therefore, in order to fulfill their physiological role, animal feedstuffs must include nutrients that do not contain agents that are harmful to the health of the animal, or, otherwise, they contain such agents, but in small quantities that are not eventually prohibited. In addition, feedstuffs may contain inert ingredients. The basic ingredients of feedstuffs, as those of an animal organism, are water (moisture) and dry matter, which is consisted of organic and inorganic ingredients. Although our country produces feedstuffs in order to cover the dietary needs of farm animals, unfortunately their produced amounts are not enough to cover completely the needs. There are too many reasons for this, but the basic one is the failure to draw up a strategic plan and the harmonization of plant and animal production.