Fodder Crops, Insect Pests and Climate Changes

Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs.Most animal feed is from plants, but some is of animal origin. "Fodder" refers particularly to food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them), rather than that which they forage for themselves. It includes hay, straw, silage, compressed and pelleted feeds, oils and mixed rations, and sprouted grains and legumes. The availability of fodder is one of the limiting factors in animal husbandry. Organic husbandry should be mainly based on the fodder produced on the farm itself. As is the case with humans, there is a direct link between the food and the health of the animals. Diverse and balanced mixture of food is a pre-condition for good animal health. Grazing and shed feeding both have their advantages as well as disadvantages. Fodder cultivation can be integrated into the farm without too much competition with crop production. Overgrazing is a major threat to soil fertility.