Fodder Meaning
Fodder is any type of agricultural food item that is harvested as animal feed for livestock farming (cattle, chicken, pig, rabbit etc.)
Fodder, also called provender, is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. “Fodder” refers particularly to food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them), rather than that which they forage for themselves (called forage). Fodder includes hay, straw, silage, compressed and pelleted feeds, oils and mixed rations, and sprouted grains and legumes (such as bean sprouts, fresh malt, or spent malt). Most animal feed is from plants, but some manufacturers add ingredients to processed feeds that are of animal origin.
Common plants specifically grown for fodder
- Hedge Lucerne Grass
- Alfalfa Grass
- CoFs-31 Grass
- Napier (Elephant) Grass
- Sesbania Sesban (Shevari) Plant
It is good green fodder to goat, cow, sheep, rabbit & poultry.
It is rich in protein (20-22%)
Green fodder yield is 100-115 ton/h/year
It is perennial multi-cut green fodder crop & lasts for 3-3.5 years
Seeds Rate: 7-8 Kg /acre or 20 kg/ ha
It is cultivated throughout the year under irrigated conditions. During monsoon under rainfed condition.
Soil Requirement: Comes up in all types of soils.
Water Management: Irrigate immediately after sowing, life irrigation on the third day and thereafter once in a week.
Weed Management: Hoeing and weeding are given as and when necessary.
USE: It is good green fodder to goat, cow, sheep, rabbit & poultry
Germination Time: 10 Days
Product description
Hedge lucerne is a perennial (7 harvest/year) green fodder crop; it comes up to 3-3.5 years. It’s rich in protein (20-22 %) and good green fodder to goat, cow, sheep, rabbit & poultry etc. It also increases the weight gain and improves productivity of milk yield. It can be sown throughout the year under irrigation and rainfed crop. Spacing is 50×25 cm & form ridge and furrow type field preparation (should maintain like ridge to ridge 50 cm and plant to plant 25 cm) seed rate is 7-8 kg/acre in solid stand on the side of the ridges over the lines (follow either left or right side) at a depth of 2 cm and cover with soil. Irrigate immediately after sowing, light irrigation on the third day and thereafter once in a week. First cut on 85-90th day after sowing at 50-60 cm height and subsequent cuts at interval of 35-40 days at the same height. Number of branches per plant is 15-20. Green fodder yield is 100-115 ton/acre/year. Note: It is perennial multi-cut green fodder crop & lasts for 3-3.5 years.
 Pre-sowing Seed Treatment
- Acid scarification with conc. sulphuric acid @ 200 ml kg-1 of seed for 15 minutes
- To have better germination, seeds must be treated in hot water at 80 degree C for 10 minutes. Then seeds should be soaked in normal water over night (12 hours). Seeds should be dried for an hour in shade before sowing.