Animal & Pet Foods

In recent years the trend of keeping pets has significantly increased, and with it, the pet food industry has also seen a revolutionary progression. This industry is dominating in terms of product line, innovation and most importantly, the business. Pet owners are always concerned about the health and growth of their pets. Hence pet food features straight at the top in their priority list.

Pet food comprises cereals, grains, some vitamins and minerals along with meat and its byproducts. The combination of such food keeps in check the overall health of the pets. There are numerous varieties of pet products available in the market. People can choose from dry pet food, canned (the preserved ones), the kibbles & biscuits.

Animal feed is food given to various domestic animals like Pigs, Sheep, Deer, Goat, etc. Proper animal feeding plays a vital part in animal health & well- being and the creation of quality and safe animal origin products. The beginning of industrial-scale production of animal feeds can be traced straight back to the 19th century, and since then, industry expanded rapidly in the 20th century.

Dog food is specifically prepared for the consumption of dogs. It consists of ingredients such as grains, cereals, meat and its by-products along with essential vitamins and minerals. It all started with manufacturing biscuits for dogs in England during the 1860s. Later with time, the category got extended and today a variety of dog food is available in the market.

As per experts, the healthy diet of a dog should comprise proteins, fats, minerals, carbohydrates, vitamins and a decent portion of water. The combination of all these things helps them grow in a proper manner. It boosts their immune system, provides strength to teeth and bones and also maintains their health.

All living beings have specific dietary needs; horses too have one. Since they are herbivores and have a distinct digestive tract, their diet should complement it. A high-fibre diet is required for horses which could help them sustain for a long time period. Although horses eat small meals several times, one can find them spending most of their time eating. Coming on to the composition of the diet, it should consist of hay and pasture along with the concentrates. Along with it, the addition of salt and minerals enhances its efficacy. A proper diet helps horses to gain the much-needed energy and nutrients which in turn help them stay fit and strong. Today, many brands are into manufacturing horse food.

A balanced diet is the key to health, and this implies to fishes as well. This is the reason fishes too require specific food. Fish food should consist of fat, amino acids and other essential nutrients. Some experts advise to feed the fishes with specific and specialized feeds as various ingredients in that feed would be beneficial to the breeds. Fish food can be in different forms such as prepared foods, dry foods, medicated fish food, frozen fish food, live foods etc. One can opt according to their need. Today many of us have aquariums at home, and the trend of keeping fishes in those aquariums is paving the way for the growth of the fish food industry.

Being a carnivore species, cats have diverse requirements when it comes to their diet. They are a bit different from other pets. Animal protein is ideally an important part of the diet of a cat. They also need nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus etc. which play a vital role in their growth. This has provided the pet food manufacturers with an opportunity to blend mixtures of ingredients to feed the cats. It includes cereals, meat, vegetables, some vitamins and minerals which fulfil the nutritional requirements of cats. Presently, the cat food industry has come a long way from where it started.

Poultry feed is food for various farm poultry, including chicken, ducks, etc. The raw ingredients for the poultry food is selected based on their nutrients, food intake affect, absence of anti-nutritional or toxic factors. All these factors play a significant role in keeping check of the overall health of farm poultry. The poultry food should always remain clean and dry as contaminated food can infect poultry and harm in other ways.

Cattle feed is a balanced source of essential nutrients required for body maintenance, growth and milk production. It is manufactured using good quality grains, oil cakes/ meals, brans, molasses, common salt, minerals and vitamins. It is comparatively cheaper and highly palatable to the animals. Cattle feed contains protein, energy, minerals and vitamins required for the growth, maintenance and milk production of animals. It is advantageous to feed extra cattle feed to pregnant animals for proper development of foetus. It increases reproductive efficiency, milk production as well as fat content of milk.

Exactly like humans, varied birds have varied food habits. The food specially created to feed commercial fowl and pet birds is known as bird food. It includes a variety of food consisting of whole or broken grains. In addition to this, it may contain rice, peanuts, dried eggs, dried insects and various other vitamins and minerals. These mixes can be different according to the needs. One may include two or more grains, and the other can have a mix of more than 20 ingredients. All these differ, keeping in mind the birds and their diet. Usually, exotic birds are fed with the mix of various ingredients. In the present times, the bird food industry is growing at a rapid pace.