If you're raising animals for food, milk, or wool, you'll have to keep them healthy and strong. Throughout the 12,000-year history of human agriculture, people have been providing livestock with food—whether that meant penning them in pastures where they could graze or hauling processed feed to a trough. To learn more about this long history, review the brief guide below.

Fodder vs. Forage

One of the most obvious ways to feed an animal is to place them on pasture where grass or other plants are growing. This type of feed is called forage. However, if you're a farmer with a large herd, the animals will often overgraze if allowed to do so, eating the plants down to the roots so they won't grow back. Also, forage means you need more space for each animal, and it can be difficult to keep them from wandering. For these reasons, farmers have spent thousands of years providing fodder—feed that's produced elsewhere and hauled to animals.

The Origins of Fodder

Traditionally, fodder might have included hay made from dried plants, or grain byproducts and leftovers from mills. However, these feeds have varying quality and nutrient contents, and the wrong balance can affect the health of livestock and the quality of their products.

In the 19th century, farmers and scientists started to be more concerned about animal nutrition. For example, German scientist Albrecht Daniel Thaer created a feed rating system called a "hay value" that compared different types of fodder to hay harvested from a meadow.

By the late 19th century, there was a commercial industry creating feeds with different formulas and additives to meet the nutrition needs of varying livestock better. Today, bulk animal feed suppliers routinely produce fodder with added vitamins, minerals, and antibiotics, and livestock owners can also purchase nutritional supplements to add to feed.

If you're looking for a livestock feed distributor that can haul fodder both short and long distances, choose Clinch Mountain Transport Inc. Based in Thorn Hill, TN, this licensed, bonded, and insured hauling company serves businesses along the entire east coast. Call (865) 767-3610 to get started, or visit their website to learn more about their services.