(a)(i) Maintenance ration: Maintenance ration supplies an animal with nutrients that are just enough to enable the animal carry out its important functions like respiration, digestion, regulation of body temperature. It does not allow for an increase or decrease in body weight or production. Maintenance ration are fed to non-productive animals.
(ii) Production ration: This supplies animals with nutrients in excess of those needed for maintenance. The excess nutrients are thus used for productive purposes such as meat, egg and milk production. The quantity and quality determine the magnitude of increase in production.
(iii) Balanced ration: This contains all the essential nutrients and they are present in the right proportion in required by the animal's body. Nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, fats and vitamins. (iv) Malnutrition: Malnutrition is a condition in which an animal shows evidence of nutritional deficiency. It occurs when a ration does not supply all the essential nutrients in the right proportion and quantities. Examples include rickets, allopesia (loss of hair), crazzy chicks diseases (encephalomalacea)
(b) factors normally considered when deciding the type of ration to feed an animal are: (i) the purpose for which the animal is being kept, (ii) the class of animal (iii) the age of the animal (iv) the animal's condition of health (v) management system (vi) physiological state of the animal, e.g. pregnancy, weaning.