syn: feed, fodder, forage, provender mean food for animals. feed is the general word; however, it most often applies to grain: chicken feed. fodder is applied to coarse feed that is fed to livestock: Cornstalks are good fodder. forage is feed that an animal obtains (usu. grass, leaves, etc.) by grazing or searching about for it: Lost cattle can ...
Nutritionists – the dieticians of the animal feed world – formulate feed to provide livestock, poultry and fish with the necessary, balanced nutrients for proper growth, development and maintenance. Feed is designed to compensate for nutrients and supplements that may be absent from an animal’s natural diet while at a farm.