FARM ANIMAL NUTRITION

ANIMAL SCIENCE 110

Fall 2001
 NUTRIENTS
• A nutrient is any feed constituent that
functions in support of life.
• Structural components of cells and organs.
• Sources of energy for maintenance &
production.
• Regulation of body processes.
• Accessory functions such as growth,
reproduction, lactation, etc.
SIX CLASSES OF NUTRIENTS
• WATER
• CARBOHYDRATES
• FATS
• PROTEINS
• MINERALS
• VITAMINS
 WATER
• Transport of other nutrients
• Temperature regulation
• Gives body shape or form
• Involved in most biochemical reactions
• Clean fresh water is essential for all animals
• Embryo is 90% water, newborn is 70% water and
market animal is 50% water
• Several factors affect water intake
 CARBOHYDRATES
• “CH2O”
• Monosaccharides
– Glucose, Fructose & Galactose
• Disaccharides
– Sucrose, Maltose & Lactose
• Polysaccharides
– Starch, Glycogen, Hemicellulose & Cellulose
– Lignin (Indigestible & not a true carbohydrate)
 FATS
• Energy – 2.25 times the energy of CH2O
• Most are triglyceride (glycerol + 3 fatty acids)
• Saturated – no double bonds – animal origin
• Unsaturated & polyunsaturated – plant origin
• Precursors of cholesterol, prostaglandin and
structural components of cells
• Some vitamins are fat soluble
 PROTEINS
• Contain nitrogen – long chain amino acids
• Average 16% N (100/16 = 6.25)
• Plants synthesize amino acids from
elements in the environment
• Animals require a dietary source of amino
acids
• Rumen microorganisms can synthesize
amino acids and protein
 PROTEINS
• An essential amino acid is one that can not be
synthesized at a rate which would provide normal
growth
• Nonessential amino acids can be synthesized from
other amino acids
• A limiting amino acid is one present in the lowest
amount relative to the requirement
– Lysine, methionine & tryptophane are likely to be
limiting in diets for monogastric animals
 ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS
• Phenylalanine • Histidine
• Valine • Isoleucine
• Threonine • Leucine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Arginine
• Tryptophane
 NONESSENTIAL AMINO
ACIDS
• Alanine • Glycine*
• Aspartic Acid • Hydroxyproline
• Citrulline • Proline*
• Cystine • Serine
• Glutamic Acid* • Tyrosine

* Required by chick for

optimal growth
 MINERALS
• Inorganic elements
• Structure – skeleton & teeth
• Acid – base balance in body fluid
• Osmotic pressure in cells
• Maintain acidity of digestive juices – most
enzymes are pH specific
• Muscle contraction & CNS
• Interact with vitamins (Se-Vit E)
 MINERALS
MACRO MICRO
• Calcium • Iron & Copper
• Phosphorous • Iodine & Fluorine
• Sodium • Cobalt
• Chlorine • Manganese
• Sulphur • Molybdenum
• Potassium • Selenium
• Magnesium • Zinc
 VITAMINS
• Organic compounds which function as
metabolic regulators
• Fat soluble vitamins
– “A” maintenance of epithelial tissue
– “D” calcium & phosphorous metabolism
– “E” antioxidant – (selenium)
– “K” blood clotting
 WATER SOLUBLE VITAMINS
• B1- Thiamine • Niacin
• B2- Riboflavin • B12- Cyanocobalamin
• B6- Pyridoxine • Choline
• Pantothenic Acid • Biotin
• Folic Acid • C - Ascorbic Acid (not
in livestock)
 CONCENTRATES vs
ROUGHAGES
• Concentrates include cereal grains, oil
meals, molasses and dried milk products
• They are high in energy, low in fiber and
highly digestible (80% to 90%)
• Roughages include hay, straw, silages, green
chopped forage and pasture
• They are 50% to 60% digestible except for
straw which is lower
 PROXIMATE ANALYSIS of
FEEDS
• Moisture or dry matter – oven
• Crude Protein – Kjeldahl procedure
• Crude Fat – ether extract
• Crude Fiber – acid/base digestion
• Mineral – ash
• Nitrogen Free Extract – determined by
difference (primarily starch & sugar)
VAN SOEST & Other Procedures
for Fiber Analysis
• Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) – plant cell
walls [hemicellulose, cellulose & lignin]
• Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) – cellulose &
lignin
• NDF-ADF = hemicellulose
• Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL)
• Near-infrared Reflectance (NIR) –
spectrometer to predict forage quality
 TOTAL DIGESTIBLE
NUTRIENTS (TDN)
• Chemical analysis does not indicate
availability of nutrients to animal
• Apparent Digestibility
– [(Nutrient in Feed – Nutrient in Feces)/
Nutrient in Feed] x 100
• TDN = [Dig.Protein + Dig.Crude Fiber +
Dig.NFE + (Dig.EE x 2.25)] x 100
 ENERGY DEFINITIONS
• Calorie – Amount of heat energy required to
raise 1 gm of water 1oC (14.5o to 15.5oC)
• Kilocalorie – 1000 calories
• Megacalorie – 1000 Kilocalories
 NET ENERGY SYSTEM
• Gross Energy (GE) = Total heat of
combustion
• Digestible Energy (DE) = GE – Fecal
Energy. DE is similar to TDN
• Metabolizable Energy (ME) = DE – Urine
& Gas Energy
• Net Energy = ME – Heat Increment
• Nem or NEg or NEl