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Ministry of Education
Secondary Engagement Programme
September 2020
Grade 9
Agricultural Science
Week 2
Lesson # 1
Topic: Animal Nutrition
Subtopic: The Digestive system of Farm
Animals
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The Digestive system of Farm Animals

 The variety of food needed by live stock depends on the physical
limitations of their digestive system
 Cattle , Sheep and goats are called ruminants because they have a
complex stomach of four components.
 Poultry and pigs are non- ruminants or simple stomached animals.
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Diagram of a Ruminant
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Diagram of a Non-Ruminant
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Nutritional requirement of livestock

 Food made up of the following constituents:
 Water
 Carbohydrates
 Fats
 Proteins
 Vitamins
 Minerals
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Water

 Water is the main constituents of all body fluids

 It is essential for the transport of nutrients to body tissues
 It is needed for excretion of waste products
 Animals acquire water in three ways:
- Drinking water
- In food
- From metabolic water
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Carbohydrates

 Carbohydrates are energy yielding foods

 Carbohydrates are divided in to three types:
- Monosaccharides are simple sugars
Example: Glucose
- Disaccharides are non reducing sugars
Example: Sucrose
- Polysaccharides are complexes made up from simple sugar the
include starch and cellulose.
Sources of carbohydrates: Cereal grains and molasses
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Fats
 Fats from plants are called oils
 Fat provide energy
 Fat carry fat soluble vitamins
 Fat exist in two forms:
-Fat reserves in the muscle and around organs
-The fats that form part of the cell structure
 Fats supply essential fatty acids Eg, Coconut meal, rice
and bran
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Proteins
 Proteins are necessary for growth and repair
 Proteins are responsible for building new cells an replacing
new ones
 Amino acids are the form in which proteins are used
 Excess amino acids are not stored are deaminated
 Enzymes, many hormones, the oxygen carrying pigment of
the blood, antibodies and the chemical units of hereditary
transmissions are proteins
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Vitamins
 Vitamins are organic components essential for growth and
maintenance
 Vitamins are important in the transformation of energy
 Vitamins are also incorporated in the body structures of
some important substance such as enzymes
 Vitamins are classified in to :
- Fat soluble: A,D,E and K
- Water soluble: B and C
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Minerals
 Minerals exist in the body as ions or as components of
organic compounds
 Minerals are grouped into two :
- Macro elements: Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium,
Sodium , Chlorine ,Sulphur and Magnesium
-Trace/micro elements: Iron, Copper, Cobalt ,Iodine,
Manganese, Fluorine, Selenium, Bromine, Barium,
Strontium
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Exercises
(1) Which compartment is the true stomach in ruminants?
(2) Animals which chew their cuds are called_________.
(3) Complex stomach is to ruminants as __________stomach is to non
ruminants.
(4) Food is the complex organic material used by farm animal for
energy. True/ False
(5) water is not the main constituents of all body fluid. True/ False
(6) (a) List the three types of carbohydrates.
(b) Explain and give examples of any one listed above.
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References
 Sahadeo Ragoonanan (2011) ‘Agriculture for CSEC Revision course’ New
Edition, Caribbean Educational Publisher Ltd, Trinidad, WI
 Fitzroy Weever et al (2014) Agricultural Science for Secondary Schools in
Guyana, Book 3, Ministry on Education NCERD, Georgetown, Guyana
 Sahadeo Ragoonanan (1991) CXC Agriculture- A Revision Course, Caribbean
Educational Publisher Ltd, Trinidad, WI
 Videos:
https://youtu.be/n1HUVlruMos
https://youtu.be/CJomFwt3eMs