Course title: Animal Feeds and Nutrition

Course code: AnPS2062

Course ECTS/Credit: 5/3 hours
(2 + 1) for lecture
and practical
Coverage: 100%

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 Course: Animal Feeds and Nutrition (AnPS2062)

Assessment methods
1. Continuous assessment, 50%
– Class participation through asking questions,
answering questions (attendance etc.), 5%,
– Assignments (individual and group assignments),
10%
– Participation on laboratory exercises, 10%
– Quizzes and tests, 10%
– Laboratory reports, 15%

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 Course: Animal Feeds and Nutrition (AnPS2062)

Assessment methods
2. Final exam, 50%

• So, you are required to regularly attend classes.

• Coming to the class after the class has begun is not
allowed.

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 References
1. Agricultural Research Council (ARC).1984. Nutrient
requirements of Ruminant livestock. CAB publications
2. Banerjee, G.C. 2003. A Text book of Animal husbandry in tropics
and subtropics,8th ed. Oxford and IBH publication
3. Crampton, E.W., and Harris, L.E. 1969. Applied animal nutrition.
2nd edition.
4. McDonald, P., Edwards, R.A., Greenhalgh, J.F.D, and Morgan,
C.A. 2002.Animal Nutrition .6th ed. Pearson education
5. Ranjan, S.K. 2001.Animal nutrition and in the tropics and
subtropics, Vikas publications.
6. Reddy, D.V. 2001a. Principles of Animal Nutrition and feed
Technology. Oxford and IBH publishing.
7. Reddy, D.V. 2001b. Applied Nutrtion: Livestock, poultry, human,
pets, rabbits and laboratory animals.Oxford and IBH publishing.
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Approved by: Name Signature Dat
 Chapter 1
Introduction to Animal Nutrition

• Animal nutrition deals with qualitative

and quantitative feed requirements,
nutrient utilization and nutritional
problems in livestock species.
• The qualitative requirement is related to:
– the types of nutrients required and
– how they are utilised by animals
(Principles of Animal Nutrition).
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 Chapter 1
Introduction to Animal Nutrition

• The quantitative feed requirement is

concerned with the
– quantities of nutrients supplied by food,
and
– quantities of nutrients required by
different classes of farm animals
(Applied Animal Nutrition).

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 Introduction (Cont..)
• The objective of animal nutrition is improving the:
– survival,
– growth, and
– health of animals by understanding their metabolism
and the roles of feed nutrients.
• Nutrition determines animal’s:
– overall health,
– growth,
– productive and reproductive performance and
– immunity to fight against infections.
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 Introduction (Cont..)
• Why animal nutrition?
• Animals are:
1. the major source of draft power such as in
agriculture (ploughing and threshing) and
transport such as packing or pulling carts,
2. the major source of food high-quality
proteins, as well as vitamins and minerals)
for consumption by humans for optimal
growth, development, reproduction, and
health, 8
 Introduction (Cont..)
3. the source of raw materials for industry such as
skins for leather making and wool, hair, angora,
cashmere, and mohair used for clothing,

4. the source of livelihood or income:

– animal production accounts for 50%–75% and
25%–40% of the total agricultural output in
industrialized and developing nations,
respectively.
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 Introduction (Cont..)
• So, because of their huge contribution, it is
important to feed animals a balanced diet
containing all the necessary nutrients.
• The success of any farm depends on proper
nutrition of animals as per their requirements.
• Therefore, knowledge of animal nutrition is
important for profitable livestock farming.

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 1.1. The Importance of Animal Nutrition

1. Prevent malnutrition, deficiencies, and diseases

– There are many nutrition-related illnesses that affect
livestock animals.
– Malnutrition or minerals and vitamin deficiencies cause
illnesses.
– Deficiencies and malnutrition severely impact animals’:
• growth,
• development, and
• production;
• some extreme cases can lead to disorders or even
fatalities.
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 1.1. The Importance (Cont..)
2. Improve breeding
– There is a direct relationship between nutrition and
reproductive performance in animals.
– The quality and quantity of rations, and the nutritional
value of feeds affect animals’ reproductive health.
– Deficiencies of certain minerals such as calcium, zinc,
magnesium, selenium, and manganese can reduce
fertility in cows.
– Improper nutrition may also lead to poor foetal
development, stunted growth and increase calf
mortality rates.
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 1.1. The Importance (Cont..)
3. Improve yields
– Proper nutrition promotes good health in
livestock, which results in higher productivity.
– Healthy, well-fed cattle and poultry will
produce more milk, meat, and eggs.
– A good diet enhances also the quality of
livestock production.

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 1.2. Feed Classification and Characterization
• On the basis of their composition and use, feeds
are classified as:
1. dry forages (e.g., dried pasture, leaves, stems,
green chop, and hay) and roughages (e.g., hay,
straws, and hulls with >18% crude fibre);
2. green pasture, range plants, and freshly fed green
forages (e.g., forage feeds);
3. silages (e.g., ensiled corn, alfalfa, and grass);
4. energy feeds (e.g., corn, wheat, barley, and rice);

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 1.2. Feed Classification (Conti…)
5. protein feeds (e.g., soybean meal, oilseed cakes, meat
and bone meal, blood meal, poultry meal, fish meal,
and milk replacer), and
6. feed additives:
1. synthetic amino acids (AAs),
2. mineral supplements,
3. vitamin supplements, and
4. other additives (e.g., antibiotics, colouring
materials, flavours, hormones, and medicines) may
be included with feeds to prepare complete diets
for animals.
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 1.3. Definition of Terms
1. Nutrition:
• Nutrition is the act of taking in and utilizing
food.
• Nutrition includes:
1. Food intake;
2. digestion, absorption, assimilation,
biosynthesis, and catabolism of nutrients;
and
3. excretion of metabolites.

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 1.3. Definition of Terms
• This definition implies that nutritional science is
a cluster of scientific disciplines related to
biology, which include biochemistry, food
chemistry, immunology, molecular biology,
paediatrics, pharmacology, physiology, public
health, reproductive biology, and toxicology.

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 1.3. Definition of Terms (Cont..)
2. Food:
• Food is an edible material capable of being
– digested,
– absorbed and
– utilized after ingestion by animals.
• Food contains nutrients which are also capable of
being digested and utilized.
• ‘Food is synonymous to feed’.
• Food for farm animals is commonly known as feed.
• Foods are either plant or animal origin.
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 1.3. Definition of Terms (Cont..)
3. Nutrient:
• A nutrient is a component of feed like:
1. Carbohydrate,
2. proteins,
3. lipids,
4. minerals and
5. Vitamins, capable of being digested,
absorbed and utilised.

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 1.3. Definition of Terms (Cont..)
• After ingestion, nutrients support the
1. maintenance,
2. growth,
3. development,
4. lactation,
5. reproduction, and
6. health of animals.

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 1.3. Definition of Terms (Cont..)
4. Feedstuff and feed ingredient:
• Feedstuff is any material used for feeding or for
formulating a diet/ration.
• It is a constituent of a diet.
• Feed ingredient is a component that comprises a diet.
• Feedstuff and feed ingredient are interchangeable
terms.
• Feed ingredient includes cereal grains, milling by-
products, animal by-products (blood, meat and bone
meals), vitamin premix, mineral premix, fats, oils, and
other nutritional sources.
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 1.3. Definition of Terms (Cont..)

5. Diet:
• A diet is a mixture of feedstuffs that supplies
nutrients to an animal.
6. Ration:
• A ration is the daily allowance or amount of
feed provided to an animal.
7. Meal:
• A meal is the feed consumed by an animal on
regular occasions (e.g., morning and evening).
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