Introduction to Animal Nutrition

  1. Course Title: AS 104- INTRODUCTION TO ANIMAL NUTRITION
  2. Course Aim: To provide students with introductory background on the principles of animal nutrition specifically on nutrients and their functions in animals, feed types and feed evaluation systems.
  • Course Expected Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course students should be able to:

  • Describe the role and utilization of different nutrients in the animal body.
  • Identify feed resources commonly used in livestock farms.
  • Perform laboratory analysis for determination of chemical composition and digestibility of animal feedstuffs.
  1. Course status:                  Core
  2. Credit rating:             7 Credits
  3. Total hours spent:                  70 hours

         Pre-requisite: AS 101

  • Course content:

Nutrition as a discipline and its historical developments. Definition of terms related to nutrition. Nutrients in feeds, composition of feedstuffs. Chemistry of different nutrients. Proximate Scheme of Analysis. The Van Soest analysis scheme. Comparative (ruminant and non-ruminant) digestion, absorption and metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and protein. Symbiosis in ruminants.

Natural occurrence of minerals: macro- and micro-elements, their role in metabolism. Nomenclature of vitamins. Natural occurrence of vitamins in feeds and their synthesis in ruminants and non-ruminants. Main procedures of vitamin determination in feeds.

Practical: Identification of different types of livestock feeds, feed sampling techniques, proximate scheme of analysis, fiber detergent analysis (Van Soest analysis scheme). Determination of mineral contents in livestock feeds.

  • Teaching and Learning Activities

Teaching activities will involve lectures, tutorials and laboratory practical training.

Learning activities will involve performing take home assignments, seminar presentations and independent reading. Students will be encouraged to do independent study by reading relevant reference books, teaching manuals, scientific papers and other learning materials.

 

  1. Assessment methods:

A variety of coursework assessments will be done and these include take home assignments, tutorials, seminar presentations and practical reports. There shall be written theory and practical tests given at appropriate time during the semester. In addition, there shall be an end of semester University examination.

Reading list:

McDonald, P., Greenhalgh, J. F. D., Morgan, C. A and Edwards, R., (2011). Animal Nutrition. 7th Ed. Sinclair, L. and Wilkinson, R. 600pp (Other editions 4th – 6th could also be used)

Cheeke, P. R. (2005). Applied Animal Nutrition: Feeds and Feeding, 3rd Ed.  Pearson Prentice Hall. 604 pp.

Reddy, D. V. (2001). Principles of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology. Oxiford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt ltd. 376 pp.

Klemens, R.O. and Church, D.C. (1998). Livestock Feeds and Feeding. 4th Ed. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Chaiyabut, N. (Ed) (2012). Milk Production-An up-to-Date Overview of Animal Nutrition, Management and Health. In Tech. 404pp.

Fuller, M. F. (2004). The Encyclopedia of Farm Animal Nutrition. CABI. 606pp

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