Animal Nutrition and Feeding Basics

Animal Nutrition & Feeding

• Nutrition is a branch of biology
• Nutrition is the science and practice of feeding animals
• It involves animals intaking, digesting, absorbing, and using nutrients from feed for maintenance, growth, work, and reproduction

Proper Animal Nutrition

• Leads to good health
• Increases productivity
• Boosts feed efficiency
• Contributes to well-being

Nutrients

• A nutrient is substance necessary for an organism to live and grow
• Nutrients enable animals to perform life processes
• Animals get nutrients from feed and water

Sources of Nutrients for Farm Animals

• Plants: Grasses, forage crops, and legumes are sources
• Plant products & by-products: Grains like corn, rice, wheat, rice bran, wheat middlings, copra meal, and soybean meal
• Animal Products: Bone meal, fish meal, meat meal, shrimp meal, and milk

Six Essential Nutrients for Animals

• Water
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Proteins
• Minerals
• Vitamins

Water

• Water is essential for an animal to live
• Animals survive longer without food than without water
• Water is the largest component of nearly all living things
• It constitutes 50–75% of an animal's body weight

Basic Functions of Water

• Transports nutrients throughout the body
• Aids in digestion
• Removes wastes
• Helps maintain body temperature
• Required for milk production

Carbohydrates

• Energy-producing nutrients with the formula C6H12O6 (glucose)
• Carbohydrates should make up at least 75% of an animal's diet
• Animals need energy for metabolic activity, physical work, and the production of meat, eggs, and milk

Types and Sources of Carbohydrates

• Types of Carbohydrates:
  • Monosaccharides: Simple sugars, glucose, fructose, galactose
  • Disaccharides: Maltose, sucrose, lactose
  • Polysaccharides: Starch, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin
• Sources of Carbohydrates:
  • Plants: pasture grasses, plant products, plant by-products, root crops, fruits, seeds, grains, rice bran, wheat bran

Energy Deficiency

• Often caused by a lack of carbohydrates
• It is the most common nutritional deficiency that limits grazing animals
• Inadequate feed from overgrazing, drought, poor quality, digestibility, or cost limits energy intake
• Forage with too much water can limit energy intake

Consequences of Energy Deficiencies

• Retarded growth and delayed puberty in young animals
• Shortened lactation and decline in milk production in milking animals
• Marked loss in body weight, especially during late pregnancy and early lactation
• Prolonged periods of anestrus, impacting breeding cycle
• Weak or undersized offspring

Proteins

• Organic compounds are made of amino acids
• Proteins contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
• Animals require protein:
  • To build new cells and tissues, including muscles
  • For the production of milk, wool, hairs, and feathers
  • For body maintenance: repair and replacement of tissues
  • For the production of enzymes and hormones

Sources of Protein

• Plants: pasture legumes, field peas, soybean
• Animal products: Fish meal, bone meal, milk, meat meal, blood meal

Protein Deficiency

• Often accompanies energy deficiencies but is typically less severe
• Results in:
  • Reduced appetite in young animals
  • Lowered feed intake
  • Lack of muscle development
  • Prolonged time to reach maturity
  • Loss of weight and decreased milk production in mature animals

Fats & Lipids

• Made up of fatty acids and glycerol
• Fats contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
• Fats have 2.25 times more energy than carbohydrates
• Used to supply and store energy
• Excess energy from carbohydrates is stored as fat
• Fats are stored under the skin, without muscle tissues, and under the abdominal cavity
• Sources include oilseed meals (copra, canola, linseed), vegetable oils, tallow, and lard

Vitamins

• Organic compounds are required in small amounts for healthy growth and development
• Groups of vitamins:
  • Fat-soluble: Vitamins A, D, E, K
  • Water-soluble: Vitamins B and C

Roles of Vitamins

• Essential for proper utilization of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates
• Blood clotting
• Bone formation
• Reproduction
• Lactation
• Prevention of certain nervous disorders

Vitamin Deficiency

• Retarded growth
• Poor reproduction
• Skin ailments
• Hemorrhaging
• Diarrhea
• Night blindness
• Rough coat
• Muscular problems

Sources of Vitamins

• Green pasture grasses and legumes
• Legume hays
• Silage
• Cereal grains
• Oil seeds
• Sunlight
• Injectable and packet vitamins

Minerals

• Promotes healthy growth and development
• 16 essential minerals divided into macro and micro minerals
• Each mineral has a specific role in the animal's body
• Calcium and phosphorus contribute to strong teeth and bones
• Minerals are needed for strong egg shells
• Prevents milk fever in dairy cattle

Sources of Minerals

• Green pasture grasses and forages
• Legumes including pasture legumes
• Cereal grains (e.g., corn, rice, sorghum)
• Mineral licks (salt licks/blocks)
• Fish meal, bone meal, shrimp meal

Composition of the Animal Body

• J.B. Lawes and J.H. Gilbert analyzed farm animal bodies and published it in 1859
• Water and fat levels vary inversely
• Composition of fat-free body: Water: Protein: Ash = 19:5:1 (74-76% : 20-22% : 3-5%)
• Composition of fat and moisture-free body: Protein: Ash = 80:20
• The body composition of a moisture-free and fat-free body is practically constant

Water Content

• Water content of an animal's body is variable and decreases with age.
• Example Water Content:
• Cattle embryo ~ 95% water
• Newborn calf ~ 75 – 80% water
• 5 month old calf ~ 66-72% water
• Mature animal ~ 50-70% water
• Water distribution within the body is not uniform

Body Water Distribution

• Blood plasma contains 90–92% water.
• Heart, kidneys, and lungs contain approximately 80% water.
• Muscles are composed of roughly 75% water.
• Bones consist of about 45% water.
• Teeth enamel contains only about 5% water
• Water content in an animal's body depends on its nutritional status

Protein's Role

• Protein and inorganic elements are responsible for the structure of an animal’s body
• Protein is a major component of dry matter in muscles and other body organs
• Muscles consist of almost 75-80% protein
• Protein is also found in hair, nails, feathers, hooves, skin, wool, tendons and bones

Fat Content

• Fat content is the most variable of all body components
• Fat content increases with age
• Usually located in adipose tissues under the skin, around the kidneys, intestines, and other body organs

Carbohydrates in the Animal Body

• Only constitute about 1% of the total animal body
• Constantly formed and broken down, serving multiple functions
• Typically present as glucose or glycogen in the muscles and liver

Inorganic Elements in the Animal Body

• Calcium and phosphorus are the most abundant minerals
• Present in teeth and bones
• Phosphorus is associated with protein, fats, and other inorganic salts
• Calcium and phosphorus are major inorganic components of the body, representing 70% of body ash
• Sodium, potassium, and chlorine are present in inorganic form in fluids
• Other minerals form components of tissues, fluids, and enzymes