Animal Nutrition Obj. 7.01. General Nutrient Information Nutrient: chemical element that aids in the support of life Ration: amount of feed given to an

Animal Nutrition

Obj. 7.01

General Nutrient Information

• Nutrient: chemical element that aids in the support of life

• Ration: amount of feed given to an animal on a daily basis


• Roughage: high in fiber– Hay– Grass– silage


• Concentrates: low in fiber – Grains– Plant/animal protein– Processed by-products


• Some livestock producers buy feed that has already been prepared and packaged

• Some livestock producers mix their own feed ration

• Rations should be feed according to the animal’s needs

Functions of a Ration

• Maintenance of vital body functions• Growth and increase of bones, muscles and

organs• Production of milk, eggs, wool, etc• Reproduction processes – Gestation, parturition and lactation

• Fattening is when nutrients are not used• Energy for work animals (horses , police dogs)

Nutrients

• Carbohydrates– Main energy nutrient– Made up of sugars and starches– Found in the largest quantities in livestock feed– Includes cereal grains like corn, oats, rye• Corn is most commonly grown grain in the US

Nutrients

• Fats and Oils– 2.25 times the energy value of carbohydrates– At body temperature, fats are solids and oils are

liquids– Extra carbohydrates are stored as fat

Nutrients

• Proteins– Made up of amino acids– Supply materials to build body tissues– Plant sources include soybean meal, cottonseed

meal– Animal sources include meat meal, dried milk

Nutrients

• Vitamins– Trace organic compounds– Contain carbon– Help regulate body functions– A, B-complex, D,E,K– Can be added as a supplement

Nutrients

• Minerals– Inorganic materials– Contains no carbon– Used for growth of bones, teeth and body tissue– Can be added as a supplement

Nutrients

• Water– Makes up 40-80% of an animal’s body– Dissolves other nutrients and carry them to

different parts of the body– Most important nutrient– Always given separate from all other nutrients

Nutrients

• Feed supplements are nutrients that are added to improve palatability (taste) and reduce feed dust– Molasses

Digestive Processes

Obj 7.02

Digestive Terminology

• Digestion is the process of breaking feed down into substances that are absorbed by the body

• Absorption is the process of digested food going into the bloodstream

Digestive Terminology

• Ruminants’ stomach is divided into 4 parts– Cattle, goat, sheep– Digest large amounts of roughage– Don’t chew their food completely– Rumination is also known as “chewing cud”

Ruminant Digestion

• Mouth– Beginning of digestive tract that bites and chews

food– Uses saliva that contains enzymes that speed up

digestion process

Ruminant Digestion

• Esophagus– Muscular tube that guides food from mouth to

stomach using involuntary muscular contractions

Ruminant Digestion

• Rumen– Located on the left side of stomach– Largest section – Interior lining resembles carpet– Bacteria changes large amounts of roughages into

amino acids

Ruminant Digestion

• Reticulum– Connected to the rumen– Inside resembles a honeycomb– Take in liquids that soak food for microbial

digestion

Ruminate Digestion

• Omasum– Round, muscular part of stomach with many layers

that squeeze feed and removes some liquid– Contains papillae responsible for grinding

roughage

Ruminate Digestion

• Abomasum– Elongated sac at the base of the stomach– Interior lining is smooth– Only functional component of stomach when

animal is born– Enzymes and gastric juices act on feed

Ruminate Digestion

• Small Intestine– Long coiled tube – Partially digested feed is mixed with bile and

intestinal juice– Most food nutrients are absorbed from the villi• Villi are small hairlike projections

Ruminate Digestion

• Cecum– Small pouch located between small and large

intestine– Has little to no function– Uses microbial action to break down roughage

Ruminate Digestion

• Large Intestine– Coiled tube that is shorter in length but larger in

diameter than the small intestine– Absorbs water and adds mucus to the undigested

feed to form feces

Ruminate Digestion

• Anus– End of digestive tract– Excretes waste

Non Ruminate Digestion

• Non ruminants are monogastrics, meaning their stomach is only one compartment– Horses, pigs, dogs, cats, poultry

• Other than just having one stomach, the digestive process is the same

Digestive Accessory Organs

• Liver– Dark brown structure made of several lobes– Largest gland in the body under the stomach– Produces bile that acts on fats


• Pancreas– Elongated reddish colored organ that lies against

the stomach– Produces digestive enzymes


• Gall Bladder– Sac like structure filled with greenish fluid– Located near the liver– Produces bile that aids in digestive process

Poultry Digestive System

• Mouth– Bird’s beak– Peaks food– Poultry has no teeth


• Esophagus– Muscular tube that guides food from beak to crop


• Crop– Oval sac like structure between esophagus and

proventriculus– Stores and softens feed from saliva secretions


• Proventriculus– True stomach of a chicken– No real function– Wider than the esophagus


• Gizzard– Oval shaped muscular that is purple in color– Located between proventriculus and small

intestine– Crushes and mixes feed with digestive juices– Contains grit and gravel to help crush feed


• Liver– Dark red in color and made up of several lobes– Accessory organ that produces bile


• Small Intestine– Long tube like structure– Mixes juices– Absorbs nutrients


• Ceca– Poultry have 2 cecas between small and large

intestines (7” in length each)– Contain soft, undigested feed


• Large Intestine– Tube like structure large in diameter when

compared to intestine– Absorbs water and adds mucus to feed that

become feces


• Cloaca– Enlarged part of digestive tract located just before

the vent– Combines digestive and reproductive tracts for

excretion of waste or eggs


• Vent– External opening and end of digestive tract– Excretes waste

Documents

Animal Nutrition Obj. 7.01. General Nutrient Information Nutrient: chemical element that aids in the support of life Ration: amount of feed given to an