Animal Feed Flashcards
Animal feeds contain which nutrient components
Animal feeds contain nutrient components which are;
1. Water
2. Carbohydrates (Sugars, starch, cellulose and lignin)
3. Proteins
4. Fats and oils
5. Vitamins
6. Minerals
Reasons why animals need nutrients?
➢ Healthy growth
➢ Reproduction
➢ Production
Factors influencing water requirements in animals
➢ Climate
➢ Moisture content of the feed
➢ Amount of feed consumed
➢ Composition of the feed
Functions of water in animal production and growth
➢ Elimination of waste material
➢ Control body temperature
➢ Prevent constipation
➢ Aids in lubrication
The difference between simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates
➢ Easily to digest
➢ Monosaccharide or Disaccharide
➢ Sources of simple carbohydrates are; Oats, Maize, Wheat and Sorghum.
Complex carbohydrates
➢ Difficult to digest
➢ Polysaccharide
➢ Examples include starches and fibre
Fibre
is a complex carbohydrate that is difficult to digest
Where does fibre originate from?
originates from plant origin, e.g. cellulose and lignin
Functions of carbohydrates in animal production and growth
➢ Source of energy
➢ Fattening of farm animals
➢ Stored in the liver in the form of glycogen
➢ Fibre is necessary for excretion of waste
➢ Fibre regulates glucose level in the blood
What are ruminants able to synthesize under proteins?
can synthesise protein from non-protein nitrogen source such as urea by microbial fermentation in the rumen.
Which animals need more proteins in their feeds
Young and lactating cows
Sources of proteins
• Soybean meal
• Cottonseed meal
• Fish meal
• Legume hay
Functions of proteins in animal production and growth
➢ Source of energy
➢ Repair body tissues
➢ Act as anti-bodies
Which components of feed are insoluble in water
Fats and oils
Difference between Fats and oils
Fats:
➢ Obtained from animal products
➢ Solid at room temperature
➢ Saturated
➢ Contain more energy
Oils:
Obtained from plant products
Liquid at room temperature
Unsaturated
Contain less energy
Functions of fats and oils in animal production and growth
➢ Source of energy
➢ Insulate internal organs
➢ Play a role in palatability of feeds ➢ Contributes to milk production
End products of components of feed
➢ Carbohydrates – Glucose ➢ Proteins – Amino acids ➢ Fats – Fatty acids and glycerol
Minerals
are inorganic elements needed in small quantities for important functions in the animal’s body.
Mineral deficiency
is the shortage of required amount of mineral in the body.
Macro-elements
are minerals that are required in large quantities.
What are the most important macro-elements for ruminants
calcium and phosphorus.
The ratio between calcium and phosphorus should be 2:1
What does am imbalance of calcium and phosphorus lead to?
An imbalance can lead to infertility
Trace elements
are minerals that are required in small quantities but very important for good health.
Where does deficiencies of trace-elements occur
Deficiencies of trace-elements seldom occur in animals that feed on pastures.
Vitamins
are organic substances that are needed in small quantities for important functions in the animal’s body
Factors influencing vitamins requirements
➢ Species of animal
➢ Growth rate
➢ Composition of feed
➢ Ability of the digestive system to synthesise vitamins
What are the two groups of vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamin
What in ruminants can synthesise vitamins
Rumen micro-organisms
How do Non-ruminants obtain vitamins
through their feeds and supplements
Digestibility
is the amount of food that is absorbed by the body and not excreted.
Co-efficient digestibility
is the measure of digestibility of a feed expressed in percentage of dry material.
Concentrates
have a higher digestibility (more than 50%)
Roughages
have a low digestibility (less than 50%)
Factors affecting digestibility of feeds
- Feed factor
➢ Composition of feed
➢ Growth stage of a plant
➢ Water - Animal factors
➢ Age of an animal
➢ Type of an animal
➢ Amount of water taken in - Climate factors
➢ Season
➢ Temperature
Methods of improving digestibility
➢ Grinding
➢ Pelleting
➢ Boiling
➢ Roasting
➢ Crushing
➢ Soaking
Biological value
is the measure of the quality of protein in a feed.
Essential amino acids
are required to meet the body’s physiological needs.
Egg protein
is considered an ideal or high-quality protein and is given a Biological Value of 100%.
Evaluation of feed proteins in terms of Biological Value
Complete proteins
➢ Contain all essential and nonessential amino acids
➢ Have high Biological Value (BV)
➢ Protein of animal origin
➢ Examples are milk, eggs, beef and fish meal
Incomplete proteins
➢ Do not contain all essential and nonessential amino acids
➢ Have low Biological Value (BV)
➢ Protein of plant origin
➢ Examples are maize, wheat gluten, and soya beans
Biological Value (BV) requirements of animals
➢ For growth, production and reproduction highest biological value ➢ For maintenance low biological value
➢ For fattening highest energy value
Reasons for highest BV of lucerne compared to barley
➢ Lucerne is a legume crop that is rich in proteins
➢ Barley is a non-legume that is poor in proteins and rich in carbohydrates
Ways to increase Biological Value (BV)
➢ Mix proteins of plant and animal origin
➢ Mix variety of feeds
➢ Supplement feeds with Urea and Biuret
What is the largest part of a feed is used for
the production of energy in an animal.
Gross energy (GE)
is the amount of energy that is released when a feed is completely burnt to its final oxidation products namely; water, carbon dioxide and other gases.
Digestible energy (DE)
is the gross energy value minus the value of energy lost in manure.
How do we calculate Metabolic energy (ME)
is the gross energy value minus the value of energy lost in manure, urine, and gases such as methane.
How do we calculate Net energy (NET)
is the gross energy value minus the value of energy lost in manure, urine, gases and energy lost in body heat.
Important uses of net energy
➢ Maintenance
➢ Production
➢ Growth
➢ Reproduction
➢ Fattening
➢ Work
Nutritive Ratio
is the indicator of the protein content in a feed.
It is the ratio between the digestible protein and digestible non-protein compounds (carbohydrates and fats) in a feed.
narrow Nutritive ratio
A feed with highly digestible protein content(NR≤ 1:6).
wide nutritive ratio
A feed with low digestible protein content (NR≥ 1:6).
Narrow Nutritive Ratio Properties
• Narrow Nutritive Ratio (NR) is less than 1:6 • This means that the feed has high digestible protein content • Examples of feeds with a narrow nutritive ratio are concentrates • These feeds are suitable for growth, production and reproduction
Wide Nutritive Ratio
• Wide Nutritive Ratio (NR) is above 1:6
• This means that the feed has low digestible protein content
• Examples of feeds with a wide nutritive ratio are roughages
• These feeds are suitable for maintenance and fattening
Nutritional requirements of animals
➢ For Growth, Reproduction and Production Nutritive Ratio (NR) must be 1:5, 1:4, 1:3, 1:2 or 1:1
➢ For Maintenance Nutritive Ratio (NR) must be 1:6, 1:7 or 1:8
➢ For Fattening Nutritive Ratio (NR) must be 1:10 and more
