NUTRITION Flashcards
Why is is important to understand what is in the food being fed to production animals?
Understanding what is in the food being fed to production animals allows you to formulate diets and investigate health and/or productivity problems
What is the difference between structural and non-structural carbohydrates?
Structural carbohydrates are present in the cell wall (difficult to digest)
Non-structural carbohydrates are present in the chloroplasts (easier to digest)
Give an example of a structural carbohydrate found in plants
Dietary fibre
Give two examples of non-structural carbohydrates found in plants
Fructan
Starch
Where is fructan mainly found within plants?
Fructan is mainly found within plant stems
Why is lignin negatively associated with digestion in ruminants?
Lignin is negatively associated with digestion as it is not digestible and thus, the more lignin present in a plant, the less digestible the plant will be
What happens to lignin content as plants mature?
As plants mature, the lignin content increases and the plant becomes less digestible
If a horse is prone to obesity when is the best time to turn it out?
It is best to turn out an obese horse at night as this is when fructan levels are low due to the lack of photosynthesis at this time
List the three main nutrients which provide energy in herbivores
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Volatile fatty acids (ruminants)
What determines gross energy (GE)?
The gross energy in food is determined by the total chemical energy measured from the complete combustion of food in a bomb calorimeter
What determines digestible energy (DE)?
Digestible energy is determined by the gross energy value minus the energy lost in faeces
What determines metabolisable energy (ME)?
Metabolisable energy is determined by the digestible energy minus the energy lost in the urine and methane gas (produced by microbial fermentation)
What is net energy (NE)?
Net energy of a feed is a measure of its capacity to contribute to maintenance, work and material production (e.g. milk, eggs etc.)
