Animal Nutrition Course

Lesson 1 • Introduction to Nutritional Science

Defines nutrition as a discipline and its relevance to animal production. Connects historical milestones to modern feeding practices.

Lesson 2 • Classification of Nutrients

Covers the six nutrient classes and their chemical nature. Provides the taxonomic framework used throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Nutrient Digestion and Absorption

Traces mechanical and chemical digestion through each gut segment. Explains absorption mechanisms that determine nutrient bioavailability.

Lesson 4 • Digestive System Anatomy Across Species

Compares monogastric, ruminant, and hindgut-fermenter digestive tracts. Establishes why species differences drive distinct feeding strategies.

Lesson 1 • Energy Systems Used in Practice

Compares total digestible nutrients, metabolizable energy, and net energy systems. Guides selection of the appropriate system by species and production goal.

Lesson 2 • Energy for Production Functions

Quantifies additional energy needed for growth, lactation, reproduction, and work. Demonstrates additive requirement modelling for productive animals.

Lesson 3 • Basal and Maintenance Energy Needs

Explains basal metabolic rate, fasting heat production, and maintenance requirements. Connects body size and physiological state to baseline energy demand.

Lesson 4 • Concepts of Feed Energy

Defines gross, digestible, metabolizable, and net energy fractions. Establishes the energy hierarchy used in all subsequent requirement calculations.

Lesson 1 • Amino Acid Requirements by Species

Presents requirement data for key species and production stages. Connects factorial modelling to practical diet formulation targets.

Lesson 2 • Non-Protein Nitrogen Utilization

Explains how ruminants convert urea and other NPN sources into microbial protein. Defines safe inclusion limits and conditions for effective NPN use.

Lesson 3 • Protein Digestion in Monogastrics

Traces gastric and intestinal proteolysis through to amino acid absorption. Explains how processing affects protein digestibility in pigs and poultry.

Lesson 4 • Rumen Protein Degradation and Bypass

Distinguishes rumen-degradable from rumen-undegradable protein fractions. Explains microbial protein synthesis and its contribution to intestinal supply.

Lesson 1 • Fat Supplementation in Rations

Covers inclusion rates, rumen-protected fat technology, and effects on energy density. Addresses palatability and oxidation concerns in practical feeding.

Lesson 2 • Fibre Fermentation and Volatile Fatty Acids

Explains microbial fermentation of cellulose and hemicellulose into volatile fatty acids. Links VFA profile to energy supply and rumen health.

Lesson 3 • Dietary Fat Sources and Digestion

Reviews fat emulsification, micelle formation, and lymphatic absorption. Compares animal and plant fat sources for energy density and fatty acid profile.

Lesson 4 • Starch and Sugar Digestion

Traces enzymatic and fermentative starch digestion in monogastrics and ruminants. Explains glycaemic response and its relevance to metabolic health.

Lesson 1 • Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Covers vitamins A, D, E, and K: absorption, storage, and toxicity thresholds. Links each vitamin to specific deficiency syndromes in target species.

Lesson 2 • Water-Soluble Vitamins

Reviews B-complex vitamins and vitamin C, focusing on coenzyme roles. Explains why ruminants synthesise most B vitamins and when supplementation is needed.

Lesson 3 • Macrominerals and Their Functions

Examines calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and chloride requirements. Connects macromineral balance to skeletal integrity and fluid homeostasis.

Lesson 4 • Trace Minerals and Bioavailability

Covers iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and iodine at physiological and dietary levels. Explains organic vs. inorganic mineral bioavailability differences.

Lesson 1 • Detergent Fibre Analysis

Introduces Van Soest detergent fibre system for forage and byproduct evaluation. Explains NDF, ADF, and ADL fractions and their digestibility implications.

Lesson 2 • Forages and Roughages

Evaluates hay, silage, pasture, and crop residues for ruminant and hindgut-fermenter diets. Connects forage quality indices to animal intake and performance.

Lesson 3 • Proximate Analysis of Feedstuffs

Explains the Weende proximate analysis scheme and its six fractions. Identifies limitations of crude fibre and crude protein as nutrient descriptors.

Lesson 4 • Feed Additives and Their Roles

Classifies growth promoters, buffers, enzymes, probiotics, and preservatives by function. Evaluates evidence for efficacy and conditions for appropriate use.

Lesson 1 • Linear Programming in Feed Formulation

Explains least-cost formulation using linear programming principles. Demonstrates how constraints and objective functions translate to practical diet solutions.

Lesson 2 • Nutrient Requirement Standards

Introduces published nutrient requirement tables for major livestock and poultry species. Explains how to read, interpolate, and apply requirement data to specific animals.

Lesson 3 • Formulation Software Applications

Guides use of commercial diet formulation software for data entry and optimisation. Covers database management, ingredient libraries, and report generation.

Lesson 4 • Ration Verification and Adjustment

Explains how to validate formulated rations against animal performance data. Covers dry matter intake prediction and ration adjustment based on field feedback.

Lesson 1 • Swine Feeding by Life Stage

Designs phase-feeding programmes from sow gestation through grow-finish. Emphasises amino acid precision and feed form effects on performance.

Lesson 2 • Dairy Cattle Nutrition Management

Addresses transition cow nutrition, peak lactation feeding, and dry period management. Links nutrient supply to milk yield, composition, and reproductive efficiency.

Lesson 3 • Poultry Nutrition Programmes

Covers broiler, layer, and turkey feeding programmes with phase-specific nutrient profiles. Addresses feed form, lighting, and gut health interactions.

Lesson 4 • Beef Cattle Feeding Programmes

Covers cow-calf, stocker, and feedlot nutrition from weaning through finishing. Integrates energy, protein, and mineral requirements with forage-based systems.