Animal, Plant & Soil
Science
Lesson C3-4
Nutritional Needs of Animals
Interest Approach
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Show students a picture of the USDA s
Food Pyramid. Ask the students why we
have the food pyramid. When they answer,
So we eat the right things, ask them to
define the right things. Lead the discussion
into objective one, explaining why it is
important that we give animals the right
things to eat.
Interest Approach
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Bring in an example of a fat, mineral,
carbohydrate, protein, vitamin, and water.
Have the students identify what nutrient can
be found within each example. Possible
things to bring in: a bottle of water, pasta
(carbohydrate), a bottle of vitamins, lard (fat),
cottonseed meal (protein), and table salt
(mineral). After the students have identified
the nutrients, lead a discussion about why
animals need these to survive.
Objectives
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Identify the essential nutrients for animal
production.
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Discuss the importance of water as a
nutrient.
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Discuss the importance of carbohydrates
as nutrients.
Objectives
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Discuss the importance of lipids as
nutrients.
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Discuss the importance of proteins as
nutrients.
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Discuss the importance of minerals as
nutrients.
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Discuss the importance of vitamins as
nutrients.
Terms
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balanced ration
carbohydrates
complex
carbohydrates
disaccharides
essential nutrients
ether
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fats
fat-soluble vitamins
fiber
lipids
macro-minerals
micro-minerals
minerals
Terms
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monosaccharides
nutrient
proteins
ration
simple carbohydrates
vitamins
water-soluble
vitamins
What are the essential nutrients
for animal production?
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Proper animal nutrition is the key to good
livestock production.
Good nutrition can increase
feed efficiency and the rate
of gain.
Animals must be fed a diet
that meets their needs.
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If these needs are not met properly, the animals
may not grow or reproduce, and they could die.
What are the essential nutrients
for animal production?
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Feedstuffs contain nutrients.
A nutrient is a substance that is necessary
for an organism to live and grow.
A ration is the total amount of feed an animal
is given in a 24-hour period.
The ration can be fed all at one time or may
be available at various points throughout the
day.
What are the essential nutrients
for animal production?
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A balanced ration is one that contains all the
nutrients that the animals need in the correct
proportions.
Too much of any one nutrient is wasteful and
could be harmful to the animals.
A nutrient deficiency can result in stunted
growth and low production.
Nutrients that are required for proper growth
in all animals are called essential nutrients.
What are the essential nutrients
for animal production?
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There are six classes of essential nutrients.
A. Water
B. Carbohydrates
C. Lipids or fats
D. Protein
E. Minerals
F. Vitamins
What is the importance of
water as a nutrient?
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Water is necessary for survival.
Animals can live longer without
food than without water.
Water makes up about 75
percent of the weight of a
mature animal and as much
as 90 percent of a newborn.
Water is found in every cell
of the body.
What is the importance of
water as a nutrient?
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The amount of water needed by animals is
related to the activities the animals perform
and the life stages of the animals (lactation,
gestation, etc.).
Water can enter the body in many ways.
Most water enters animals when they drink.
Water is also found in the feed that animals
consume, and it may be produced through
biochemical reactions.
What is the importance of
water as a nutrient?
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The body loses water through urine, feces,
sweat, and vapor from the lungs.
Animals should consume clean and fresh
water, and it should be available at all times.
Water has two main
functions in animal
bodies.
What is the importance of
water as a nutrient?
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A. Water regulates body temperatures
because it is able to accumulate, transfer,
and lose heat through evaporation.
B. Water also promotes biochemical
processes in the animals.
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All biochemical reactions in the body require
water, which is a major component of cells, blood,
and body tissues.
What is the importance of
carbohydrates as nutrients?
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Carbohydrates are feed components that
provide energy and are composed of carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen.
A major component of plant tissues,
carbohydrates should compose
approximately 75 percent of animals diets.
Carbohydrates provide energy in a chemical
reaction (that is much like burning) during
digestion.
This energy powers muscular movements.
What is the importance of
carbohydrates as nutrients?
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Carbohydrates also produce the body heat
that helps to keep the animals warm.
In addition to energy,
carbohydrates aid in the use of
proteins and fats.
Carbohydrates are not stored
in the body; they must be
provided in the animals diets daily.
Unused carbohydrates are converted into
stored fat.
What is the importance of
carbohydrates as nutrients?
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A. There are three types of carbohydrates.
1. Sugars—There are two kinds of sugars:
simple sugars (monosaccharides) and
double sugars (disaccharides).
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Glucose and fructose are simple sugars.
Sucrose is a double sugar. Sucrose is what is
used to make table sugar.
Glucose is an excellent source of energy for most
cells.
What is the importance of
carbohydrates as nutrients?
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2. Starch—Starch is an important source of
energy.
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Starch is converted to glucose in the digestive
process.
What is the importance of
carbohydrates as nutrients?
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3. Fiber—Fiber is a carbohydrate that
provides strength and support to cell walls.
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Fibrous material is left after the food has been
digested.
It is made of plant cells and cellulose.
Fiber helps the digestive system function properly.
Fiber also absorbs water and provides bulk.
It plays an important role in ruminant digestion by
increasing bacterial populations in the rumen.
What is the importance of
carbohydrates as nutrients?
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B. Carbohydrates may be classified as simple
carbohydrates or complex carbohydrates.
1. Simple carbohydrates are
monosaccharides or disaccharides that are
easily digested.
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Sugar and starch are simple carbohydrates.
This type of carbohydrate is found in cereal grains
(e.g., corn, wheat, oats, barley, and sorghum).
What is the importance of
carbohydrates as nutrients?
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2. Complex carbohydrates are
polysaccharides (e.g., fiber, cellulose, and
lignin).
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These substances are
more difficult to digest
than simple
carbohydrates.
These are found mainly
in roughages, such as
hay and pasture plants.
What is the importance of
lipids as nutrients?
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Lipids are a family of chemical compounds
that include fats and oils.
Lipids are food components that provide
energy; lipids are also the form in which
animals store energy.
Lipids can be dissolved with ether, which is a
colorless, liquid solvent used in nutrition
research.
What is the importance of
lipids as nutrients?
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Fats are saturated lipid compounds that are
solid at room temperature.
Fats contain the highest
amount of energy and can
contain 2.25 times more
energy than carbohydrates.
Fats play an important role in supplying the
energy needed by animals for normal body
maintenance and enable fat-soluble vitamins
A, D, E, and K to enter animal bodies.
What is the importance of
proteins as nutrients?
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Proteins are organic compounds primarily
composed of amino acids that allow bodies to
grow and heal after injuries.
These nutrients are needed to grow new
tissues and to repair old tissues.
Three to five percent of the body s proteins
are rebuilt every day.
The largest amount of protein can be found in
the muscles of animals.
What is the importance of
proteins as nutrients?
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Proteins can be classified as essential or
nonessential.
Whether or not a protein is
essential for proper growth
depends on the digestive
system of the animal.
Sources of protein include soybean meal,
cottonseed meal, fish meal, and alfalfa hay.
What is the importance of
proteins as nutrients?
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A lack of protein is the most common nutrient
deficiency.
Most feedstuffs are low in protein, so a
protein supplement may be needed.
Symptoms of a protein deficiency include
anorexia, slow growth rate, decreased feed
efficiency, low birth weight, and lower milk
production.
What is the importance of
proteins as nutrients?
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Young animals need more protein than older
animals.
Animals in gestation or lactation stages also
need higher levels of protein in their diets.
What is the importance of
minerals as nutrients?
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Minerals are inorganic elements found in
small amounts in the body.
Minerals are essential in skeleton growth and
are necessary for body systems to function
properly.
There are two groups of
minerals.
What is the importance of
minerals as nutrients?
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A. Macro-minerals or major minerals are needed in
the diet in relatively large amounts, ranging from a
few tenths of a gram to one or more grams per day.
The minerals in this group include:
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1. Salt (NaCl) [Sodium & Chorine]
2. Calcium (Ca)
3. Phosphorus (P)
4. Magnesium (Mg)
5. Potassium (K)
6. Sulfur (S)
What is the importance of
minerals as nutrients?
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B. Micro-minerals or trace minerals are
required in small quantities, ranging from a
millionth of a gram to a thousandth of a gram
per day.
The minerals in this group include:
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1. Chromium (Cr)
2. Cobalt (Co)
3. Copper (Cu)
4. Fluorine (F)
What is the importance of
minerals as nutrients?
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5. Iodine (I)
6. Iron (Fe)
7. Manganese (Mn)
8. Molybdenum (Mo)
9. Selenium (Se)
10. Silicon (Si)
11. Zinc (Zn)
What is the importance of
vitamins as nutrients?
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Vitamins are organic substances needed in
small quantities to perform specific functions.
Vitamins do not provide energy, but they are
necessary in using energy.
Vitamins aid the animals bodies by assisting
in the regulation of body functions, keeping
bodies healthy, and developing resistance to
diseases.
Vitamin deficiencies can lead to diseases or
death.
What is the importance of
vitamins as nutrients?
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Vitamins are in one of two groups.
A. Fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins that are
stored in the fat and are released as needed
by the body.
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These include vitamins A, D, E, and K.
B. Water-soluble vitamins are vitamins that
are dissolved by water and need to be
consumed daily, including vitamins C and B.
Review
What are the essential nutrients for
animal production?
n  What is the importance of water as a
nutrient?
n  What is the importance of carbohydrates
as nutrients?
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Review
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What is the importance of lipids as
nutrients?
What is the importance of proteins as
nutrients?
What is the importance of minerals as
nutrients?
What is the importance of vitamins as
nutrients?