KEY
Note Taking Guide
Topic # 3041
Basics of Nutrients and Nutrient Requirements
Anna Blight
Nutrients are: Any feed component that functions in the support of life.
There are 20 chemical elements in nutrients. These 20 elements and their chemical
symbols are: calcium (Ca)
carbon (C)
chlorine (Cl)
cobalt (Co)
copper (Cu)
fluorine (F)
hydrogen (H)
iodine (I)
iron (Fe)
magnesium (Mg)
manganese (Mn)
molybdenum (Mo)
Nitrogen (N)
oxygen (O).
phosphorus (P)
potassium (K)
selenium (Se)
sodium (Na)
sulfur (S)
zinc (Zn)
The six basic classes of nutrients are:
water
carbohydrates
fats
proteins
vitamins
minerals
Feeds are made up of:
concentrates
roughages
Concentrates consists of:
cereal grains
oil meals
molasses
dried milk products.
Roughages include:
legume hays, grass hays, and straws
Other forms of roughage are:
silage
stovers
soilage
grazed forages
Concentrates are:
high in energy
low in fiber
highly digestible
Concentrates include:
corn
wheat
barley
oats
milo
soybean meal, linseed meal, and cottonseed meal.
Roughages are:
less digestible
bulkier, courser feed
Water is:
most important nutrient
contains hydrogen and oxygen
transports other nutrients
helps maintain normal body temperature
Carbohydrates:
major energy source
containds carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
found in grains and hays
Fats:
primary energy source
2.25 more energy/pound than carbohydrates
contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
Protein:
only nutrient class that contains nitrogen
protein in feeds contain average of 16% nitrogen
building blocks of the body
proteins compose most of the muscle mass
Minerals:
elements other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
macrominerals are required in larger amounts
microminerals in smaller amounts
necessary for healthy body functions
Vitamins:
organic nutrients – contain carbon
provide for very specific body functions
required in very small amounts
16 known vitamins in animal nutrition
A, C, D, E, K, choline and the B-complex vitamins
Energy - two basic functions are run by energy:
maintenance an reproduction
supplied by nutrients containing carbon
carbohydrates, fats and proteins all supply energy
Energy evaluation of feeds is measured by:
total digestible nutrients
digestible energy
energy for metabolism
net energy