Animal Nutrition
Groups of Nutrients
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Carbohydrates
Fats and Oils
Proteins
Vitamins
Minerals
Water
Carbohydrates
Made up of sugar, starches, cellulose and
gums.
 Provide energy and heat
 Make up the largest quantity of livestock
feed
 Composed of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen.

Example of a Carbohydrate
Corn
 Most widely
grown/used and best
energy feed
 High in starch
 Very palatable
 The primary grain fed
to all swine and poultry
Fats and Oils
2.25 times the energy value of
carbohydrates
 At body temperature fats are solids and
oils are liquid
 Extra carbohydrates are stored as fats
 Carry fat-soluble vitamins

Example of a Fat/Oil
Vegetable Oil
 The most potent
energy source
 Increases caloric value
 Increases palatability
when added to feed
 Controls dust
Proteins
Organic compounds made up of
amino acids
Always Contain
– Carbon
– Hydrogen
– Oxygen
– Nitrogen
Sometimes Contain
– Sulfur
– Phosphorus
– Iron
Proteins
Major component of muscles, tissues and
hair
 Continuously needed to replace dying
body cells
 Young animals need large amounts for
growth

Example of a Plant Protein
Soybean Meal
 Has the highest nutritional
value of any plant protein
source
 The most widely used
protein source in the U.S.
 Very palatable
 Can be used for all
species
Example of an Animal Protein
Meat and Bone Meal
 Produced from the dryrendered product from
mammal tissues
 High in calcium and
phosphorus
 Widely used as a
protein source in poultry
and swine
Vitamins
Trace organic compounds containing
carbon
– Needed in small quantities
 Helps regulate body functions
 Designated by letters
– A,B,C,D,E,K
 Sources:
– Naturally found in feed
– Feed additives made from animal byproducts
– Made by the body itself

Example of a Vitamin
Vitamin A
 Required by all animals
 Frequently met by
common feedstuffs high
in carotene
 Carotene converted to
vitamin A by the body
 Vitamin A can be a
synthetic form
Minerals
Inorganic materials/compounds containing
no carbon
 Needed in small amounts
– Calcium, phosphorus, sodium, etc.
 Regulates body functions
 Provide growth for:
– Bone
– Teeth
– Tissue

Example of a Mineral
Trace Mineral Salt
 contains salt and one
or more trace minerals
(cobalt, copper, Iodine,
iron, manganese,
selenium and zinc)
 commonly fed ad
libitum (free fed)
Water
Makes up 40% to
60% of the animals
body
 Dissolves other
nutrients and helps
carry them to parts of
the body
 Most important
nutrient

Sources of Nutrients

Carbohydrates come from cereal grains
 corn
 wheat
 oats
 rye
 barley
 sorghum
Sources of Nutrients

Proteins
– Plant sources
–Soybean meal
–Cottonseed meal
–Alfalfa meal
– Animal sources
–Meat meal
–Fishmeal
–Dried milk
–Synthetic nitrogen source called
urea
Sources of Nutrients
Fats and Oils
– Grains and protein concentrates
 Vitamins and Minerals
– Most feed ingredients
– Supplements
 Pre-mixes
 Mineral blocks

Sources of Nutrients

Other sources and exceptions:
– Alfalfa (roughage) can be used to
provide energy and fiber
– Molasses
 Improves taste (palatability)
 Reduces feed dust
Nutritional Value

Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN)
Concentrates are high in TDN
Roughages are low in TDN