208-201 Comparative Nutrition

This subject involves the use of animals in experiments. Students should be aware that these experiments are an essential part of the course and exemption from this component is not possible.

202-101 Chemistry for Land and Food Resources or 610-141 Chemistry; 202-103 Biology for Land and Food Resources or 650-141 Biology of Cells and Organisms

At the end of the subject the students should be able to:

• understand the physiological and metabolic basis of nutritional requirements;

• understand the nutritional qualities of particular classes of feedstuffs;

• understand the principles of feed evaluation and ration formulation;

• be familiar with principles and practices in diagnosis of nutritional inadequacies and nutrition-related diseases;

• be familiar with commonly used computer-based nutritional models;

• have used simulation models in solving nutritional problems;

• be able to formulate rations for particular classes of animal; and

• be able to formulate supplements for animals under specified nutritional circumstances.

An understanding of basic nutrition is a prerequisite for subsequent courses in the animal sciences stream and enables the student to appreciate (a) the significance to animal production of many other subjects in the course and (b) the nutritional quality criteria in production and processing of human foods and animal feeds.

Content includes:

• nutrition and energy metabolism, basic nutritional and bioenergetic concepts;

• the nutrients, their chemical and physical properties, digestion, metabolism, and metabolic roles and interactions; their supply and availability in feedstuffs;

• nutritional requirements of animals;

• the central role in animal production of efficiency of conversion of feeds to desired products;

• food resources: identification and utilisation in meeting nutritional needs of domestic animals and humans; and

• basic ration formulation and problem solving in nutrition.

Three-hour examination (40%) and three practical assignments equivalent to 2500 words (each worth 20%).

• McDonald, Edwards, Greenhalgh and Morgan, Animal Nutrition, 5th edition. Longman Scientific, Harlow.