Nutrients and Nutrient Requirements

Topic 3041

Anna BlightModified by Ashlee Gibson

Nutrients

Any feed component that functions in the support of

life

20 Chemical Elements in Nutrients• Carbon (C)

• Calcium (Ca)• 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)

Six Basic Classes of Nutrients

• Water• Carbohydrates• Fats• Proteins• Vitamins• Minerals

Composition of Feeds

Concentrates• Cereal grains• Oil meals• Molasses• Dried milk

products

Roughages• Hays and

straws• Silage• Cut green feeds• Grazed forages

Concentrates

• High in energy• Low in fiber• Highly digestible• Includes corn, wheat, barley, oats,

milo, soybean meal, linseed meal, and cottonseed meal

Roughages

• Less digestible than concentrates

• Bulkier, coarser feed

Water• Most important

nutrient• Contains

hydrogen and oxygen

• Transports other nutrients

• Helps maintain normal body temperature

Water Consumption in ONE day

Species Gallons

Dairy Cattle 28-50

Beef 6-20

Horse 5-15

Pig 5-8

Sheep 1-3

100 Turkeys 15

100 Chickens 9

Carbohydrates

• Major energy source

• Contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

• Found in grains and hays

Types of Carbohydrates

• Starches– Grain, root crops, other plant materials

• Sugars– Simple sugars (monosaccharides)– Double sugars (disaccharides)– Milk and fruit

• Fiber– Plant cell walls and cellulose– Fermented by bacteria in foregut of ruminant

and hind gut fermentors (require in their diet)

Fats• Fats and oils are

primary energy source

• 2.25 times 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

Important factors in feeding protein:

When feeding protein • The amount of protein.• The quality of protein.• The compliment of amino acids in

proteins

Ruminants vs Non-Ruminants Protein

Ruminants can make essential amino acids • Done by rumen bacteria• from simple forms of nitrogen Urea• Only used for Ruminants• Protein substitute

– Source of nitrogen of rumen organisms to produce bacteria

• Used only in small amounts

Protein from animals

• Fish meal• Meat and bone

meal• milk• blood meal

Protein from plants

• Soybean oil meal• Soybeans• Cottonseed meal• Canola• Legumes

Plant Protein

• Location of Protein in feed material

• The "germ" is the part of the grain kernel which usually contains available protein.

Minerals

• Elements other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen

• Macrominerals are required in larger amounts

• Microminerals required 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

•Two basic functions run by energy are maintenance and 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, and net energy

Importance of Nutrition

Energy supplied by nutrients are used to drive a variety of

body functions and power animal movement

Healthy and productive livestock require proper

nutritionReferenceTaylor, R.E., Field,

T.G. (1998).Scientific Farm

Animal Production.

Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. Pp. 269-282.