Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition

Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition

q. NUTRITION : Science involving various chemical & physiological activities , which transforms feed elements ( nutrients) into body elements. q. Feeding : It is the practical application of nutrition consideration of Management , formulation , palatability and economics.

q. Nutrient : They are elements, compounds or groups of compounds that are used for animal nourishment and performance. examples : Carbohydrate, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and water. q. Feed : It is a material which after ingestion by the animal is capable of digestion , absorption and utilized. Ø Feed is the carrier of nutrient.

q. Feed stuff : Any product of natural origin or artificial that when used has nutritional value in diet. ü It includes natural feed of animal origin , plant origin or synthetic nutrients. ü q. Nutritive Value (NV): Refers to a feed’s protein, mineral and energy composition, availability of energy, and efficiency of energy utilization.

q. Nutrient value of feed : An indicator of a feed to its digestibility of DM%. feed can be classified as : Above 70% 60 -70 % 40 -60% Less than 40% good moderate low very low

q. Nutritive ratio : It is the ratio of the digestible protein to the sum of digestible non protein compound ( carbohydrate , fat *2. 25 ) ü It is termed albuminoid ratio. ü Feed higher in protein has narrow nutritive ratio. ü Feed lower in protein has wide nutritive ratio. ü Carbonaceous feed has wide nutritive ratio. ü Nitrogenous feed has narrow nutritive ratio. ü

q. Protein: ü Protein is an essential nutrient. ü Proteins are composed of long chains of amino acids. ü Animals meet their protein needs by breaking down plant and microbial protein and reassembling them as animal proteins. Function : Major component of vital organs, tissue, muscle, hair, skin, milk and enzymes. ü Protein is required on a daily basis for maintenance, lactation, growth and reproduction. ü

q. Amino Acids: They are molecules containing : 1. 2. 3. Amine group Carboxylic acid group A side chain that varies between different amino acids.

q Amino acids are the building blocks from which protein is made in the body. q. There are 20 known standard amino acids forming various proteins. q Essential Amino Acid : Histidine Valine Tryptophan Methionine Leucine Isoleucine Phenylalanine Lysine Theronine

q. Non Essential Amino Acid : Alanine Cystine Aspartate Glutamate q Conditional Amino Acid : Arginine Glysine Asparagine Proline Tyrosine Glutamine Serine

q. Crude Protein (CP): All nitrogen required by the animal used for protein synthesis. ü Total nitrogen (N) in the diet : (true protein & non-protein nitrogen × 6. 25 ). ü Proteins generally contain 16 percent nitrogen. ü CP is merely an estimate of nitrogen content. (N % × 6. 25 = CP %) ü

q. Non-protein Nitrogen (NPN): NPN refers to nitrogen in a feed sample that is not in the form of protein but can be used by the microbial population in the rumen or gastro-intestinal tract to synthesize amino acids and proteins. ü Common forms of NPN are urea and ammonia. ü Nitrate is not included in non-protein nitrogen Because N is an integral part of any amino acid. ü

q. Degradable Intake Protein (DIP) : Portion of crude protein that is degraded to ammonia & amino acid in rumen by microbes. q. Un Degradable Intake Protein (UIP) bypass protein, escape protein or Rumen Un degradable Protein (RUP) : Not degraded in the rumen but is degraded in the abomasum.

q. Methionine : An essential sulfur containing amino acid involved in many vital enzymatic processes in the human and animal body. q. Lysine : Lysine is an essential amino acid for protein synthesis. It is the first limiting amino acid in corn/soybean-based swine diets.

q. Carbohydrates: They are biochemical compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. ü They are main source of energy for animals. ü Classification of carbohydrates : 1 - Non-structural carbohydrates. They are used as energy reserves (sugars, starch, and pectin). 2 - Structural carbohydrates They are used for providing fiber and anatomical features for rigidity and even water transport. (fibrous cellulose, lignin and hemi-cellulose).

q. Crude Fiber (CF): ü The more fibrous, less digestible portion of a feed. ü When CF content is higher, the energy content of the feed is lower because crude fiber is considered indigestible. ü Crude fiber is digested by microorganisms in the rumen. q. Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF): ü ü least digestible fiber portion of forage or other roughage. This highly indigestible part of forage includes: lignin, cellulose, silica.

q. Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF): ü NDF contains plant cell wall components. ü Represent the fibrous bulk of the forage and include : hemicelluloses, cellulose and lignin. ü Lignin is indigestible. ü Hemicelluloses and cellulose can be digested by microorganisms in animals rumen. ü NDF concentration is negatively correlated with dry matter intake. (As NDF in the forage increases, animals will consume less forage)

q. Fat: ü Fats are “triglycerides of fatty acids”. ü Fats are composed of building blocks called fatty acids. ü Fat is rich in energy; it contains 2. 25 to 2. 8 times the energy found in carbohydrates and is highly digestible. ü Fat is added to rations when intake may be limited due to: 1. Poor animal health. 2. Less palatable feed. 3. Environmental stress.

q. Ether Extract: Ether extract is a portion of dry matter extracted with ether. ü Includes some waxes, pigments. ü EE may solubilize some other compounds like plant pigments, esters and aldehydes. ü True fat can be measured by ether extract minus one. ü

q. Roughage: Any feed high (over about 20%) in crude fibre and low (under about 60%) in TDN, on an air-dry basis. ü Roughage refers to bulky and coarse feed high in fiber (greater than 18 percent crude fiber) but lower in energy than most concentrates. ü For example: forage, hay, silage and haylage are sometimes called roughage. ü q. Concentrates : Concentrates refer to animal feeds that are rich in energy and/or protein but low in fiber. ü For example: corn, soybean meal, oats, wheat, molasses. ü

q. Balanced Ration : Complete feed formulated to provide animal with appropriate amounts of all nutrients required for maintenance and a given level of performance. q. Balanced diet : It is feed supply of all essential nutrients in proper amounts required for optimum performance. q. Basal feed : Concentrated source of energy ( starch , sugar ).

q. Dry Matter (DM): Everything contained in a feed sample except water. Includes : protein, fiber, fat, minerals, etc. Ø It is the total weight of feed minus the weight of water in the feed, expressed as a percentage. Ø q. Dry Matter Intake (DMI) : Is the amount of dry matter consumed by the animal intake increases as the digestibility of the forage increases.

q. Dry Matter Basis “Dry Basis, ” “Dry Results” or “Moisture-free Basis: Nutrient levels in a feed sample based on its dry matter content. q. As-fed Basis “As-is Basis” or “As-received Basis: Ø Feed analyses reports often state results based on the feed’s natural state including water. Ø It is affected by the sample’s moisture level before drying.

q. Macro-minerals: Ø Elements present in the animal body in relatively larger amounts. Ø They help to build body tissues or to regulate metabolic activities. Ø The seven macro-minerals essential to animals are: calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sulphur (S) and chlorine (Cl).

q. Micro-minerals: Ø Trace minerals, are present in the animal body tissues in extremely low concentrations generally in milligram (mg) or microgram (µg) Ø There are ten micro-minerals recognized in animal nutrition: iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), cobalt (Co), iodine (I), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo) and nickel (Ni).