ANIMAL HUSBANDRY III (FEED AND NUTRITION) BAG202

Distance Learning Animal Feed and Nutrition Course

COURSE STRUCTURE

• Describe the range of livestock feeds and feeding methods available for animal production, using accepted industry terminology.
• Explain the role of energy foods, including the sources and functions of those foods, in animal diets.
• Explain the function of the major nutritional groups, including proteins, vitamins, minerals and trace elements in animal diets.
• Explain the on-farm methods used to evaluate feeding, including selection of feeds and feed digestibility.
• Evaluate the dietary value of pastures, including grasses, cereals, and other edible plants, and their by-products for animal feeds.
• Explain the dietary value of seeds, including oil seeds, legume seeds and their by-products as food sources for animals.
• Evaluate the dietary value of fodder plants, including trees and shrubs and their by-products, as a food source in animal production.
• Determine suitable feed rations for a farm animal maintenance program.
• Analyse the method(s) to determine suitable feed rations in a farm animal production program.
• Evaluate the dietary value of protein in an animal production program.
• Explain the factors affecting the composition of feed rations in animal production.

DURATION: 100 hours

 What qualification will I achieve for completing this course?

This is an individual module course. The individual module courses are 100 hour long usually and can be taken on their own or as part of a larger program of study.

If you wish to take an individual module course as a stand alone course, you can elect to sit an optional exam at the end of it.

If you successfully pass the exam and all assignments, you will receive a Statement of Attainment. You can take examinations at a time and location to suit you. If you enrol, you will be sent further information on how to arrange examinations at the end of the course.

If you do not wish to take the exam, you will receive a Course Completion letter when you have passed all assignments.

There is an assignment at the end of each lesson. So for example, if an individual module course contains ten lessons, you will need to complete ten assignments. Assignments can be sent to us via email, post or fax.

Other qualifications, such as certificates, diplomas etc may require examinations to be taken as part of the overall assessment process.

You can find further information on the examinations process by clicking on the “Enrolment” link above.

You can find further information on other courses by clicking on the “Courses” link above.

WHAT THE COURSE COVERS

Here are just some of the things you will be doing:

• Explain the importance of feed quality in livestock production.
• Describe the various food groups that animal foodstuffs are based upon.
• Define relevant industry terms related to livestock feed, feeding and feed processing.
• Explain the role of water in animal nutrition.
• Describe different, commercially available, animal feeds, including the composition and appropriate uses for each.
• List the chemical names of different carbohydrates which are of importance to animal production.
• Evaluate the roles of different carbohydrates in animal metabolism.
• List the important sources of carbohydrates for different types of farm animals.
• List the chemical names of different fats which are important to animal production.
• Compare fat deposition patterns in three different animals.
• Explain the role of lipids in animal metabolism.
• List the important sources of fats and lipids used in livestock feeds.
• Explain the importance of proteins to animal production.
• Describe the chemical composition of naturally occurring proteins.
• List the sources of protein commonly used in foodstuffs for different types of farm animal species.
• Explain the differences in protein requirements for different animals.
• List vitamins of importance in livestock nutrition.
• List minerals of importance in livestock nutrition, including their: *source foods *requirement levels *physiological functions *deficiency symptoms.
• List trace elements of importance in livestock nutrition, and including their: *source foods *requirement levels *physiological functions *deficiency symptoms.
• Prepare a one page chart or table comparing the vitamin, mineral, protein and trace elements components of different commercial animal feeds.
• Explain the function and source of the various nutritional components found in different commercial livestock nutrient supplements.
• Describe the components of a specified animal feed.
• Distinguish between the 'protein value' and 'energy value' of specified animal feeds.
• Explain the concept of 'digestibility' as it relates to animal feed.
• Describe the techniques used to calculate digestibility of animal feeds.
• Perform a calculation of digestibility for a specified feed.
• Describe standard methods used to assess animal feeds.
• Compare different feeds, in terms of *composition *relative digestibility *palatability.
• List cereals and cereal by-product feeds used in animal production.
• Describe the food value characteristics of cereals and cereal by-product feeds used in animal production.
• List grasses and forage crops used as farm animal feeds.
• Describe the dietary value of forage crops, including grasses, used in animal production.
• List at harvested feed products, including hay, roughage and silage used as feeds in animal production.
• Explain the dietary value characteristics of harvested feed products including hays, roughage and silage used in animal production.
• Explain the dietary value of a growing pasture, on a farm you visit.
• Compare the nutritional value to farm animals, of different pasture foodstuffs, including cereals, grasses, hay and their by-products.
• List four oil seeds (or their by-products) used as feeds in animal production.
• Explain the use of oil seeds (or their by-products) as animal feeds.
• List legume seeds used as feeds in animal production.
• Evaluate the dietary value of different legume seeds, as animal feeds.
• Collect small samples of three oil seeds and legume seeds.
• Compare the characteristics of different oil seed species, with different legume seed species.
• List fodder plants (or their by-products) used as feed in animal production.
• Recommend how different fodder plant species may be used as an animal feed source.
• Compare the nutritional value of different fodder plant species.
• Explain the objective of maintenance rationing in different farm situations.
• Explain the differences in feed rations.
• Describe the nutritional requirements of different types of livestock.
• Calculate a 'maintenance feed ration' for a specified farm animal.
• Develop a maintenance feeding program, for a group of animals.
• Design different types of animal feeds/rations
• Define, using examples, the concept of 'production rations'.
• Explain the objective of production rationing in different farm situations you observe.
• Explain differences in production feed ration given to the same type of animal on two different farms.
• Explain the nutritional requirements for a specified type of  livestock production.
• Calculate a 'production feed ration' for a specified farm animal.
• Develop a production feeding program for a herd of milking dairy cattle.
• Explain the uses of ready-mix feeds as protein supplements for farm animals.
• Calculate the protein requirements of a production feed ration for an animal.
• Explain the assumptions behind feed ration calculations.
• Explain the rationing factors, including food quality and palatability.
• Describe the role of acids in specified animal diets.

   

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   OUR TUTORS

  Dr. Gareth Pearce BSc(Hons), BVSc, MA, MVetS, PhD, GradCertEd(HE), PGCertAqVetS, PGCertWLBio&Cons, DiplECPHM, MRCVS. Gareth has over 25 years of experience in teaching and research in agriculture, veterinary medicine, wildlife ecology and conservation in a variety of colleges and universities in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. He qualified as a veterinary surgeon at the Universities of Melbourne and Bristol, having previously graduated in Agricultural Science and gained a PhD in Livestock Behaviour and Production. He also has post-graduate qualifications in Education, Wildlife Conservation Medicine, Aquatic Veterinary Studies and Wildlife Biology & Conservation.

  Anna Sylvester B.Sc.Hons.(Human Biology), M.Sc.Equine
  Anna graduated with a degree in Human Biology from Loughborough University and then went on to complete an MSc in Equine Science at The University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and has a high level of expertise in equine science. She has since spent time in managerial, research and lecturing positions. She also has practical equine experience, and still competes nationally whenever the opportunity arises.

  Marius Erasmus B.Sc.Agric., B.Sc.(Wildlife), M.Sc.Agric.
  Subsequent to completing a BSc (agric) degree in animal science, he completed an honours degree in wildlife management, and a masters degree in production animal physiology. Following the Masters degree, he has worked for 9 years in the UK, and South Africa; in wildlife management, dairy, beef and poultry farming.

Home Study Feed and Nutrition Course

Feeding of farm animals

• Learn about animal feed and nutrition from expert tutors.

• Understand how to evaluate and select feeds.

• All tutors are highly experienced in the field.Study at a time to suit you.

• Learn how to understand the composition of a range of feeds - including pasture, fodder crops, grasses, cereals, seed, and other edible plants.

This course also explains the role of proteins, vitamins and minerals in animal diets. It equips you with the skills required to evaluate feeding and select appropriate feeds - for digestibility and nutritional content - applicable to real life farming situations.