Animal nutrition involves consuming and utilizing food to provide essential nutrients for life processes. A balanced ration must supply nutrients for energy, growth, lactation and maturity while maintaining efficiency. The six essential nutrients are water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Water dissolves nutrients and regulates temperature while carbohydrates, fats and proteins provide energy. Vitamins and minerals are also required to ensure life.

1. Animal Nutrition By: Brad and Jon

2. Nutrition Nutrition- the process in which animals consume and utilize food. Feed efficiency= “rate of gain” The feed must have proper nutrients to support life processes of an animal. Diet must provide balanced ration.

3. Feed effifiency Livestock producers- watch nutrition to decrease the # of days until market. Companion Animal Owners- limit animal feed in order to maintain animal health and contentment. Balanced Ration- the total amount of feed an animal gets in 24 hour period.

4. 6 Essential Nutrients Needed to insure life Provide lots of energy Without them, problems can occur body mass, lactation, maturity time

5. water Dissolves nutrients that animals eat, controls body temp., carries nutrients throughout the body. Notable facts: younger animals have 80% water and 40%-80% maturity animals. You give them water and should be fresh and clean

6. Carbohydrates Provides energy, which powers muscles in the animal. Produces body heat and provide fat if not burned. Made of starches, sugars, cellulose Simple carbs- easily digested in nitrogen free extract. Complex- fibers more difficult to digest 75% carbs Can be obtained from cane molasses, ground corn, wheat middlings and dehydrated alfalfa meal.

7. Fats Provide body with heat and energy Easily digestable Contains 1-5% in feeds Come from animal and vegetable sources Brewer’s dried grains, corn gluten meal, and distillers dried grains.