Animal Nutrition Exam 4

Swine, equine, sheep, goat, feline, and canine nutrition

Young female pig who hasn’t given birth

Gilt

A female pig who has had a least one litter of pigs

Sow

Intact male pig

Boar

Castrated male pig

Barrow

Newly weaned pig

Feeder pig

Factors effecting nutrient requirements

Environment, temperature, weather, housing, breed, sex, genetics, herd health, energy concentration in diet, availability and absorption of dietary nutrients, level of feed additives

Non-nutritional factors effecting feed efficiency

Feed wastage, stress, health status, adequacy of feed preparation (particle size and form)

Nutritional factors effecting feed efficiency of swine

Nutritional composition of diet, adequacy of diet for genetic type and production environement

Feed preferences of swine

Preference for sweets, don’t like salty or bitter feeds, feed intake can be stimulated through molasses, honey, or maple syrup

Energy in swine diets

Mostly supplied by carbohydrates and fats (cereal grains)

Cereal grain examples

Corn, milo, wheat, barely, and by-products

Corn (cereal grain)

Primary energy source, must be supplemented with amino acids (protein), vitamins, and minerals,

Fiber in swine diets

Digestion can be improved by feeding pellets or reducing particle size

Fiber in growing pigs

Should not receive more than 10% fiber or growth will suffer

Fiber in pregnant sows

Can be fed high levels of fiber (up to 95% alfalfa)

Fiber in lactating sows

Should not receive more than 50%

Fats in swine diets

Fat can be added to swine diets to cheaply increase the energy density, tends to increase backfat, choice of white grease, beef tallow, corn oil, soybean oil

Protein and amino acids in swine diets

Pig does not have a specific requirement for crude protein, they do have requirements for amino acids

The most common supplemented amino acids in swine diets

Lysine, methionine, tryptophan, and threonine

Limiting amino acid

Protein synthesis cannot proceed beyond level of any essential amino acid

Arginine (amino acid)

Only essential for growing swine

Histidine (amino acid)

Required during pregnancy but not maintenance

Calcium in swine diets

Comprises about 2% of the mature body (critical for lactating sow and growing pig), Limestone is source of supplemental Ca

Phosphorus in swine diets

Mainly supplied by dicalcium phosphate or monocalcium phosphate

Calcium to phosphorus ratio in swine

Should be between 1.0 to 1.5 (critical)

What are “Downer Sows” and how does it occurs

When sows are fed diets low in Ca and P, sows remove Ca and P from the bone, decreasing bone strength

Phytate Phosphorus

Unavailable form of phosphorus, 50% to 70% of P in plant products is unavailable to the pig, not digested and excreted in manure

Iron in swine diets

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General guidelines for lactating sows

Never limit feed, estimate feed intake patterns and adjust diet accordingly (meet target lysine and energy intakes), consider two or more lactation diets (summer vs winter, gilts vs sows)

Feeding Weaned Piglets

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Feeding the grower to finishing pigs

Multiple diet formations during grower to finishing, the level of protein decreases as the proportion of energy increases, creep feeding begins at about 24% protein and declines to 16% protein as the pig grows, between 3 to 6 diets used

Ractopamine*

Somatotropin

Porcine growth hormone, used for growth promotion in Australia (not approved in US), feed intake is dramatically reduced, protein deposition is increased by 60% and fat deposition is cut in half, must be injected

Chew time (general consideration of equine nutrition)

Horses need sufficient “chew time”, horses evolved to eat poor quality forage in small quantities throughout the day, but owners tend to feed them high quality forage twice per day, leads to long period of boredom where they want to chew on something

Obesity (general consideration of equine nutrition)

Obesity is the most common nutritional problem for horses, it is easy to overfeed them

Temperature (general consideration of equine nutrition)

Horses can maintain themselves over a broad range of temperatures, they can suffer cold stress at below 15 degrees C, below this digestible energy should increase 2.5% to help the horse meet additional requirements for heat protection

Feeding management guidelines for horses

Feed at the same time each day and on an individual basis, Fed according to body weight, need fiber and can be obtained by them consuming a minimum of 1% of body weight in hay, feed grain only if needed, should be fed at least twice a day and if confined allow access to hay throughout the day

Racks (horse feeding apparatus)

Hay racks are very common, best at reducing hay waste, racks put hay at eye level which allows more dust to get into eyes and nose

Nets (horse feeding apparatus)

Can be hung in stalls to hold hay off the ground, must be secured well to prevent horses from pulling them down

Buckets and bins (horse feeding apparatus)

Grain is normally fed in bins or buckets, grain intake should be monitored if multiple horses are fed together

Bins on the ground (horse feeding apparatus)

Work well because they allow the head to be in a normal feeding position, bins must be cleaned out regularly to prevent buildup of unpalatable components

Silage and NPN (equine feedstuff)

Horses can be fed a small amount of silage, should be less than 1/3 of total forage, mold is a major concern, NPN can be fed in small amounts to adults because they have a tolerance for ammonia in the blood (compared to other monogastrics)

Grain: Oats (equine feedstuff)

Traditional favorite, less likely to be overfed because they are higher in fiber compared to other grains and less energy dense, protein is high quality and high quantity, can be crimped to improve digestible energy content, more expensive than other grain, high energy source

Grain: corn (equine feedstuff)

Inexpensive grain, easy to overfeed because of palatability, contains twice the digestible energy as oats, susceptible to mold, is the basis of most pelleted total mixed rations for horses

Grain: barley (equine feedstuff)

Falls between oats and corn in terms of energy, protein, and price, can either be crimped or rolled to improve digestibility

Grain: energy supplements (equine feedstuff)

Molasses is commonly added to horse rations to improve palatability, the addition of molasses is responsible for the term “sweet feed”, corn oil is added to rations to provide extra energy, more commonly used in small amounts to get a shiny coat

Vitamins and minerals (equine feedstuff)

Horses receive vitamins from high-quality hays and grains, a horse ration must be balanced for Ca and P (about 1.43:1), trace minerals are normally provided to horses in a salt block

What are different ways horses can obtain water?

Automatic waterers, water tanks, water buckets, streams, ponds, and lakes

Horses fed at maintenance

Can be fed 100% grass hay, should be fed 1.5% to 2% of body weight

Horses fed during pregnancy

During the first 8 months a horse should be fed a maintenance diet, during the last 3 months the protein requirement increases to 11 to 12% and some supplementation of Ca and P is needed (can be met from switching from grass to alfalfa), total energy intake increases over the last 3 months, the final 3 months are also usually the coldest so additional energy may be needed due to cold stress

Horses fed during lactation

Nutrient requirements increase around 50% during this period, protein requirement increase 12-13%

Feeding a foal

Need as much colostrum as possible within the first 12 hours of birth, around 2 months old foals are eating significant amounts of feed and the milk the mare is producing isn’t enough for the growing foal, foals are fed about 250 g of a 16% creep feed per 50 kg body weight and have access to free choice hay, weaning begins around 4-5 months of age, after this foals should be offered about 500 g of grain/50 kg body weight until they are 7 to 8 months of age

Feeding a horse for performance

Needs additional energy, this is provided by increasing the quantity of the entire diet and supplementing with pre-mix energy supplement, the horse should receive 0.5 to 1.75 pounds of grain and 1 to 1.5 pounds of hay per 100 pounds of body weight, water requirements increase

Feeding geriatric horses

Feed companies have developed special grain mixes designed to be fed along with good quality hay, highly palatable and digestible with high quality protein, mixes are pelleted to prevent sorting and to keep dust minimum, contain oils to help with dust and maintain coat, high in vitamin C and contain highly fermentable fiber

Colic (equine disease)

The reaction of a horse to pain in its abdominal cavity (not an actual disease), caused by compaction of feed (when the feed is on gravel or sand and the horse eats too much soil), parasites (most common), tumors, overproduction of gas within the colon, sudden change in diet, dehydration

Laminitis (equine disease)

Also known as “founders disease”, inflammation of the hoof, due to high grain feeding, believed to occur due to the combination of high levels of lactic acid and an endotoxin in the blood,

Cat vs dog protein requirement

Cats have higher protein requirements than dogs, cats cannot regulate the rate of enzymatic protein breakdown in the body, if their diet is protein-deficient cats will break down their own body protein

Cat vs dog fat requirement

Cats have higher fat requirements than dogs, cats cannot convert saturated fatty acids into unsaturated fatty acids because they lack necessary enzymes

Taurine (cat nutrition)

Essential amino acid for cats that is needed for proper eye and heart muscle function

Arginine (cat nutrition)

Essential amino acid for cats that is needed to synthesize ornithine, ornithine binds ammonia produced from the breakdown of proteins, deficiency can cause ammonia buildup

Arachidonic acid (cat nutrition)

Cats cannot synthesize Arachidonic acid from Linoleic acid like dogs can, essential for inflammatory response, regulating skin growth, blood clotting, and maintaining proper reproductive and gastrointestinal function

Vitamin A and Niacin (cat nutrition)

Cats cannot convert B-carotene into vitamin A and tryptophan into niacin

FDA (Food and Drug Administration)

Responsible for several regulatory aspects of the pet food industry, establishes rules that identify proper labeling of pet food, regulates health claims on pet food labels

AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials)

Develops guidelines for the production, labeling, and sale of animal foods, ensures that foods are uniformly labeled and nutritionally complete

USDA

Inspection and regulation of research facilities

What does “Formulated to meet AAFCO’s nutrient requirements.” mean on a pet food label

Food that was tested in a lab and found to have the recommended amounts of protein, fat, etc

What does “Animal feeding tests/trials, using AAFCO’s procedures, substantiate that this product provides complete and balanced nutrition.” mean on a pet food label

Food that was tested on a population of animals for 6 months and shown to provide adequate nutrition

Different types of pet food

Dry, canned, semi-moist, homemade

Dry food

Most cost-effective and most popular, most common ingredients are cereal grains, meat/poultry/fish, vitamin and mineral supplements, stores well due to low moisture content, long shelf life, may aid in decreasing plaque build up on teeth, may be less palatable, reduced digestibility, loss of nutrients, poor nutrient availability

Canned food

More expensive than dry, about 75-80% moisture, 3 types from a processing standpoint (loaf, chunks/chunks in gravy, chunks in loaf combo), more palatable and digestible than dry, higher proportion of protein and fat, long shelf life, low proportion of digestible carbohydrates, high heat processing causes some nutrient loss, predisposes animal to obesity

Semi-moist food

Cost in somewhere between dry and canned, palatable, less odor than canned food, 15-30% moisture, high sugar content,

Information that must be on pet food label

Product name, net quantity statement, manufactures information (name, address, etc), ingredient listing, guaranteed analysis, nutritional adequacy, general feeding instructions, other label claims

AAFCO’s 95% rule

At least 95% of the named ingredients must be present in the product, products typically consist primarily of meat, poultry, or fish, ex. “beef dog food”

AAFCO’s 25% rule

Also known as the dinner rule, states that the named ingredient must comprise at least 25% of the product, but less than 95%, name must also contain a qualifying descriptive term (dinner, platter), ex. “beef dinner for dogs”

AAFCO’s 3% rule

Also known as the “with” rule, named ingredients highlighted on the label must be present at a minimum of 3%, ex. “cat food with tuna”

Net Quantity Statement

Each label must tell you how much of the product is in the bag, FDA regulations dictate the format, size, and placement of this information

Pet food ingredient list

Ingredients present are listed in or of predominance by weight, the first 5-10 ingredients make up 80% or more of a dry foods entire formula

Splitting tactic

Ingredients are broken down into several smaller sub-ingredients that appear lower on the ingredient list, tactic used by manufactures to disguise less desirable ingredients

What words appear on labels that are not regulated and have no meaning?

Premium, gourmet, and natural

Sheep vs goat nutrient requirements

Have similar nutrient requirements, goats have higher maintenance requirements, lambs tend to grow faster than kids, sheep convert feed more efficently

Trend for total head of sheep and lambs, breeding, and wool production

Decreasing over the past 20 years

Feeding a pregnant ewe

During the first 2 trimesters she will have low nutritional requirements consisting of good quality hay/forage/pasture, feeding during late gestation is more difficult because it depends on how many fetuses she is carrying, needs an increase in energy, protein, calcium, selenium, and vitamin E

Feeding an ewe during lactation

Ewes should be fed 1 pound of concentrate per day for each lamb she is nursing, protein and energy are critical for milk production and need to be increased

Feeding a sheep for wool production

Wool is mostly protein so protein intake and quality in crucial, wool is high in sulfur containing amino acids so the diet must be high in these, wool production is the first thing affected when an animal is in any sort of stress

Feeding a young lamb

Recommended for lambs to consume 10% of its body weight, by 4 to 6 weeks old they can be obtaining up to 50% of their nutrients from other sources other than milk, started on creep feed at 1 to 2 weeks old that is usually a grain supplement

Feeding a finishing lamb

Finished or “fattened” on pasture or with grain while in confinement, if they are grazing on pasture they are often supplemented with grain,

Feeding a ram

Mature breeding rams should be grazed on pasture when available,

Feeding a pregnant goat

During the first 3 months nutritional requirements are met with good quality hay or pasture and free choice mineral if needed, can reabsorb fetus is she gets too stressed, overfeeding can lead to ketosis or hypocalcemia, during the last 6-8 weeks nutritional requirements increase greatly, avoid feeding grain so the kids do not become too large and the doe will have difficulties delivering

Feeding a goat during lactation

The highest nutritional needs, feed grain and increase amount to several pounds a day, good quality hay or forage should be available as well

Feeding a kid goat

Colostrum as soon as possible after birth, should be encouraged to eat grain and forage by 10 days old to “jump start” rumen development, most are weaned between 60 and 90 days old

Feeding a billy goat (male breeding goat)

While breeding he can eat the same ration as the doe’s, they should all be receiving ½ pound of grain a day to maintain body condition, he will loose weight during breeding season, when separated from the does put him on a ration so he can gain the weight back, prone to kidney stones so grass hay is preferred over alfalfa hay

Pregnancy toxemia (sheep/goat nutritional diseases)

Also known as pregnancy disease, pregnancy ketosis or twin lamb/kid disease, metabolic disease that commonly occurs in the last 6 weeks of gestation with ewes/does with multiple fetuses, primary cause is lack of glucose as an energy source, important factors are undernourishment during late pregnancy and stress like severe weather, sudden changes in feed, disease, or transportation

Urolithiasis (urinary stones) (sheep/goat nutritional diseases)

Also known as urinary calculi, kidney/bladder stones, or water belly, metabolic disease of bucks (an intact male goat) and wethers (castrated goats)

Hypocalcemia (sheep/goat nutritional diseases)

Milk fever

Lactic acidosis (sheep/goat nutritional diseases)

Grain overload