Animal Nutrition Final Review

Animal Nutrition Exam Review – Study Guide

Antibiotics & Additives

2. Three reasons antibiotics may be fed to food animals:

• Disease prevention

• Disease treatment

• Growth promotion (now regulated)

3. Why is there a withdrawal period for animal drugs?
To ensure no harmful residues remain in meat or milk for human consumption.

4. Why reduce antibiotic use? What are alternatives?

• To prevent antibiotic resistance

• Alternatives: probiotics, prebiotics, essential oils, enzymes, organic acids

5. Examples of feed additives:

• Ionophores

• Antioxidants

• Flavor enhancers

Marine Mammals & Feeding Strategies

6. Carnivorous marine mammals (e.g., orcas):

• Use sharp teeth

• Hunt using sight/echolocation

7. Filter feeders (e.g., blue whales):

• Use baleen plates to filter plankton from water

8. Manatee diet & habitat:

• Eat aquatic plants

• Must live in warm water (no blubber)

• Killer whales survive cold due to thick blubber and metabolism

9. Why are marine mammals large?
To conserve heat and store energy

Livestock Nutrition

10. Broilers vs. Layers:

• Broilers: high energy/protein

• Layers: higher calcium for eggshells

11. Common poultry feeds:

• Corn, soybean meal, limestone, vitamins/minerals

12. Creep feed:
Special feed for young animals (e.g., calves, piglets) to promote early growth

13. Flushing and Steaming Up:

• Flushing: Pre-breeding energy boost (e.g., sheep)

• Steaming up: Pre-calving energy boost (e.g., dairy cows)

14. Goats in trees (browsers):

• Eat leaves, shrubs

• Sheep: prefer grasses

15. Animals needing sulfur amino acids (e.g., sheep):
For wool production – methionine and cysteine

16.

• Parturition: Giving birth

• Colostrum: First antibody-rich milk

• Esophageal groove: Directs milk to abomasum in young ruminants

17. Beef animal feeding stages:
Birth → Weaning → Backgrounding → Finishing → Slaughter

18. Rumen development:
As calves age, rumen grows, develops papillae, and begins fermentation

19. Pasture vs. confinement feeding:

• Pasture: slower growth, healthier meat

• Confinement: faster gain, less exercise

20. Feedlot vs. grass-finished:

• Feedlot: high-energy, marbled meat

• Grass: leaner, stronger flavor

Zoo & Pet Nutrition

21. Balancing a zoo diet:

• Research natural diet

• Use NRC guidelines

• Consult experts

22. Assessing zoo animal diet:

• Feed intake

• Body condition scoring

• Fecal analysis

23. Zoo feeding considerations:

• Natural feeding behavior

• Nutrient safety/balance

24. Omnivore: Eats plants and animals

25. Carnivore: Eats primarily meat

26. Sustainable pet food:

• Use by-products

• Insect protein

• Local sourcing

27. Pet diet pros/cons:

• Raw: risk of pathogens

• Vegan: hard to balance, esp. in cats

• Grain-free: potential link to DCM

28. Pet obesity risk factors:

• Overfeeding

• Inactivity

• Neutering

• Treats

Aquaculture Nutrition

29. Decline in fish meal/oil use:

• Expensive

• Unsustainable

30. Why they’re ideal:

• High-quality protein

• Good amino acid profile

• Digestible

31. P:E Ratio (Protein:Energy):
Used to optimize growth and efficiency

Dairy & Swine Nutrition

32. Colostrum: Antibody-rich first milk

33. Why within 24 hours?
Gut closes; absorption of antibodies declines

34. Why milk replacer is used:

• Cost-effective

• Safer

• Consistent quality

35. Lactating vs. dry cow diets:

• Lactating: high energy/protein

• Dry: maintenance, prevent disease

36. Dairy cow diseases:

• Ketosis

• Milk fever

• Acidosis

• Displaced abomasum

37. Calorie deficit in early lactation:

• Uses body fat

• Body Condition Score (BCS) to track changes

• Weight drops after calving, then recovers

38. Pig diet progression:
Milk → Creep feed → Grower → Finisher → Breeding diet

Waste Management

39. Excreting excess N:
Converted to urea → urine

40. Excreting phytate P:
In feces unless enzyme (phytase) is added

41. Reducing N and P excretion:

• Precision feeding

• Enzyme additives