Main description:

If you have ever wondered why animals prefer some foods and not others, how poor feeding management can cause conditions such as laminitis, rumenitis or diarrhoea, or how to construct a diet to optimise animal performance and health, then this book will introduce you to the fundamentals of animal nutrition and their practical implementation. While giving a comprehensive and practical overview of the principles that underpin the design and management of farm animal feeding systems, this book: - Covers a wide range of topics from digestive function, nutrients and feed composition, to intake, feed related disorders, grazing behaviour and management, as well as how animals influence climate change and the environment. - Contains hints, tips and practical advice on animal feeding. - Includes links to the latest data on feed composition and nutrient requirements. - Is a companion book to the author's book titled Animal Nutrition Science. With its evidence-based approach and emphasis on the practical throughout, this is a valuable textbook for undergraduate and graduate animal science students studying the feeding of farm animals. It is also an essential reference for early practitioners, veterinarians, farm managers and advisers in animal feed companies.

Contents:

Chapter 1: Nutrients and important feed constituents and their functions Chapter 2: Water Chapter 3: Digestion of feeds Chapter 4: Feed digestibility Chapter 5: Feed nutritive value Chapter 6: Animal feeds Chapter 7: Feed Intake Chapter 8: Nutrient requirements Chapter 9: Ration formulation Chapter 10: Nutritional models Chapter 11: Feed additives Chapter 12: Disorders caused by feed-borne pathogens and poisons, and nutrient deficiencies Chapter 13: Feed-related diseases Chapter 14: Grazing behaviour - diet selection and pasture intake Chapter 15: Grazing management Chapter 16: Assessing Nutritional Status and Nutrient Supplements for Grazing Animals Chapter 17: Feed storage and handling Chapter 18: Feed processing Chapter 19: Environment and climate change