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.
E-Learning Structure
The duration of this online course is 100 hours. This consists of 10 in-depth lessons:
- Introduction To Animal Foods
- Food Components: Carbohydrates, Fats
- Food Components: Proteins, Minerals
- Evaluating Foods & Digestibility
- Classifying Foods: Part A
- Classifying Foods: Part B
- Classifying Foods: Part C
- Calculating Rations: Part A
- Calculating Rations: Part B
- Calculating Rations: Part C
Course Aims
- Explain the importance of feed quality in livestock production.
- Describe the various food groups that animal foodstuffs are based upon.
- Define at least fifteen relevant industry terms related to livestock feed, feeding and feed processing.
- Explain the role of water in animal nutrition.
- Describe three different, commercially available, animal feeds, including the composition and appropriate uses for each.
- List the chemical names of at least five different carbohydrates which are of importance to animal production.
- Evaluate the roles of four different carbohydrates in animal metabolism.
- List the important sources of carbohydrates for at least four different types of farm animals.
- List the chemical names of at least five different fats which are important to animal production.
- Compare fat deposition patterns in three different animals.
- Explain the role of two different 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 two different types of farm animal species.
- Explain the differences in protein requirements for different animals.
- List five vitamins of importance in livestock nutrition.
- List five minerals of importance in livestock nutrition, including their: *source foods *requirement levels *physiological functions *deficiency symptoms.
- List five 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 three different commercial animal feeds.
- Explain the function and source of the various nutritional components found in three different commercial livestock nutrient supplements.
- Describe the components of a specified animal feed.
- Distinguish between the ‘protein value’ and ‘energy value’ of two 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 two standard methods used to assess animal feeds.
- Compare five different feeds, in terms of *composition *relative digestibility *palatability.
- List at least five cereal and cereal by-product feeds used in animal production.
- Describe the food value characteristics of five cereals and cereal by-product feeds used in animal production.
- List at least five grasses and forage crops used as farm animal feeds.
- Describe the dietary value of five forage crops, including grasses, used in animal production.
- List at least five harvested feed products, including hay, roughage and silage used as feeds in animal production.
- Explain the dietary value characteristics of five harvested feed products including hays, roughage and silage used in animal production.
- Explain the dietary value of a growing pasture, on a farm visited and studied by you.
- Compare the nutritional value to farm animals, of ten 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 three legume seeds used as feeds in animal production.
- Evaluate the dietary value of three different legume seeds, as animal feeds.
- Collect small samples of three oil seeds and three legume seeds.
- Compare the characteristics of two different oil seed species, with two different legume seed species. -List five fodder plants (or their by-products) used as feed in animal production.
- Provide recommendations on how three different fodder plant species may be used as an animal feed source on a specified farm.
- Compare the nutritional value of three different fodder plant species.
- Explain the objective of maintenance rationing in two different farm situations observed by you.
- Explain the differences in feed rations given to maintain the same type of animal on two separate farms.
- Describe the nutritional requirements of two different specified types of livestock.
- Calculate a ‘maintenance feed ration’ for a specified farm animal.
- Develop a maintenance feeding program, for a group of animals, such as a herd of cattle or flock of sheep.
- Design three different types of animal feeds/rations, for three specified purposes.
- Define, using examples, the concept of ‘production rations’.
- Explain the objective of production rationing in two different farm situations observed by you.
- Explain the differences in the production feed ration given to maintain the same type of animal on two different farms.
- Explain the nutritional requirements for a specified type of production livestock.
- Calculate a ‘production feed ration’ for a specified farm animal.
- Develop a production feeding program for a herd of milking dairy cattle, in a specified locality.
- Explain the uses of ready-mix feeds as protein supplements for farm animals in two specified situations.
- Calculate, using two different methods, the protein requirements of a production feed ration for a specified farm animal.
- Explain the assumptions behind feed ration calculations for farm animals in a specified situation.
- Explain the rationing factors, including food quality and palatability, for three different specified situations.
- Describe the role of acids in two different specified animal diets.
How Does A Warnborough Online Course Work?
You can start the course whenever is convenient for you. You will be studying from home and have access to support from our qualified tutors. Practical exercises and research tasks will be set at the end of each lesson – including an assignment. You will submit this assignment to your course tutor, who will mark your work and give you constructive feedback and suggestions.
If you have any questions please contact us.
