Animal Nutrition and Feeding

As a formative course, it must promote in the student a new way of observing and understanding the phenomena related to their field, approaching them with an open, analytical, and critical attitude.
As an instructive course, it must offer the student the infrastructure to acquire adequate knowledge about:
- The basic terminology used in Animal Nutrition and Feeding.
- The raw materials used in animal feeding and their nutritional value.
- The assessment of nutritional needs appropriate to the species and state of the animal.
These three main points, together with the application of previously acquired knowledge about digestive physiology and metabolism, should provide the student with the adequate bases for the final objective, which is the formulation of rations and concentrate elaboration. At the end of the semester, the student must be able to identify, calculate and assess the key points for the formulation of appropriate rations for each type of animal.

LECTURES. (33 hours)

Thematic group I: Introduction to Animal Nutrition and Feeding. (11 hours)
Unit 1.- Concepts, evolution and perspectives of animal nutrition and feeding.
Unit 2.- Food composition and digestibility.
Unit 3.- Energetic and protein assessment of animal food.
Unit 4.- Nutrient needs of animals.
Unit 5.- Voluntary food intake.

Thematic group II: Zootechnical bromatology. (8 hours)
Unit 6.- Introduction. Drinking water.
Unit 7.- Nutritive value of forages.
Unit 8.- Nutritive value of grain cereals and their by-products.
Unit 9.- Nutritive value of vegetable and animal protein sources.
Unit 10.- Nutritive value of other fibrous foods.
Unit 11.- Nutritve value of roots, tubers, fruits and their by-produtcs.
Unit 12.- Nutritive value of fats, oils, and glycerol.
Unit 13.- Nutritive value of minerals, additives, and premixes.
Unit 14.- Nutritive value of concentrates. Fabrication process. Legistaltion.

Thematic group III: Nutritional needs, rationing standards and feeding management in monogastric animals. (7 hours)
Unit 15.- Feeding of pigs.
Unit 16.- Feeding of chicken.
Unit 17.- Feeding of pullets and commercial layers.
Unit 18.- Feeding of rabbits.
Unit 19.- Feeding of horses.
Unit 20.- Feeding of dogs and cats.
Unit 21.- Feeding of fish.

Thematic group IV: Nutritional needs, rationing standards and feeding management in ruminants. (7 hours).
Unit 22.- Feeding of dairy cattle.
Unit 23.- Feeding of beef cattle.
Unit 24.- Feeding of sheep.
Unit 25.- Feeding of goats.

INTERACTIVE TEACHING. (36 hours).
LB1 (3 hours): Food assessment: Chemical composition
LB2 (3 hours): Energy assessment. Interpretation of composition tables. Identification of raw materials
LB3 (3 hours): Protein assessment. Interpretation of composition tables. Identification of raw materials
LB4 (3 hours): Silage quality assessment
OR1 (3 hours): Legislation about concentrate labelling
LB5 (3 hours): Nutritional evaluation of pet food
OR2 (3 hours): Formulation of concentrates and rations (I)
OR3 (3 hours): Formulation of concentrates and rations (II)
OR4 (3 hours): Formulation and assessment of dairy cattle rations
CA1 (4 hours): Visit to a feed factory or to companies related to animal feed (field practices)
C1 (5 hours): Checking the dairy cattle ration at Gayoso Castro experimental farm

Basic bibliography:
FEDNA (Fundación Española para el Desarrollo de la Nutrición Animal). [sitio web]. Tablas FEDNA de composición de alimentos. Normas FEDNA para la formulación de piensos. Control de calidad de materias primas. Avaliable in: http://www.fundacionfedna.org/
I.N.R.A. (1990). Alimentación de bovinos, ovinos y caprinos. Ed. Mundi-Prensa, Madrid.
I.N.R.A. (2010). Alimentación de bovinos, ovinos y caprinos: necesidades de los animales, valores de los alimentos. Tablas INRA 2007. Ed. Quae, Versailles Cedex; Ed. Acribia, Zaragoza.
RUEDA, V. y ROLDÁN, C. (2013). Guía didáctica de Nutrición y Alimentación Animal: Bromatología y Monogástricos Ed. Unicopia A.G.S.L., Lugo.

Complementary bibliography:
BACH, A. y CALSAMIGLIA, S. (2002). Manual de racionamiento para el vacuno lechero. Ed. Servet, S.L
CHURCH, D.C., et al. (2002). Fundamentos de nutrición y alimentación de animales. Ed. Limusa, México.
CASE, L. (2001). Nutrición canina y felina. Ed. Harcourt, Madrid.
I.N.R.A. (2012) Nutritition et alimentation des chevaux. Ed Quae. Versailles.
I.N.R.A. (2018). Alimentation des ruminants: Apports nutritionnels-Besoins et réponses des animaux-Rationnement-Tables des valeurs des aliments. Editions Quae Versailles.
KLEYN R. (2020). Broiler nutrition. Contetx Products, Leicestershire
McDONALD, P., EDWARDS, R.A., GREENHALGH, J.F.D., MORGAN, C.A. (2006). Nutrición animal. Ed. Acribia, Zaragoza.
Mc L. DRYDEN (2008). Animal Nutrition Science. Ed. CABI. Cambridge, Massachussets
MESCHY F. (2019). Nutrition minérale des ruminants. Ed. Quae. Versailles.
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. (2016). Nutrient requirements of beef cattle. Ed. National Academy Press, Washington.
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. (2021). Nutrient requirements of dairy cattle. Ed. National Academy Press, Washington.
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. (2006). Nutrient requirements of dog and cats. Ed. National Academy Press, Washington.
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. (2011). Nutrient requirements of fish and shrimp. Ed. National Academy Press, Washington.
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. (2007). Nutrient requirements of horses. Ed. National Academy Press, Washington.
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. (2007). Nutrient requirements of small ruminants. Ed. National Academy Press, Washington.
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. (2012). Nutrient requirements of swine. Ed. National Academy Press, Washington.
NOBLET J., VAN MIILGEN J. (2013) Energy and energy metabolism in swine. Wiley-Blackwell, New Jersey.
SAUVANT, D., PEREZ, J.-M. y TRAN, G. (2004). Tablas de composición y de valor nutritivo de las materias primas destinadas a los animales de interés ganadero : cerdos, aves, bovinos, ovinos, caprinos, conejos, caballos y peces. Ed. Mundi-Prensa, Madrid.
WOLTER R. et al. (2014). L´álimentation du cheval. Ed. France Agricole, Paris.
ZEA, J., DÍAZ, M.D. (1990). Producción de carne con pastos y forrajes. Ed. Mundi-Prensa, Madrid.

Some web resources:
https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/alimentacion-animal/
https://fefac.eu/
https://cesfac.es/es/
https://feedtables.com/
https://nutricionanimal.info/
https://alimentacion-animal.elika.eus/
https://www.anembe.com/
https://extension.psu.edu/animals-and-livestock
https://ruminantdigestivesystem.com/
https://www.expertpetnutrition.com/
https://www.fediaf.org/
https://www.aafco.org/
https://www.anfaac.org/inicio/
https://www.3tres3.com/home_nutricion/
https://avicultura.com/nutricion-y-alimentacion-avicola/
https://aquafeed.co.uk/

As General Competences of the Veterinary Degree, the student must acquire:
- Capability for analysis and synthesis. (GVUSC02).
- Capability to put knowledge into practice. (GVUSC05).
- Ethical commitment and undertaking of responsibilities. (GVUSC10).
As Specific Disciplinary Competences, the student must acquire knowledge about:
- Livestock breeding, genetic improvement, management and animal welfare. (CEDVUSC 03).
- Knowledge of the functional and optimization bases of plant and animal production systems and its environment impact. (CEDVUSC 11).
- To know the veterinary rules and laws, as well as animal trade regulations. (CEDVUSC 14).
- To know the rights and duties of the veterinarian, with special emphasis on ethical principles. (CDEVUSC 15).
- To know the basic analytical techniques and its interpretation. (CEDVUSC 16).

A Specific Professional Competences, the student must be able to:
- Perform standard laboratory tests, and interpret clinical, biological and chemical results. (D1VUSC 03).
- Identify raw materials for animal feeding and management of dietary programs appropriate to the species and condition of the animals. (D1VUSC 10).
- Evaluate and interpret health and production parameters of ana animal group, considering the economic, environmental and welfare aspects, and seeking their optimization. (D1VUSC 11).
- Technical and economic advice and management of veterinary companies in the context of sustainability. (D1VUSC 15).
- Perform technical reports specific to veterinary competences. (D1VUSC 17).

As Specific Academic Competences, the student must:
- Analyze, synthesize and solve problems and make within the scope of the Veterinary profession. (CEAVUSC 01).
- Be aware of the ethical responsibilities of the veterinary profession in relation to the society. (CEAVUSC 02).
- Being aware of the need to keep professional skills and knowledge up-to-date thorough a process of lifelong learning. (CEAVUSC 08).

Finally, within the Transversal Competences, the student must acquire:
- Capacity for reasoning and argument. (CTVUSC 01).
- Ability to develop and present an organized and understandable text. (CTVUSC 03).
- Skill in the use of ICTs. (CTVUSC 05).
- Ability to solve problems through the integration and application of knowledge. (CTVUSC 07).

Lecture teaching consists of 33 sessions of 50 minutes duration, with a distribution in hours that will be as close as possible to that shown in the Contents section, making systematic use of the virtual campus and ICTs as support to lecture sessions.

The interactive sessions stimulate the students’ activity, the application of the knowledge provided in the lectures, as well as teamwork. The both in the laboratory (Laboratory and seminar Animal nutrition and feeding) and on the computer (Computer room), are aimed at formulating rations and concentrate. The student has a Practice Guide to develop the projects. It begins by setting the objectives of the practice and then lead student to work.
Students must obey basic biosecurity rules placed at laboratory door.
Practices in companies related to animal nutrition, concentrate factories or livestock farms allow the student to clarify concepts, solve doubts and know the most frequent problems in this sector, thus facilitating their learning.
In active visits to "Campus Terra" teaching farm, students must complete a script previously prepared by professors responsible of Animal Nutrition subject. The practice consists of analysing and/or measuring different parameters in order to assess the ration provided to the animals and prepare a final report about ration.
Tutorial (NAA T1; seminar Animal nutrition and feeding) is a teaching technique that represents a great benefit for teaching, both for the resolution of doubts that students have about the subject, and for guidance on the elaboration of proposed projects in the practical sessions.
The teaching material used will be available to the student through the USC Virtual Campus.

The knowledge acquired both in the lectures and in the interactive sessions will be evaluated. The final mark will be made up of:

- 50% of continuous evaluation. Practical teaching evaluation and other activities within continuous evaluation:
Projects, reports and/or test for practical teaching evaluation
Quick answer questionnaires that will be done during the interactive sessions
The continuous evaluation will be carried out within the hours of the interactive sessions. In the event that for any reason it is not possible to finish the activity at the end of the session, there will be a week for its completion and delivery.
Participation with a positive and implicated attitude during activities carried out will be valued.

- 50% of a final exam of complete subject. All knowledge acquire in both lectures and practical sessions are assessable in final exam. Questions presented in final exams could have the format of sentences to identify as true or false, multiple choice questions and/or short answer questions. A penalty will be applied to questions answered incorrectly. It is necessary to obtain a minimum of 5 points (out or 10) to proceed to calculate the final average mark. In this case, the note of the continuous evaluation will be added. If the final exam is not passed, the grade that will be applied will be the one obtained in this exam, relativized to ten and the sum with the other grades will not be made.

It should be noted that projects proposed in the evaluation test will not necessarily be similar to those carried out in class, but may pose new situations to which the concepts and skills acquired can be applied, in order to even evaluate personal opinions and the technical language used.

The internships are considered compulsory teaching activities for all students, although they can be validated for one year, provided that the continuous evaluation is passed (5/10). For potential repeating students, said note will be kept for that course, unless they voluntarily wish to repeat the practices

In this matter, no total class attendance waiver is granted. Based on Instruction No. 1/2017 of the General Secretariat, those students who are granted partial class attendance waiver will not have the duty to attend lecture classes, but the duty to attend all interactive activities is maintained, as they are attendance is necessary in person. The evaluation system for those students with a partial class attendance waiver granted based on the required instruction will be the same for all students, since in the expository classes, for which the partial class attendance waiver is granted, no evaluation activities are carried out.

In the case of fraudulent realization of exercises, tests or exams, it will be applied the “Regulations for the evaluation of academical students performance and of qualifications review”.

The 70 hours of face-to-face work on this subject are divided into:
- Lectures: 33 hours.
- Interactive sessions: 36 hours:
Laboratory/computer: 27 hours.
Active visits: 5 hours.
Field practices: 4 hours.
- Tutorials: 1 hour.
Total hours of face-to-face work: 70

Despite the fact of existing a great variability in the learning capacity of students and this fact determinates the study time and personal work of the student, taking into account the methodology and course agenda, we estimate that an “average” student needs to dedicate:
- Individual study: 58 hours.
- Projects elaboration: 7 hours.
- Solving cases/problems: 12 hours.
- Taking exams: 3 hours.
Total hours of student personal work: 80

Therefore:
Total hours of student personal work: 80 + total hours of face-to-face work: 70
Total hours: 150

To obtain the best personal performance, the student should:
1.- Make a constant follow-up of the subject.
2.- Sort, analyse and thing weekly about the subject taught.
3.- Benefit from tutorials to solve and/or raise broader questions or topics.
4.- Always go to review exams.
5.- Keep in mind that the professor maintains a positive attitude towards the students and their proposals.
At the beginning of each exam or control, the student is informed in writing that “An important part of the exam consists of understanding and interpreting the statements and questions posed, as well as the selection of the data that you should use. Therefore, the professor does not answer questions during the examination. Any data that is missing or you consider doubtful can be assumed or verified based on the documentation you have. It is not allowed to unstapled the exam; additional sheets will not be collected”. The type of questions or issues raised in the exam never lends itself to digression, but it is still recommended that the student be concise, specific, and organized.