Search

Numerous authors have presented analyses of the world food problem and the appropriate role of animals in food production and have drawn qualitative conclusions. However, projection and planning require quantitative considerations, and this volume addresses that challenge. Experts in animal science, farm management, economics, international agriculture, and nutrition elucidate and debate germane issues with scientific rigor. They examine the efficiency and economics of animal production, feed resource availability, interactions between plant and animal agricultures, international trade, resource allocation, roles of animals in developing countries, and the nutritional values and limitations of animal products.

The science of animal nutrition has made significant advances in the past century. In looking back at the discoveries of the 20th century, we can appreciate the tremendous impact that animal nutrition has had on our lives. From the discovery of vitamins and the sweeping shift in the use of oilseeds to replace animal products as dietary protein sources for animals during the war times of the 1900s-to our integral understanding of nutrients as regulators of gene expression today-animal nutrition has been the cornerstone for scientific advances in many areas. At the milestone of their 70th year of service to the nation, the National Research Council's (NRC) Committee on Animal Nutrition (CAN) sought to gain a better understanding of the magnitude of recent discoveries and directions in animal nutrition for the new century we are embarking upon. With financial support from the NRC, the committee was able to organize and host a symposium that featured scientists from many backgrounds who were asked to share their ideas about the potential of animal nutrition to address current problems and future challenges.

Nutrient management is an important aspect of feeding livestock and poultry. Today, there is more attention directed toward this issue in animal production than ever before. The heightened awareness of the environmental impacts associated with animal production has caused animal nutritionists to refocus their thoughts, practices, and expectations regarding how nutrients are supplied to animals. In addition, the increase in the size and intensity of modern production units demands new technologies for enhancing nutrient utilization and for reducing the amount of nutrients excreted. Covering these issues and more, Nutrient Management of Food Animals to Enhance and Protect the Environment is a reference tool for agricultural industry leaders, private practitioners, governmental agencies, and researchers.

Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition: 1992 is an annual review of the changes and updates in the field of animal nutrition, especially progresses in the study of feeds. The book is divided into four parts. Part I discusses topics related to nutrition in non-ruminant animals, while Part II covers ruminant nutrition. Part III tackles studies about general nutrition such as the use of growth promoters in animal feeds and predicting the response to variation and diet, and Part IV deals with feed compounding and its effects. The text is recommended for agriculturists, zoologists, and those involved in the development and manufacture of feeds who would like to know more about the nutrition of agriculturally important animals.

Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition — 1982 focuses on the compositions of animal feeds. The book first discusses the presence of molds and mycotoxins in animal feeds. Controlling mycotoxin exposure, formation and effects of mycotoxins, and microbiology of feeds are described. The text surveys the anti-nutritive factors in animal feeds. Substances depressing digestion or metabolic utilization of proteins; substances reducing the solubility or interfering with the utilization of mineral elements; and substances inactivating or increasing the requirements of vitamins are discussed. The book also highlights oilseed meals for livestock feeding; the use of databases for the composition and nutritive value of animal feeds; and energy evaluation of poultry rations. The text underscores the influence of nutrition on hatchability, including the composition and size of hatching eggs; the right amounts of proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals; feed ingredients; and feeding practices. The book also discusses the energy and protein requirements of pigs and methods used in the analysis of the energy content of ruminant feeds. The selection is a good source of data for readers interested in studying the compositions of animal feeds.

Feed Energy Sources for Livestock focuses on the compositions of animal feeds. The book first looks at the background of world grain supplies from 1972 to 1974 and 1975 onwards. The text discusses alternatives to conventional cereals. Fats in ruminants, pigs, and poultry diets; chemically treated straw; and less conventional raw materials are described. The book also looks at molasses and its by-products, processing of cereals, and the effects of an alkali technique on the nutritive value of straws. The text discusses as well the laboratory methods used in evaluating the energy value of feedstuffs. Neutral detergent fiber; in vitro rumen digestibility; Tilley and Terry in vitro rumen method; in vitro true digestibility; and modified acid detergent fiber are considered. The book then focuses on the sources, availability, and use of additional phosphorous for ruminants; selenium and Vitamin E in poultry rations; and the use of rapeseed meal in pig and poultry rations. The selection is a valuable source of information for readers wanting to study the contents of animal feeds.

Nutrition Conference for Feed Manufacturers: 7 is a collection of papers dealing with horse nutrition and ruminant nutrition. This collection of papers is divided in four parts. Part 1 deals with the evaluation of the dietary needs of ruminants, finding the need to replace their feeding systems by replacing the starch equivalent system with the metabolizable energy system. Feed and energy value calculation are likewise explained where metabolizable energy (ME) is shown to be easily calculated with reference to the Agricultural Research Council system and later analyses. Observations on the efficiency of utilization of metabolizable energy in meat and milk follow, as feeding not only involves the efficient use of energy from the feed but also of nutritional contents and composition of the feed. Practical application and calculation are then discussed to achieve best practices. In Parts 2 and 3, the evaluation of the dietary energy for pigs, poultry nutrition, food intake of practice broilers and laying fowl, and formulation problems are discussed. Part 4 discusses horse nutrition with detailed descriptions of the anatomy of the digestive tract, digestion and absorption of nutrients, and the horses'protein requirement. Energy requirements for the maintenance, growth, and reproduction of the horse using calculations based on the National Research Council basal allowance is discussed. Students and professors of veterinary medicine, stable owners, horse feed manufacturers, horse enthusiasts and equestrians will find this volume helpful.

Nutrition Conference for Feed Manufacturers: 8 is a collection of papers that discusses world protein supplies, protein nutrition of farm livestock, alternative sources of protein, problems of amino- acid availability, and the use of synthetic amino-acids. Several papers deal with non-protein nitrogen as an alternative nitrogen source, the nutritive value of silages, and the use of dried grass or processed straw in ruminant feeding. One paper evaluates the protein and amino-acid requirements of poultry, pigs, and ruminants. Another paper examines the reduced availability of amino-acid in some batches of feeding stuffs and notes that the problem has been approached by correcting low estimates and the adoption of improved manufacturing practices. One paper points out the possibility of producing all the amino acids required for feedstock either synthetically or by fermentation, but the animal feed industry will be interested only in methionine and lysine. The paper also notes that France can save almost a quarter of its protein imports by adopting a generalized use of lysine and a better use of methionine. The collection will prove valuable to agriculturists, food technologists, bio-chemists, veterinarians, economists, livestock owners, and scientists involved in livestock food production or research.

Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition—1984 documents the proceedings of the Eighteenth Annual Nutrition Conference for Feed Manufacturers. It covers a wide range of topics pertaining to the nutrition of farm livestock. The volume is organized into four parts. Part I on poultry nutrition contains papers relating to carcass quality in broilers. These deal with the influence of diet and genotype, and various aspects of meat quality. Part II on pig nutrition includes studies on the nutrition of early weaned pigs; differences in the recommendations of the Agricultural Research Council (UK) and the National Research Council (US) for energy and protein for growing pigs; and the importance of ileal digestibility of proteins in pig feeds. Part III on ruminant and horse nutrition includes papers on the efficacy of a wide range of substances for the manipulation of rumen fermentation to increase the efficiency of production; and new chemical methods for predicting the nutritive value of forages. Part IV on dairy cow nutrition addresses the practical aspects of feeding protein to dairy cattle and manipulation of milk composition by dietary means.