Course: B.V.Sc &A.H.

Course title: animal nutrition Course code: ANU 223

Credit hrs: 2+1
Course Teacher: Kishore Pd Kayastha Lecture No.:

The Role and Requirement of Nutrients in pig & Poultry

The nutrients necessary for the animals are Water, energy, protein, minerals and vitamins.
The animal body is composed of water, organic matter and minerals. The organic
compounds are grouped in three general classes. These are 1) carbohydrates, 2) the fats
and fat like substances and 3) the nitrogenous compounds.
About water, it was already discussed in the previous lecture.
a. The carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are highly important in stock feeding, for
they form about three-fourths of all the dry matter in plants and they are chief
source of energy and heat in food of animals. This group of substances includes
the sugars, which are relatively simple organic compounds, and also starch,
cellulose, and other compounds, which are very complex in nature.
The sugars and starch are easily digested by animals and have a high feeding
value. On the other hand, the very complex carbohydrates, which form the woody
fiber of plants, are less completely digested and there is a large loss of energy in
the process.
In spite of the importance of carbohydrates in animal nutrition, the amount of
carbohydrates in the bodies of animals at any time is very small. However this
small amount is continually replenished from the food consumed.
The disaccharides of nutritional significance to chickens are sucrose and maltose.
Sucrose contains glucose and fructose, while maltose contains glucose only
.Individual sugar molecules are released on digestion. Lactose the sugar present in
milk, is a disachharide consisting of glucose and galactose. Chicken cannot digest
lactose.
Soluble non-starch polysachharides
• The NSPs (pentosans eg. Glucans and mannans and some other poly sachharides)
are non-digestible for non-ruminants.
• These are called anti-nutrients.
• They increase the viscosity of digesta and reduce digestion of nutrients.

b. Fat sand oils. The fats, oils, and related substances are of much importance, both
in plants and animals. Fats and oils are alike in composition and properties, except
that fats are solid at ordinary temperatures, while oils are liquid. Because of
higher proportion of carbon and hydrogen, fats furnish 2.25 times as much heat or
energy per kg on oxidation as do carbohydrates. Fats therefore have a
correspondingly higher value per kg as food for animals.

Functions:
 Structural and functional components of cell membrane
 Carriers of fat soluble vitamins
 Energy reserves in the animals
 Certain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) required by nonruminants cannot be
synthesized in the body and are to be provided in the feed. These are linoleic.
Linolenic and arachidonic acid. Vegetable fats are the sources of linoleic acid.
Deficiency:
 Poor growth
 Low production
 Poor fertility and hatchability
 Reduced egg size

c. Proteins and other nitrogenous compounds. The proteins are of outstanding

importance in livestock feeding, because they are essential for life. In addition to
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, the proteins and other nitrogenous compounds in
plants and animals contain nitrogen. Most proteins also contain sulphur and few
contain phosphorus or iron.
In animals not only the protoplasm, but also the cell walls are chiefly protein.
Therefore protein forms by far the greater part of the muscles, internal organs,
cartilage and connective tissue, and also such other tissues as skin, hair, wool,
feather, nails and horns. Protein is one of the chief constituents of the nervous
system, and it even forms an important part of the bony skeleton, giving it
tenacity and elasticity.
 Blood protein maintains homeostasis, regulate osmotic pressure and are
involved in blood clotting.
 All enzymes and many hormones are proteins.
 Involved in absorption and transportation of nutrients and metabolites.
 Proteins, as antibodies, are concerned in immunological functions.

Deficiency:
 Depression in growth and feed efficiency
 Weight loss
 Immunosuppression
 Increased susceptibility to diseases
d. Minerals. Many of the minerals in the body function primarily as specific organic
and inorganic combinations. In case of the food, the combination is important for
certain elements. For example, the primary need for sulphur in the food is a
constituent of the amino acids cystine and methionine and in the ruminants it is
important for urea utilization. There are about 40 mineral elements, which occur
in nature in the tissues of plants and animals. Uptil now the minerals that have
been useful to the body function are Ca, P, Mg, Na, P, S, Cl, Fe, Cu, Co, I, Mn, Se
and Zn. In addition there is evidence that Cr, Fl, Mo, Ni, Si, St, Va, play a
functional role in the animal body. Although, Al, Ar, Ba, B, Cd, Sr occur in the
animal tissue but their significance is unknown. The major minerals, which are
required in relatively in large amount and in most cases they are used in the
synthesis of structural tissues. Their concentration is expressed in terms of
percentage. The important major minerals are Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, Cl and S.
Functions:
 Minerals are the structural components of the body (Ca, P, Mg and F)

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  They maintain acid-base balance as principal cations (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Fe,
Mn and Zn) and anions (Cl, I and PO4)
 Act as catalyst in enzyme and hormonal functions
 Act as immunomodulators

e. Vitamins. Vitamins are organic substances required by animals in very small

amounts for regulating various body processes toward normal health, growth,
production and reproduction. There are at least 15 vitamins which has been
accepted as essential food factors and few others have been proposed. Not all of
them are of practical importance, and only those vitamins, which may be deficient
in the diets of the farm animals, are dealt.

Vitamins are classified into two groups

• Fat soluble vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E and K)
• Water soluble vitamins (Vitamins B complex and C)

Fat soluble vitamins are stored in the body while the excess intake of water
soluble vitamins except B12 are excreted rapidly. Therefore continual supply of
these vitamins is essential to avoid their deficiencies.
Too high intake of fat soluble vitamins (A,D, and E ) causes toxicity.

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Table 1. Nutrients Requirements of Swine Allowed Feed Ad libitum (90% DM) NRC,
1988
Intake/ Nutrients Swine live weight (kg)
1-5 5-10 10-20 20-50 50-110
Expeceted feed intake g/day 250 460 950 1900 3110
Metabolizable energy kcal/kg 3220 3240 3250 3260 3275
Protein % 24 20 18 15 13
Indispensable amino acids
Lysine % 1.4 1.15 0.95 0.75 0.60
Methionine + Cystine % 0.68 0.58 0.48 0.41 0.34
Threonine % 0.80 0.68 0.56 0.48 0.40
Tryptophan % 0.20 0.17 0.14 0.12 0.10
Linoleic acid % 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
a
Requirements (% or amount/kg diet)
Mineral elements
Calcium % 0.90 0.80 0.70 0.60 0.50
Available phosphorus % 0.55 0.4 0.32 0.23 0.15
Iron mg/kg 100 100 80 60 40
Copper mg/kg 6 6 5 4 3
Manganese mg/kg 4 4 3 2 2
Zinc mg/kg 100 100 80 60 50
Selenium mg/kg 0.3 0.3 0.25 0.15 0.10
Vitamins
Vitamin A IU 2200 2200 1750 1300 1300
Vitamin D, IU 220 220 220 150 150
Vitamin E, IU 16 16 11 11 11
Vitamin K, mg 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Niacin, mg 20 15 12.5 10 7
Pantothenic acid, mg 12 10 9 8 7
Riboflavin, mg 4 3.5 3 2.5 2
Vitamin B12, µg 20 17.5 15 10 5
a
The amino acids, minerals and vitamins requirements are based upon the types of ingredients.

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Table 2. Nutrient Requirements of Breeding Swine (NRC, 1988)

Nutrients Bred gilts, Lactating

sows and gilts and
adult boars sows
Metabolizable energy kcal/kg 3210 3210
Protein % 12 13
Indispensable amino acids
Lysine % 0.43 0.60
Methionine + Cystine % 0.23 0.36
Threonine % 0.30 0.43
Tryptophan % 0.09 0.12
Linoleic acid % 0.1 0.1
Requirements (% or amount/kg diet)a
Mineral elements
Calcium % 0.75 0.75
Available phosphorus % 0.35 0.35
Iron mg/kg 80 80
Copper mg/kg 5.0 5.0
Manganese mg/kg 10.0 10.0
Zinc mg/kg 50.0 50.0
Selenium mg/kg 0.15 0.15
Vitamins
Vitamin A IU 4000 2000
Vitamin D, IU 200 200
Vitamin E, IU 22 22
Vitamin K, mg 0.50 0.50
Niacin, mg 10.0 10.0
Pantothenic acid, mg 12.0 12.0
Riboflavin, mg 3.75 3.75
Vitamin B12, µg 15.0 15.0

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Table 3. Nutrient Requirements of Immature Leghorn Type Chickens as
Percentages or Units per Kilogram of Diet (NRC, 1994)

White-Egg-Laying Strains Brown-Egg Type Laying

Strain
Nutrient Unit 0- 6- 12- 18- 0- 6- 12- 18-
6wk 12wk 18wk First 6wk 12wk 18wk First
Egg Egg
ME 2850 2850 2900 2900 2800 2800 2850 2850
(kcal/kg)
CP % 18 16 15 17 17 15 14 16
Crude fibre %
Acid %
insoluble ash
Linoleic acid % 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Total sulfur % 0.62 0.52 0.42 0.47 0.59 0.49 0.39 0.44
amino acid
Lysine % 0.85 0.60 0.45 0.52 0.80 0.56 0.42 0.49
Methionine % 0.30 0.25 0.20 0.22 0.28 0.23 0.19 0.21
Calcium % 0.90 0.80 0.80 2.00 0.90 0.80 0.80 1.80
Available P % 0.40 0.35 0.30 0.32 0.40 0.35 0.30 0.35
Salt % 0.30 0.27 0.27 0.30 0.27 0.26 0.26 0.26
Manganese mg 60.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 56.0 28.0 28.0 28.0
Iodine mg 0.35 0.35 0.35 0.35 0.33 0.33 0.33 0.33
Iron mg 80.0 60.0 60.0 60.0 75.0 56.0 56.0 56.0
Copper mg 5.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 4.0 4.0 4.0
Zinc mg 40.0 35.0 35.0 35.0 38.0 33.0 33.0 33.0
Vitamin A IU 1500 33.0 33.0 33.0 1420 1420 1420 1420
Vitamin D3 ICU 200 200 200 300 190 190 190 280
Vitamin E IU 10 5 5 5 9.5 4.7 4.7 4.7
Vitamin K mg 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.47 0.47 0.47 0.47
Thiamine mg 1.0 1.0 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.8 0.8
Riboflavin mg 3.6 1.8 1.8 2.2 3.4 1.7 1.7 1.7
Pantothenic mg 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 9.7 9.7 9.7 9.7
acid
Nicotinic mg 27.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 26.0 10.3 10.3 10.3
acid
Biotin mg 0.15 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.14 0.09 0.09 0.09
Vitamin B12 mg 0.009 0.003 0.003 0.004 0.009 0.003 0.003 0.003
Alpha mg
tocopherol
Choline mg 1300 900 500 500 1225 850 470 470
chloride

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Table 4. Nutrient requirements of Layers as Percentages or Units per Kilogram
of Diet (NRC, 1994)

Nutrients Unit Dietary

concentration
Metabolizable energy (kcal/kg) 2900
Crude protein % 15.0
Linoleic acid % 1.0
Total sulfur amino acid % 0.58
Lysine % 0.69
Methionine % 0.3
Calcium % 3.25
Available Phosphorus % 0.25
Salt % 0.35
Manganese mg/kg 20.0
Iodine mg/kg 0.035
Iron mg/kg 45
Copper mg/kg ?
Zinc mg/kg 35
Vitamin A IU 3000
Vitamin D3 IU 300
Vitamin E IU 5
Vitamin K mg/kg 0.5
Thiamine mg/kg 0.70
Riboflavin mg/kg 2.5
Pantothenic acid mg/kg 2.0
Nicotinic acid mg/kg 10.0
Biotin mg/kg 0.10
Vitamin B12 mg/kg 0.004
Choline chloride mg/kg 1050