animal factors

• What factors affect the nutritional requirements of an animal?

  1. Weight

  2. Fat score

  3. Workload

  4. Age
• How do you obtain accurate measurements of body weight?

  Weighbridge and weightape
• How do you use a weightape?

  Lowest point of withers and close to elbow as possible, measuring the lower heart girth on diagonal line.
• How should animals be weighed?

  - Small individuals weighed individually

  - Herd/flocks weighed by average of 10% of herd/flock

  - Regularly weighed and noted down

  - Weighed at same time of down

  - Use weightape on same place on body
• How can dry matter intake be calculated for herbivores?

  Herbivores can consume 2-4% of bodyweight as nutrients

  Total nutrients can consume (DMI) = (BW x 2.5) / 100
• How much can a dog weighing 25kg eat?

  25 x 0.025 = 0.625 kg = 625 g
• What is fat scoring?

  Manual palpation of fat cover over pre-determined scientifically validated areas of an animal's skeleton.

  - Semi objective
• Why is fat scoring important?

  Bodyweight alone is a relatively poor indicator of health and nutritional status. Body composition (fat or muscle) is a much more important indicator of health.
• How useful is fat scoring in dairy cows?

  Allows assessment of feed intake, general health and economics predictors e.g. milk yield, fertility, etc.
• How do you calculate fat score?

  0 = very very thin; 3 = ideal; 5 = obese
• How are horses fat scored?

  Divided into three areas, with separate mark for each:

  1. Neck

  - Above the eye, crest and shoulder bone

  2. Middle

  - Ribs and backbone

  3. Bottom

  - Pelvis, hips and tailbone

  
• How are dogs fat scored?

  Ribs, spine and hips

  Presence of waist and tummy tuck
• What is the ideal fat cover?

  Should be able to feel outline of skeleton but not see
• Why is DMI not the only component we need to calculate the appropriate amount of feed for animals?

  Don't feed animals dry matter instead we feed animals food that contains water and dilutes the nutrition.
• How do you calculate amount of food needed to be feed from body weight and dry matter?

  Fresh weight required = (required DMI / DM of desired forage) x 100
• How much haylage does the owner need to feed a 400kg horse?

  Dry matter intake (DMI) = (400 kg x 2.5) / 100 = 10 kg

  Dry matter of haylage = 50%

  Fresh weight required = (10 / 50) x 100 = 20 kg of haylage
• What is the dry matter of silage?

  30%
• What is the dry matter of haylage?

  50%
• How much forage must be fed to a 675 kg dairy cow producing 40 L of milk per day?

  DMI = (675 x 0.025) + (40/10) = 20.88 kg