ANSC 6280

Comparative Nutrition of the Horse and Pig

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2022-2023.

Throughout their evolution, members of the Suidae family have adopted omnivorous feeding strategies of great elasticity. They share similar gastrointestinal physiological traits with the Equidae family members, which have remained strict obligate herbivores. Learning nutrition of the domestic horse and pig under the same umbrella offers a way to exploit their differences and similarities and understand the underlying factors that dictate their nutrient and feed requirements. The course covers the following topics using a comparative approach between the two species: gastrointestinal anatomy and digestive processes, feed ingredients and composition, feeding behavior and management, and diet-induced metabolic disorders. Learning activities include discussions, weekly journaling, monthly short research papers, gastrointestinal tract dissections, diet evaluation and formulation, field trips, and hands-on feeding trial(s).

When Offered Spring.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: BIOAP 1100, ANSC 2120, and ANSC 2650.

• Students will be able to recommend best feeding practices to maintain health and wellbeing of horses and pigs.
• Students will be able to formulate a simple diet, by hand, for a pig at a given stage of life cycle.
• Students will be able to formulate a simple diet, by hand, for a horse at a given stage of life cycle.
• Students will be able to evaluate the nutritional adequacy of a given equine and swine diet.
• Students will be able to use models and computer programs to formulate a given equine and swine diet.

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