". The topics covered are nutrient analysis and characterisation, nutrient-bioavailability, post-absorptive nutrient utilisation, the principles of animal growth and the mathematical modelling of growth. Practical aspects of feed processing, anti-nutritional factors, the use of markers in nutrition studies, predicting bioavailable nutrients and the principles of feed formulation are highlighted in the context of pig, poultry and companion animal nutrition."--Publisher's website

Feed evaluation for animal production. Feed characterization. Intake, passage and digestibility. In vitro and in situ methods for estimating digestibility with reference to protein degradability. Measurement of energy metabolism. Feeding systems for dairy cows. Feeding systems for beef cattle. Feeding systems for sheep. Feding systems for pigs. Feeding systems for poultry. Feeding systems for horse. Feeding systems for pigs. Feeding systems for poultry. Feeding systems for horse. Prediction of response to nutrients by ruminants through mathematical modelling and improved feed characterizaion. Analyses of modelling whole-rumen function. Modelling the lactating dairy cow. Modelling growth and wool production in ruminats.Modelling growth and lactation in pigs. Modelling the utilization of dietary energy and amino acids by poultry. Modelling growth in fish. The nutrition of companion animals.

NorFor is a semi-mechanistic feed evaluation system for cattle, which is used by advisors in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. This book describes in detail the system and it covers five main sections. The first is concerned with information on feed characteristics, feed analysis and feed digestion methods. The second section describes the digestion and metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract and the supply and requirement of energy and metabolizable amino acids. The third section considers the prediction of feed intake and physical structure of the diet. The fourth section focuses on model evaluation and the final section provides information on the IT solutions and feed ration formulation by a non-linear economical optimization procedure. This book will be of significant interest to researchers, students and advisors of cattle nutrition and feed evaluation.

"Integrated textbook coverage of animal feeding and nutrition with computer software used during ration formulation".--Pref.

Overview of determinants of the nutritional value of feed ingredients; Principles of chemical analysis; Developments in the determination of protein and amino acids; Developments in the measurement of the energy content of feeds and energy utilisation animals; Characterisation of the non-starch polysaccharides; Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy and related technologies for the analysis of feed ingredients; Amino acids - the collection of ileal digesta and characterisation of the endogenous component; Amino acids: digestibility, availability and metabolism; Bioavailability: the energy component of a ration for monogastric animals; In vitro digestibility methods: history and specific approaches; The significance of antinutritional factors in feedstuffs for monogastric animals; Amino acid and energy requirements; Principles behind feed formulation; Advances in feed evaluation for pigs; Advances in feed evaluation for poultry; Advances in fed evaluation for companion animals.

Feedstuff Evaluation contains the proceedings of the 50th University of Nottingham Easter School in Agricultural Sciences, held at Sutton Bonington in July 1989. The book presents papers discussing a wide range of topics on the accurate evaluation of feedstuffs for livestock. Initially, systems of expressing the nutritive value of feeds are considered. Modifications to feeding value as influenced by animal factors including intake and palatability are discussed. Specific dietary ingredients, being plant polysaccharides, fats, minerals and vitamins are detailed. Prediction of the nutritive value of compound feeds and individual feeds through classical wet chemistry and the more recent NIR is assuming considerable importance in the rapid evaluation of diets. Associated with these developments is an appreciation of the relevance of both inter- and intra-laboratory variation in determinations. Finally, the need to collate information into an interactive data-base is being actively pursued. It is evident that safety of animal feeds is becoming an increasingly topical issue and the last session considered the relevance of naturally-occurring toxic factors, residues, mycotoxins and, finally, animal pathogens. Veterinarians, farmers, farm administrators, and those involved in every aspect of nutrient supply to animals will find the compendium very insightful and informative.