For thousands of years it has been known that domestic and wild animals need salt just as man does.The virtues of salt for animals were extolled by the ancient Greeks. Early explorers in Africa, Asiaand North America recorded observations of grazing animals traveling to salt springs or deposits tosatisfy ravenous appetites for salt. Animals deprived of salt will risk grave danger or resort tounusual behavior to obtain it. Considerable evidence exists that early nomads and hunters tookadvantage of this fact to lure and capture animals by locating areas with salt and waiting for animalsto come there periodically. That livestock and poultry need salt was recognized long beforescientific knowledge of foods or nutrition became available. In the early 1800s the value of salt forexperimental animals was demonstrated. Since then, many studies have been conducted and asummary of these results are reported herein.

"This book deals with trace elements, such as cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, selenium and zinc which are essential to modern animal nutrition, but are increasingly detrimental to soil and water quality in today's globalized production. The goal in finding a sustainable balance between trace element use in animal nutrition and its impact on the environment is addressed by focussing on the following questions: - What is the trace element flow on farm, regional or national scale and which tools are available to influence the flow? - What are today's and future soil and water quality in regards to trace minerals? - What are the trace mineral loading limits in soil and water from a health and legal standpoint? - Which technologies exist to modify slurry trace element contents? - What is today's knowledge on quantitative and qualitative trace element requirements and recommended supplementation for ruminants, swine, poultry, fish and crustaceans? - What is trace element bioavailability and how can it be determined? - To which extent are trace minerals related to immune response? - What are the future issues to be addressed in trace element nutrition? This book contains the peer-reviewed papers of the first International Symposium on Trace Elements in Animal Production Systems. It is a valuable resource for researchers and professionals in the life sciences of animal nutrition, soil and water quality, for actors in the feed industry and policy making."

Mineral Nutrition of Animals reviews the research on the mineral nutrition of animals. This book explores the biological function and metabolism of minerals in the body, as well as mineral feeding of various species of farm animals. Topics range from water metabolism and mineral composition of feeds to the physiological role of macroelements such as calcium and potassium and microelements such as iron and copper. This text is comprised of 16 chapters; the first of which provides a historical overview of the science of mineral feeding of animals; mineral elements and their function in animal nutrition; and mineral feeding of animals under industrial conditions. The chapters that follow present general information on minerals, describe the link between biogeochemical regions and biochemical ecology, and analyze the factors affecting the mineral composition of animals' bodies. The reader is also introduced to water metabolism and the water requirements of animals; the metabolism of minerals absorbed into the digestive tract; and the kinetics of mineral metabolism in the blood, organs, and tissues. The next section is devoted to mineral feeding of various species of farm animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry. This text concludes by looking at methods of controlling the adequacy of farm animals' mineral diet. This book will be of interest to students and practitioners in agriculture and food science.

Nanobiotechnology for the Livestock Industry: Animal Health and Nutrition delivers a multidisciplinary reference of nanobiotechnology applications in various sectors, including farming practices, healthcare and breeding practices, market and economic analysis/benefits, biosafety, regulation, and more. The book explores nanobiotechnology's role in livestock handling, including hygiene maintenance and feed/nutrient delivery. The book also examines nanobiotechnology's role in maintaining nutrient quality in food products, and covers healthcare practices utilizing nanobiotechnology, such as maintaining and monitoring livestock health, diagnosis and treatment of disease, monitoring drug delivery, optimizing breeding patterns, and cryopreservation of sperm and eggs. Discusses livestock diseases and major handling mistakes in livestock treatment and potential solutions Provides detailed explanations of food safety technologies and food regulation policies Presents a detailed analysis of market growth and trends related to the livestock industry Includes biosafety and bioregulation of the nanobiotechnological tools used to produce transgenic animals