Problem statement

Improvement of animal nutrition was recognized as key in animal production where well fed animals produced quality &quantity products, lived longer, healthier and were appealing to owners & potential buyers. More improvement & development continue to take place e.g • Sophisticated feeding systems • Precise estimates of animal requirements. • Predictability of the performance of the animal based on feed composition. Other areas that have contributed to the development of animal nutrition 1. Chemistry Contributed to discovery of nutrients in feeds in various portions where some feeds have higher or lower nutrients composition compared to others .This makes it possible to come up with feed ration by combining two or more feeds.

Anatomy &Physiology

Knowledge of the anatomy & Physiology helps nutritionists understand the digestion process in the different parts of G.I.T. 3. Biochemistry Helps to understand the chemical structure of organic molecules that make up various nutrients. 4. Microbiology Helps understanding the types & functions of various microorganisms that inhabit the gut of herbivores which are important for fibre digestion e.g. bacteria ,protozoa & anaerobic fungi. 5. Endocrinology Knowledge of hormones helps understand the metabolism and utilization of nutrients in body tissues. 6. Genetics & statistics helps in understanding variation in the way animals responds to different feeding regimes & how this variation can be exploited for better animal performance. 7. Biophysics Many basic principles of Physics apply in the way animals perform various biological functions e.g. chewing. 8. Computer science e.g use of software in ration formulation. Importance of animal Agriculture • Supply high quality protein rich food for human e.g. milk ,eggs &meat. • Raw materials that be can used in clothing e.g. leather for jackets ,shoes &handbags. • Provide animal power /draught for ploughing ,transport, processing of agriculture products, fetching water etc. • Recreation & entertainment e.g. race horses ,camel derby, bull fighting ,cock fight etc. • By products e.g. manure, slaughter house by products for manufacture of animal feeds. • Raw materials for processing in industries therefore creating employment eg milk for milk products, abattoirs to slaughter houses. • Income generation for households & countries from beef exports

links

[http//:www.egerton.ac.ke]