Learn about the nutritional needs of animals, including farm animals, domestic pets and wildlife, to support animal health and wellbeing. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of animal feed and nutritional requirements for a career working with animals.
Certificate of Animal Feed and Nutrition is a professional development course that covers the food and nutritional requirements for pets, wildlife or animals in zoos.
In this animal nutrition course, you will learn about the major nutritional groups, including proteins, vitamins, minerals, trace elements in animal diets, and important food processing terms. You’ll also learn how to evaluate food for digestibility, classify foods, and calculate animal feed ratios.
On completion of this course, you will have a broad understanding of feed and nutritional needs for a range of animals to provide better animal care.
Course Structure
Unit - Animal Feed and Nutrition (Animal Husbandry III)
Unit 1 – Introduction to Animal Foods
- Successful farming
- Terms and definitions
- Feed stuff
- Ration
- Maintenance ration
- Balanced maintenance ration
- Groups of foods
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Fats
- Other terms that are used
- Roughage
- Concentrates
- Basal feeds
- Supplements
- Nutrient
- Calorie
- Digestibility
- Toxicity
- Food processing terms
- Mash or meal
- Flakes, pellets and crumbs
- Water
- Factors affecting water intake
- The dry matter intake
- The nature of the feed
- The level of salt intake
- Air temperature
- Water temperature
- Production cycle
Unit 2 – Food Components – Carbohydrates and Fats
- Carbohydrates
- Monosaccharides
- The cyanogenetic glycosides
- Disaccharides
- Trisaccharide’s
- Polysaccharides
- Carbohydrates as a source of energy
- Storage of carbohydrates
- Fattening animals
- Sources of carbohydrate
- Lipids
- Structure of lipids
- Digestion of lipids
- Adipose tissue deposits in animals
- Subcutaneous fat
- The periorbital fat (or eye pad)
- Mammary fat or dug fat
- Rump fat or pelvic fat
- Abdominal fat
- Sib-peritoneal fat
- Sub-pleural fat
- Fat deposits in different animals
- Sources of lipids
Unit 3 – Food Components – Proteins, Vitamins, Minerals and Trace Elements
- Proteins
- Build up of proteins
- Plants
- Nh3
- Practices which conserve nitrogen
- Animals
- Biological value of protein
- Protein content of foods
- The function of protein
- Feeding urea to ruminants
- Minerals, trace elements and vitamins
- Major minerals
- Calcium
- Sources of calcium
- Phosphorus
- Sources of phosphorus
- Effects of phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Sodium and chlorine
- Potassium
- Sulphur
- Trace elements
- Iron
- Manganese
- Copper
- Iodine
- Cobalt
- Zinc
- Selenium
- Vitamins
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin B complex
- Vitamin C
Unit 4 – Evaluating Foods and Digestibility
- Digestibility of foods
- Analysis of feed stuffs
- Water
- Minerals
- Crude protein
- Fats & oils
- Fibre
- Soluble carbohydrate
- Calculating digestibility
- Evaluating feeds
- Protein value
- Energy values
- Total digestible nutrients
- Dried grass sample
- Metabolised energy or me
- Nutrient values of some common foods
- Feed tables
Unit 5 – Classifying Foods (Part A)
- Classification of foods
- Cereal feeds
- Qualities of cereals
- Maize
- Flaked maize
- Maize cobs (or cob meal)
- Snap corn (corn & cob meal)
- Oats
- Wheat
- Barley
- Grain sorghum
- Munga or millet
- Cereal by-products
- Wheat bran
- Maize bran
- Pollard (or middlings)
- Rice bran
- Brewing by-products
- Dried brewer’s grains
- Wet brewer’s grains
- Malt culms
- Dried brewer’s yeast
- Grasses
- Sour pasture
- Sweet pasture
- Mixed pasture
- Percentage composition on a dry matter basis
- Common grazing grasses
- Kikuyu grass (pennisetum clandestinum)
- Star grass (cynodon plectostachys)
- Rhodes grass (chloris gayana)
- Other grasses and grazing plants in use in Australia
- Lucerne
- Sainfoin as an alternative to lucerne
- Green oats and green barley
- Pumpkins and melons
- Sweet potatoes
- Molasses
- Roughage
- Pasture hay
- Grass hay
- Legume hays
- Grass silage
- Lucerne silage
- Maize silage
- Sorghum silage
- Dried grass
Unit 6 – Classifying Foods (Part B)
- Oil seeds and their products
- Groundnuts (peanuts, earthnuts or monkey nuts) -arachis hypogaea
- Groundnut oil meal or cake
- Cotton seed meal or cake –Gossypium cv.
- Cotton seed hulls
- Sunflower seeds – Helianthus annus
- Sunflower oil meal or cake
- Sunflower heads
- Soybeans – Glycine max
- Soybean oil meal or cake
- Legume seeds
- Velvet beans – Sitzolobium spp.
- Ground velvet beans (with pods)
- Jack beans – Canavalia ensiformis
- Cowpeas – Vigna sinensis
Unit 7 – Classification of Foods (Part C)
- Fodder trees & shrubs
- Animal products
- Skim milk
- Fish meal
- Meat and bone meal
- Bone meal
- Blood meal
- Chicken litter
- Urea
Unit 8 – Calculating Rations (Part A)
- Calculating rations for maintenance
- The feeding needs of livestock
- The object of rationing
- The nutritional requirements of the animal
- Appetite
- Energy
- Protein
- Minerals
- Vitamins
- Calculating a maintenance ration
- Cattle at pasture
- Working out rations for a herd
Unit 9 – Calculating Rations (Part B)
- Calculating rations for production
- Nutrient requirements for a dairy cow
- Working out the total needs of a dairy cow
- Dry matter
- Feeding a ration to meet the nutrient needs
- Roughage
- Concentrate foods
- The dairy ration
Unit 10 – Calculating Rations (Part C)
- Calculating a production ration using protein only
- Ready-mix feeds
- Using protein contents to calculate a production ration
- Ration 1
- Ration 2
- Summary of rationing
- Further considerations in rationing
- Laxative foods
- Costive foods
- Palatability
- Taints in milk, meat and eggs
- Types of fat
Study Hours
Estimated duration 50 hours
Course Delivery and Start
Start anytime, self-paced and 100% online
Assessment
Assessment will be comprised of written exercises, including short-answer questions, reflective tasks, short reports and/or projects. There are no examinations or due dates for assessment. As a result, you can complete training in your own time and at your own pace with the assistance of unlimited tutor support.
Testimonials
Graduation
A Certificate of Attainment and Statement of Results will be issued upon successful completion of this course.
How to Enrol
Enrol Online: Enrol Now
Enrol via Live Chat (Business Hours)
Enrol via Telephone 1300 76 2221 (Business Hours)
Enrol via Purchase Order/Tax Invoice
Enrolling Multiple Staff?
To enrol multiple staff, please complete the Employer Enrolment Form. We’ll be in touch within 60 minutes during business hours!
Payment Options
Visa, Mastercard, BPAY and Direct Deposit.
Course FAQs
Why Choose Australian Online Courses?
- Professional development that is widely recognised and respected;
- Improve your employment opportunities;
- Study online, anywhere via our elearning system;
- High-quality professional development programs written by industry experts;
- All course materials provided online – no textbooks to buy;
- Unlimited tutor support via email;
- We offer twelve (12) months’ access, with extensions available upon application (fees apply);
- Course may be tax deductible; see your tax advisor.
Are there any entry requirements or pre-requisites?
To study online with Australian Online Courses you will need a computer (desktop PC/laptop) running a current/updated operating system with reliable high-speed internet access. You will need to use the Google Chrome browser to access your course.
Are there any computer requirements?
To study online with Australian Online Courses you will need a computer (desktop PC/laptop) running a current/updated operating system with reliable high-speed internet access. You will need to use the Google Chrome browser to access your course.
When can I start this course?
You can start within 60 minutes during business hours when you enrol and pay in full with a credit card!
Credit card: Within 60 mins during business hours.
BPAY: Within 1-2 working days.
Internet Banking: Within 1-2 working days.
Cheque/Money Order: Upon receipt of mailed cheque.
How is this course delivered?
This course is delivered online via our easy-to-navigate Learning Management System (LMS), where you will discover interactive online learning/written content, resources and assessment.
Do I need to attend classes or undertake any work placements?
No. All courses are delivered online via our LMS and there are no work placement requirements in this course.
What support can I expect from Australian Online Courses?
Unlimited tutor support is available throughout your studies via email only during business hours Monday to Friday. Our Administrative team are available Monday to Friday via email, live chat and telephone.
I am an international student. Can I enrol into this course?
Yes! We accept enrolments from individuals both within Australia and internationally; location is no barrier to entry into our programs.
Career Pathways
Future growth
Strong
Unemployment
Low
Professional Development for:-
- Farmers
- Pet owners
- Animal rescue volunteers
- Animal health care personnel
- Wildlife personnel/volunteer
- Manufacturer – pet food
- Pet shop personnel
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