Los Angeles Pierce College
Animal Nutrition
Ag 505
(Fall Semester Only)

Professor:   Dr. L. S. Shapiro
Office Hours:   T 12:35, Tue at 6:30 p.m. by appointment; Office: AS4107B
Text:   Cheeke, P. Applied Animal Nutrition, Feeds and Feeding, 3rd Ed., 2005
           Shapiro, L.S. Animal Nutrition, Ag 505, 5th Rev.  Ed. 2007
Recommended Texts: Several NRC Guideline Books have been reserved for you in the bookstore for students whose interests specialize in individual species (i.e. horses, dogs, rabbits).
Course Description: Includes a general study of the constituents of feed (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and water), their utilization by the animal body, the digestive system, and the processes of digestion and assimilation of the various feed constituents. Students will participate in ration balancing and feed identification.
Reference Publications: Farm Journal, Hoard’s Dairyman, Dairyman, Feedstuff, National Hog Farmer, Beef, Journal of Animal Science, Journal of Dairy Science, Journal of Nutrition, Modern Horse Breeding, Equus, Horse Care, Large Animal Veterinarian, J. Agric. Sci., Brit. J of Nutr., J Amer Vet Med Assoc., Vet Record, J Equine Vet. Sci., Science, Theriogenology, Breed Magazines, Dairy Herd Mgt., Feed Mgt., Vet. Technician.

Starting with the Fall 2009 semester, a portion of this class will be taught on-line with “Moodle” or the college’s distant learning program. If you have not yet taken a course with Moodle, you will need to register with Moodle and take a brief tutorial on how to use the Distant Learning program. We hope to increase the exchange of information via online PowerPoint lessons, feed samples, and basic math and ration balancing problems.    Please register for Moodle at:

http://online.piercecollege.edu/student_tutorials.html

Please note: I do not give exact dates for lectures.  Some classes move quicker/slower than others and the flexibility to adjust the schedule allows for greater student comprehension. You are responsible for reading the entire text before the final exam.  Exact reading assignments will not be given but students will be responsible for the material in the text on each of the 3 major exams.  You should review all questions in the evaluation section of each chapter following each lecture. Obtain at least 3 students phone numbers for missed assignments or assistance.

Recommended reading schedule:
 Lecture Outline                                     Cheek’s Text
 Chapter                                                 Chapter
 1                                                             1, 14, 24
 2                                                                2 - 10
 3                                                                     12
 4                                                                     11
 5                                                                 18, 19
 6                                                                     16
 7                                                                     13
 8                                                                     17
 9                                                                     15
 10                                                                 20 - 23
 

Methods of Evaluation:

1.      Quizzes - given usually at the beginning of the hour (no make-ups - but 10 points are given free to you at the end of the semester).

2.      Midterm Exam (2 of them) - each worth 150 points.  Dates to be announced in advance.

3.      Homework assignments (no late papers accepted) and all work must be shown.  Homework  practice sets 1, 2, 3 (Practice all three sets).

4.      Final Exam (7:00 p.m. on Dec.15, 2009)

5.      Extra Credit - visual aides, displays, preserved rumen, others.  All must be approved in writing by the instructor in advance.  Must be turned no later than Thursday at noon on the 14th week of the semester.

6.      Anyone caught cheating on any assignment or exam will receive an automatic FAIL in the course.  This may include anyone assisting someone cheating (allowing someone to copy off of your paper).  DO NOT CHEAT in my class!!!

7.      Farm – all students are expected to participate in the feeding and general care of our farm animals.
Participation in this event will be counted in your overall (final) grade. Sign up sheets will be distributed on week two. Each student will be required to participate in at least one feeding of each specie of livestock (poultry, cattle, sheep, goats,  pigs, llamas, horses) during the semester and have their summary paper signed by our agriculture assistant (to verify active participation).

8.      Attendance (3 “tardies” = 1 absence, 3 unexcused absences can = a Fail).  It is the student’s responsibility to drop any class after the 1st session not the faculty.

9.      No cell phones or beepers or other electronic recording or playing devices are permitted on during class time. If you are a doctor on call or if you have other emergency situations that require you to have your phone on during class time please confer with me at the beginning of class so we can make arrangements where you will not disturb the rest of the class.  Thank you for following this requirement.


Magazine Summary - article should summarize (not plagiarize) an article written on any subject on “Animal Nutrition”.  If you’re not sure your article fits this description check with me first.  The article must be from a magazine no older than 3 months from the day you hand it in OR from a journal no older than 6 months.  Examples of such journals are: J Animal Science, J Dairy Science, J American Veterinary Medical Association, Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Record, J Nutrition, Veterinary Clinics of North America, Science, Canadian J Veterinary Research, American J Veterinary Research, J Equine Veterinary Science, J Medical Ent., Reprod. Disease in Captive and Wild Animals, British Veterinary J., Canadian J Animal Science, Australian Veterinary Practitioner, Veterinary Technician, etc.  Many of these journals can be found in Pierce’s, CSUN, and UCLA’s libraries.  In addition, there are several good magazines that can start you in the right direction.

The magazine summary MUST be typed and in a folder.  Correct all “typos” prior to handing it in.  This means spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.  Part of your grade will be based on effort, neatness, appearance, thoroughness of coverage, and proper format.  Your summary should conclude with a blended summary of the subject matter using at least three other references (endnote all reference facts).  Do not include the original article in the blended summary. Use the following example in your bibliography:   Picolli A. and A. BossattiEarly steroid therapy in IgA neuropathy. Nephron 1999; 51(2):289-91.  The use of endnotes in your blended summary should follow the following format:  Results from other experiments indicate that milk production is unaffected by accelerated growth before puberty (Capuco, 125; Waldo, 302; Jones 16; Snedecor, 56).  The numbers indicate the pages in that particular reference that this fact was found.   The blended summary should go into further depth on the same subject and not tell me that you liked or disliked the article.  If you are not sure what I am asking, ask to see a copy of previous summaries.  A copy of the original article summarized should be included in your report. Do NOT quote - write in your own words a summary of the main facts or discoveries (abstract) of the article(s).
The summary is due NO LATER THAN  6:59 p.m. on October 20, 2009. For each minute it is late, a full grade will be deducted from the report (in other words; at 7 p.m. an "A" paper would receive a B). Please turn in your paper prior to the 16th if you think there is a possibility of your getting into a traffic jam, your computer freezing up on you, or having a bad hair day.  No late excuses will be accepted. September 8th at 6:55 p.m. we will meet at the library reference desk for a tour of the library and outline assistance for your paper.

I do NOT return any magazine summarizations.  In order to protect yourself (instructor loss) make a copy for your files.  However, I will NOT accept a Xerox copy; only originals are accepted.

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Animal Nutrition is a greatly misunderstood SCIENCE.  Most purchasers of companion animal feed either feel the more expensive feeds and supplements are better (because you pay more) or that any commercial dog or cat food will meet their pet’s requirements and you might as well buy the bargain brands.  Both of these misconceptions will be addressed this semester.

Professor Jack Barlow taught Feeds and Feeding at Pierce College for more than 3 decades.  During that time the course primarily evolved around the mathematical calculations of ration formulations and feed identification.  In 1984, the course was modified to include a large section on nutritive needs, deficiencies and treatments of metabolic disorders.  This change will better meet the needs of our Veterinary Technology, Pre-Veterinary and production-oriented students.  The National Research Council (NRC) has published a series of booklets, many available in our bookstore, which outline the requirements, disorders and management of various species of domestic animals.

This course will cover the basic principles of animal nutrition, which include identification of common feedstuffs, ration formulations, metabolic disorders, nutrient requirements, deficiencies, and toxicities and review some simple digestive anatomy and physiology.  This course will NOT make the student an animal nutritionist, but will, hopefully, provide the necessary tools to research further into this area and to assist the student in basic animal feeding.

I would like to acknowledge the thousands of students who have taught me during the past 32 years of my tenure at Pierce College.  Without their guidance, enthusiasm and knowledge, this course and outline could not have matured.  I owe a special thanks to my former nutrition professors Jack Barlow (Pierce College), Drs. Herman Rickard, Bruce Kennelly, W. Hooks and Harmon Toone (Cal Poly SLO), Dr. Richard O. Kellems (Brigham Young University), and Drs. James E. Oldfield, D. C. Church and Peter R. Cheeke (Oregon State University).  Hill’s Pet Products and the California Animal Nutrition Conference donated many of the resources that will be used throughout the semester and I extend my appreciation to those organizations.

Let me end with a paraphrase from Dr. Donald Phelps, former Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District.  Learning is a verb!!!!  Three hours of homework (study included) are needed for every hour of class time for college level courses.  This is a college level course.  The Pierce Pre-Veterinary Club offers free tutoring in Animal Nutrition.  Please do not hesitate to ask questions in my classes.  Many times these questions help me learn, as well.  I do not have all the answers, but I will try to help when I can.  Do not put off for tomorrow what you need to study today.

Dr. L. S. Shapiro, Fall 2009
 

Main


For a Printable copy of this syllabus click here  PRINTABLE COPY