Agriculture and Nature Conservation Primary Agriculture

Animal Nutrition Principles And Fundamentals Training

SAQA US 116055 | NQF 2 | Credits 7 | Duration 4 Days
From $1,107 per delegate

Description

This course provides a comprehensive understanding of the principles and fundamentals of animal nutrition, enabling learners to apply nutritional concepts to enhance animal health and productivity. It covers essential topics such as nutrient requirements, feed formulation, and digestion processes, tailored for the South African agricultural context.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply the basic principles of animal nutrition to evaluate feed quality and nutrient requirements.
  • Analyze the digestive processes of different animal species to optimize feeding strategies.
  • Evaluate the nutritional content of common feedstuffs using appropriate methods.
  • Design balanced rations for various classes of livestock based on their nutritional needs.
  • Implement feeding programs that promote animal health, growth, and production efficiency.
  • Demonstrate understanding of the relationship between nutrition and animal performance.

Target Audience

This course is designed for livestock farmers, animal health workers, agricultural extension officers, and anyone involved in animal production who seeks to improve their knowledge of animal nutrition principles.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundations of Animal Nutrition

Objectives:
• Understand the basic principles of animal nutrition and the role of nutrients.
• Identify the six major classes of nutrients and their functions.
• Explain the process of digestion and absorption in monogastric and ruminant animals.
• Describe the concept of energy balance and its importance in animal production.

Topics:
• Introduction to animal nutrition: definitions and importance.
• The six nutrient classes: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.
• Digestive system anatomy and physiology: monogastric vs. ruminant.
• Energy metabolism: gross energy, digestible energy, metabolisable energy, net energy.
• Factors affecting feed intake and nutrient utilisation.
• Overview of nutritional requirements for maintenance, growth, reproduction, and lactation.

Day 2: Feed Evaluation and Nutrient Requirements

Objectives:
• Evaluate common feedstuffs based on their nutrient composition and digestibility.
• Apply methods for measuring feed quality, including proximate analysis.
• Calculate nutrient requirements for different animal species and production stages.
• Interpret feed labels and formulate simple rations.

Topics:
• Feedstuff classification: forages, concentrates, by-products, and additives.
• Proximate analysis: moisture, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, ash, nitrogen-free extract.
• Digestibility trials and feeding standards (e.g., NRC, ARC).
• Nutrient requirement tables for cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry.
• Introduction to ration formulation using the Pearson square method.
• Feed processing and its effect on nutrient availability.
• Anti-nutritional factors and feed toxins.

Day 3: Applied Nutrition for Production Systems

Objectives:
• Develop feeding strategies for optimal growth, reproduction, and lactation.
• Manage nutrition to prevent metabolic disorders.
• Adjust diets for environmental and stress conditions.
• Evaluate the role of feed additives and supplements.

Topics:
• Feeding for growth: protein-energy interactions and amino acid balance.
• Nutrition and reproduction: effects on fertility, gestation, and neonatal health.
• Lactation nutrition: milk composition and yield, energy demands.
• Metabolic disorders: ketosis, milk fever, bloat, acidosis – causes and prevention.
• Feed additives: probiotics, enzymes, buffers, ionophores, and growth promoters.
• Nutrition under heat stress and other environmental challenges.
• Organic and sustainable feeding practices.

Day 4: Practical Integration and Industry Application

Objectives:
• Formulate a complete ration for a specific production scenario.
• Interpret feed analysis reports and adjust rations accordingly.
• Develop a feeding management plan for a livestock enterprise.
• Evaluate economic implications of feeding decisions.

Topics:
• Hands-on ration formulation using computer software or manual calculations.
• Case studies: dairy cow, broiler, pig grower, and lamb finisher rations.
• Feed budgeting and storage management.
• Cost analysis: feed cost per unit of production, break-even analysis.
• Quality assurance: feed safety, mycotoxins, and regulatory compliance.
• Record keeping and monitoring feed efficiency.
• Group exercise: design a feeding programme for a given farm scenario.
• Course review and assessment.

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Tue 08 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,107 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Thu 01 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,107 Register
Tue 20 Oct 2026 Fri 23 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,107 Register
Tue 08 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,107 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Thu 14 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,107 Register
Tue 16 Feb 2027 Fri 19 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,107 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Thu 04 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 09 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,107 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Thu 18 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 08 Jun 2027 Fri 11 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,107 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Thu 01 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 20 Jul 2027 Fri 23 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,107 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Thu 09 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 28 Sep 2027 Fri 01 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,107 Register
Mon 18 Oct 2027 Thu 21 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 07 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,107 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Thu 30 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 18 Jan 2028 Fri 21 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,107 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 492 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,581 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $4,903 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $1,663 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $4,903 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,743 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Thu 17 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,436 Register
Tue 06 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,436 Register
Mon 26 Oct 2026 Thu 29 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,436 Register
Mon 14 Dec 2026 Thu 17 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,436 Register
Tue 19 Jan 2027 Fri 22 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,436 Register
Mon 22 Feb 2027 Thu 25 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,436 Register
Tue 09 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Thu 18 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,436 Register
Tue 23 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Thu 17 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,436 Register
Tue 06 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 26 Jul 2027 Thu 29 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,436 Register
Tue 14 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Thu 07 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,436 Register
Tue 26 Oct 2027 Fri 29 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Thu 16 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,436 Register
Tue 04 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 24 Jan 2028 Thu 27 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,436 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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