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Unit of Study VETS2011 - Animal Nutrition for Health, Performance and Production (2026)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    1. This unit requires travel to off-campus locations. Check the Blackboard site for travel details, as some sites require additional travel time. Scheduled class times may appear longer as they include travel time. 2. To pass the unit, students must submit all assessment tasks. 3. Attendance: Attendance and participation are strongly linked to student success and retention. Students are encouraged to attend all classes and engagement activities to support learning, progression, and success as a veterinarian or veterinary technologist. For units with practicals or activities linked to developing AVBC Day One Competencies for veterinary accreditation, and VNCA Day One Competencies required for AVNAT registration, attendance is required. Specific attendance requirements will be communicated within the unit.

Unit description

This unit is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles of animal nutrition and its application in clinical settings. The course will cover the core concepts of animal nutrition, including the evaluation of different feed types and compositions, and their potential digestibility and metabolizable energy across various animal species. Students will gain a solid foundation in nutrient requirements at different life stages and physiological states, and learn to assess how nutrition impacts animal productivity, health, and welfare, as well as the quality of animal products. Students will develop the ability to analyse and formulate balanced rations for both livestock and companion animals, integrating knowledge of animal physiology, nutrient requirements, and feed composition. This process will be supported by both traditional methods and the use of nutrition software, helping students create practical, evidence-based feeding programs for a variety of clinical scenarios. A significant focus will be placed on critical thinking and applying an evidence-based approach to clinical animal nutrition, encouraging students to reflect on their practices and continually improve their professional competence. This reflective approach will empower students to make informed, clinically relevant decisions in nutritional care, ensuring optimal health outcomes for animals in various clinical settings.

Unit content

  1. General principles of nutrition 
  2. Large ruminant nutrition
  3. Small ruminant nutrition
  4. Equine nutrition
  5. Companion animals and other common animals in a veterinary setting, with a focus on clinical nutrition
  6. Pig/Poultry nutrition

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Lismore
Term4
Term4

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

explain the fundamental principles of animal nutrition and apply knowledge of feed types and compositions to evaluate their potential digestibility and metabolizable energy in different animal species

evaluate the nutritional requirements of various animals at different life stages and physiological states (growth, lactation, maintenance, etc.) and discuss the impact of nutrition on animal productivity, health, and welfare, as well as on product quality

analyse and formulate balanced rations or diets for livestock and/or companion animals based on nutrient requirements and available feedstuff with/without specific software

demonstrate critical thinking and an evidence-based approach to clinical animal nutrition, integrating reflective practice to support continuous professional development and informed decision-making in nutritional care.

Prescribed learning resources

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Prescribed Resources/Equipment
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Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.