The importance of protein nutrition in driving animal productivity is considered in-depth using examples from the pig and poultry industries. These concepts are developed for pastoral industries to provide an understanding of nutritional limitations to productivity of growing sheep and cattle in the weaning period and in lactation. In ANSC 335 the difficult issue of supplementation of dairy cattle and sheep at pasture with both concentrates and conserved forages is treated in depth.
Teaching methods involve extensive library work and tutorial presentations.
The major emphasis is on application in the New Zealand pastoral ruminant industries but the courses deal with quantitative nutrition at a fundamental level and are therefore appropriate for students with a general interest in nutrition. Research Andrews' research focus is on mineral nutrition. To-date our studies, unsurprisingly, have shown many more cases of low vitamin B12 status, but without abnormal metabolism and therefore without responsiveness to supplementation. This work is also funded by MeatNZ and Woolpro. A recently initiated programme, funded by the NZ Dairy Board, will examine the relative responses of sheep and cattle to factors which are known to affect Mg absorption in ruminants.