This fifth edition arms readers with the latest information on nutrient metabolism and the formulation of diets from an array of available feedstuffs. The authors discuss animals' role in ecological balance, environmental stability and sustainable agriculture and food production. A new chapter on the regulation of nutrient partitioning offers a lively and timely discussion of emerging technologies in modifying and increasing efficiency of nutrient metabolism and animal food composition. A new chapter on toxic minerals in the food chain addresses the role of agricultural production animal nutrition in protecting the environment from toxic levels of minerals and nitrogen in the food chain.

A comprehensive and balanced overview of animal agriculture in contemporary society! It develops the principles of animal biology as a science within the context of life-cycle production of animals for economic and biologic efficiency. Individual chapters describe and analyze particular animal industries such as dairy cattle, poultry, aquatic animals, etc. The book also discusses a wide variety of animal products.