VETERINARY COLLEGE AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, SALEM

DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL NUTRITION

The Department of Animal Nutrition was established in the year 2020 and building for this Department was constructed in an area of 8995 sq.ft as per the Veterinary Council of India norms to teach the Under Graduate Students.

Objectives

To impart undergraduate education to students
To undertake nutritional research on the locally available feeds
To adopt modern feeding technologies which helps the farmer for economic livestock farming

laboratories

This Department has two laboratories viz.,

a). Feed and Fodder analysis, and
b). Energy metabolism laboratory for conducting the practical classes

These labs are well equipped with all the equipment’s for proximate analyses of feed and fodder samples which includes Digital balances of varying weighing ability, and a Wiley mill, and two numbers of semi-automated Kjeldahl block digestion system, semi-automated Kjeldahl distillation system. Further a Semi-automated Soxtech, two numbers of Muffle furnace, Hot air oven is also available.

EQUIPMENTS AVAILABLE IN:

Energy Metabolism Lab

Hot Air Oven – Deep vision
Muffle Furnace - Technico
Soxhtec -FOSS
Semi-automated Kjeldahl distillation system -FOSS
Semi-automated Kjeldahl digestion system with Scrubber Unit -Foss placed in Fume hood
Water bath - Technico
Hot plate bench temperature controlled – Sigma for Crude fibre
Hot plate temperature controlled - Technico
Wiley mill – NSW India
Suction pump – Rocker 801
Electronic monopan balance - Shimadzu 0.1 mg accuracy
Electronic monopan balance – Mettler Toledo 10 mg accuracy
Digital burette – Titrette

Feed and Fodder Analysis Lab

Hot Air Oven – Deep vision
Muffle Furnace - Technico
Semi-automated Kjeldahl distillation system -FOSS
Semi-automated Kjeldahl digestion system with Scrubber Unit -Foss placed in Fume hood
Hot plate temperature controlled - Technico
Electronic monopan balance - Shimadzu 1 mg accuracy
Digital burette – Titrette

FEED PROCESSING AND MIXING PLANT

A mini feed processing unit with a production capacity of 0.5 MT per hour is installed in this Department for demonstration purpose. Batch mixer capacity 250 kg ribbon blender. This helps the undergraduate students, for hands on training on preparation of various Livestock and Poultry feed and be used for feeding the animals maintained by Livestock farm complex, VCRI, Salem

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

During the Second Professional Year of B.V.Sc & AH, Animal Nutrition (3+1) course is offered with four units.

Unit I – Principles of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology
Unit II – Applied Ruminant Nutrition I
Unit III – Applied Ruminant Nutrition II
Unit IV – Applied Non-ruminant Nutrition

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

This Department shall identify the locally available ingredients fed to Livestock and Poultry of this District and promote the farmers for preparation of least cost ration formulation. Moreover, analysis of contaminants, adulterants and mycotoxins in feed/feed ingredients are in the offing for the benefit of the farmers.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

Periodical training programmes will be conducted for the livestock farmers on “Balanced feed formulation, Nutrition & fertility management in Dairy Cattle and Feeds & Feeding of Poultry”.

Faculty

Name and Designation	E-mail	Mobile#
Dr. V. Meenalochani, Associate Professor and Head	meenalochani69@gmail.com	9488589029
Dr. S. Senthilkumar, Associate Professor	annsenthil@gmail.com	94442222206
Dr. P.C. Sakthivel, Assistant Professor	sakthivelpc@gmail.com	9488236792

The Associate Professor and Head,
Dept. of Animal Nutrition,
Veterinary College and Research Institute,
Thalaivasal Koot Road, Near Nathakarai Toll Plaza,
Salem - 636 112, Tamil Nadu, India.
Phone: +91-4282-290998
E-mail: ann-vcri-slm@tanuvas.org.in