VETERINARY COLLEGE AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, NAMAKKAL

Objectives

• Imparting education to undergraduate and postgraduate students and under taking research and extension.
• To improve nutrient utilization of alternative energy and protein sources.
• Evaluation of feed additives.

Courses offered

B.V.Sc.

• ANN 111 Principles of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology 2+1
• ANN 121 Applied Animal Nutrition – I (Ruminants) 2+1
• ANN 211 Applied Animal Nutrition-II (Non-ruminants) 2+1
• Experiential learning on Feed Manufacturing Technology offered to III. B.V.Sc & A.H students.
• Entrepreneurial Training Programme (ETP) on Feed Production – Mineral mixture offered to II B.V.Sc. & A.H., students.

M.V.Sc.

• ANN 601 Animal Nutrition – Energy and Protein 3+0
• ANN 602 Animal Nutrition-Minerals, Vitamins and Feed additives 3+1
• ANN 603 Feed Technology 1+1
• ANN 604 Feed Conservation, storage and quality control 2+2
• ANN 605 Ruminant Nutrition 2+1
• ANN 606 Non-ruminant nutrition 1+1
• ANN 607 Nutrition of companion/laboratory, wild and zoo animals 2+1
• ANN 608 Research Techniques in Animal Nutrition 1+3

Ph.D

• ANN 801 Modern Concepts of Feeding Ruminants and Forage Utilization 3+0
• ANN 802 Modern Concepts of Feeding Monogastric Animals 2+0
• ANN 803 Nutrition and Rumen Fermentation 1+1
• ANN 804 Advances in Micronutrients 1+0
• ANN 805 Advanced Techniques in nutrition and research 1+2
• ANN 806 Advances in Feed Technology 1+1
• ANN 807 Clinical Nutrition 1+1
• ANN 809 New Feed Resources and Toxicants in Animal Feeding 2+0

Post Graduate Diploma in Feed Manufacturing Technology through distance education mode

Other courses

• Skill development course on Feed Mill Operator

Infrastructure

• Separate laboratory for undergraduate and post-graduates students and a laboratory for Feed quality evaluation&
• Post graduate lecture hall and Interactive hall for feed manufacturing technology
• Feed manufacturing unit with following facilities
  • Feed godown cum milling unit
  • Feed supplement preparation room and
  • Room for preparation of value added feeds.
• Experimental sheds:
  • One deep litter poultry shed
  • One cage type chick cum grower shed
  • One cage type layer shed
  • One poultry metabolic trial unit

Automated Environment Controlled Chamber Facility for Commercial Broilers and Layers

An "Automated Environment Controlled Chamber Facility for Commercial Broilers and Layers' has been established at a cost of Rs.47.0 lakhs under ICAR - NICRA (National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture) Project of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. This facility comprises of six chambers (40 'X 9.5') with total plinth area of 2700 sq. feet to carryout simulation studies pertaining to impact of heat stress on the performance of commercial chicken. The efficacy of various heat stress ameliorative measures is being evaluated using this unique facility which is first of its kind in the country.

Experimental Broiler House

An 'Experimental Broiler House' with 96 pens has been established at this college at a cost of 9.0 lakhs for conducting research trials using broiler chicken. This facility was sponsored by Novus Animal Nutrition (India) Pvt. Ltd. Chennai and Novus International Inc., USA.

Achievement / Excellence

Education

• Imparting hand on experience on feed manufacturing techniques and management of feed manufacturing units.
• Training of students on assessing the nutritional status of the animal and guiding them to solve the field oriented feed problems.
• Motivating the students to identify local available agro-industrial waste products and to review the research carried out in them.

Research

Research topics completed by this department

• Poultry droppings / sugarcane bagasse pith as a feed for sheep and Lannea coromandelica as a feed for goats. Feeding of Yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on rumen fermentation and production performance in sheep. Nutritive value of Cenchrus ciliaris, Stylosanthus hamata and their combination (3:1 ratio) in sheep and goat.
• Wheat waste / rice waste / tamarind seed meal / mango seed kernel / little millet / pearl millet (local and hybrid varieties) / sorghum / ragi as a replacement for maize in poultry ration. Tapioca leaf meal / tapioca peel meal / gliricidia leaf meal and fermented caged layer manure and their feeding value for poultry. Rapeseed and sesame cake as a replacement for conventional vegetable protein source for broilers. Squilla meal /sardine fish and fish head / meat and bone meal / silkworm pupae meal as a replacement to fishmeal in poultry diets. Utilization of acidulated rice bran oil, palm oil, tallow, palm kernel, sunflower seed, maize germ for broilers and soya lecithin for broiler ducks. Evaluation of cheap mineral mixture using super-phosphate for di-calcium phosphate. Evaluation of Lactobacillus acidophillus and organic acids as alternatives to antibiotics.
• Efficiency of silicates in binding aflatoxin-B1 in the ration of broilers and measures to ameliorate ochratoxin toxicity.
• Dietary energy and protein requirement of broiler's and protein requirement of egg type chicken. Comparing the efficiency of NRC and ISI specifications of mineral requirement for broilers.
• Enzyme supplementation on the performance of broilers and layers and enzyme production from Trichoderma viridae
• Detection of adulteration of fish meal with leather meal.
• Multi-nutrient blocks for small ruminants.
• Development of user friendly excel based software package for formulation of ration for dairy cattle.
• Dietary cation anion balance requirement for broiler during summer.
• Evaluation of feed additives, like Herbal choline, Nucleotides, Mannanase enzyme etc.

Recently completed external funded projects

Ongoing external funded projects

Extension

• The farmers were advised regarding feeding of livestock and poultry through radio talks, pamphlets, mass contact programme, field demonstrations etc. Technical advices on feed formulations are provided to feed industries and farmers.
• Trainings are conducted on feed analysis and feeding of livestock and poultry for field veterinarians and private entrepreneurs, university teachers and research workers in field of Animal Nutrition and allied subjects.
• Lectures are being delivered regularly to trainees of self-help groups on feeding management of animals and guest lectures are being delivered to participants of training programmes organized by Centre for Advanced Faculty Training in Avian Sciences, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal. Under DFID scheme, the rural farmers are trained on managemental and feeding practices of desi birds. Scientists, field Veterinarians and farmers get benefited through NADP, TN IAM WARM training programmes.

Current Focus

• Training of undergraduate students for self employment in feed production
• Development of software packages by the working teams of the Department of Animal Nutrition on “Nutrient requirement and feeding of livestock and poultry”. 
• Method standardization for the detection of adulterants in feed ingredients.

Faculty

• Dr. P.Vasanthakumar, Professor and Head
• Dr. P.Vasan, Professor
• Dr. C.Kathirvelan, Assistant Professor
• Dr. C.Nithya, Assistant Professor