Design, implementation and assessment of a model of balanced animal food production integrated to teaching and research in la salle university

Abstract

The objective of this research was to design, implement and assess a model to promote the balanced animal food production in La Salle University, integrating teaching and research. A productive model was made to allow students and investigators participation and was progressively implemented. As result the San Miguel balanced animal food plant was adapted and reactivated. With the participation of the students of Nutrition and Feeding, diets for hen, heifers, and milking cows were designed, elaborated and evaluated. Administrative processes to manage the plant, including the quality control were defined and the biological efficiency of the prepared rations was proved. The investigation was the basis for three degree projects, two of them oriented to obtain functional foods such as eggs with Omega 3 and Selenium which are already offered to the local market by the University. The third one developed the Cornell Model validation of the digestion simulation and animal metabolism of the tropical nutritional resources as a new tool to improve the tropical feeding systems. As a conclusion, the balanced animal food production in the University of La Salle is a technically and economically viable activity and it is justified by its contribution as an academic space and means of support for multiple researches