"(This is Volume I of a two-volume set. Volume II is also available)
The purpose of the Ruminant Nutrition System (RNS) software is to integrate and apply current scientific knowledge and to encourage creative and innovative ideas to solve practical feeding and nutrition problems. This is accomplished by using the accumulated scientific knowledge to establish relational and conceptual links among key variables and quantify their values.
The foremost goal in developing the RNS was to provide a framework that could be used for incorporating and implementing new scientific knowledge and submodels to more accurately predict nutrient requirements and biological values for ruminants currently used in food production.
The ultimate purpose is to improve animal productivity and profitability while reducing nutrient excretion per unit of production. This book is intended for teaching and research by faculty and graduate students at the master or doctoral levels in life sciences, animal science, wildlife and fisheries sciences, ecosystem science and management, veterinary medicine, and biology and zoology.
This book will also be of use to practicing nutritionists who are seeking advanced information on applied ruminant nutrition (in cattle, sheep, and goats) and to understand biological and nutritional modeling of nutrient requirements by ruminants and nutrients supplied by feedstuffs undergoing ruminal fermentation, postruminal digestion, and absorption.
The goals of this book on ruminant nutrition science are to document information, share knowledge, stimulate thinking and discussions, provoke criticism to build a better system, challenge the system with new discoveries, and foster learning by young students and teaching of scientists for the future."
