Careers in Agriculture

1. Careers in Agriculture Animal Nutritionist By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Jennie Simpson Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office Georgia Department of Education June 2005 START

2. What Is an Animal Nutritionist? • Animal nutritionists formulate diets for domestic, companion, and exhibit animals. • Animal nutritionists may teach the science and art of nutrition to students. • Some conduct research in public universities and colleges, or work in the private sector. • Corporate career activities range from serving clients on farms and ranches to supervising research and conducting international marketing projects.

3. Duties of Animal Nutritionists • Evaluate the nutritional needs of animals at all stages of development. • Evaluate chemical, economical, and nutritional value of feed. • Formulate diets to match the nutritional needs of animals to maximize growth, reproductive, and health potential. • Conduct animal-based studies to research the effectiveness of dietary regimes. • Investigate nutritional disorders to correct and prevent them. • Develop new products and support marketing of those products. • Partner with producers and clients to understand needs. • Ensure that feed formulations meet animal health standards. • Stay current with nutritional trends, new legislation, and regulatory changes. *These are some common duties of the profession. This list is not all inclusive, and duties can vary greatly within the profession.

4. Becoming an Animal Nutritionist • Need a great desire to increase the quality of animal life. • Must be patient and responsible when working with animals. • Ability to pay attention to small details in the food ration and animals health is critical. • One should also be task oriented and organized. • An animal nutritionist must be able to look at a situation, analyze it, and create a solution. • Need to be able to work independently or with clients. • Good communication skills are critical.

5. Education • Minimum education requirements include a Bachelor’s Degree. • Major in agriculture, animal science, animal nutrition, or a biological field while in college. • An undergraduate degree will provide opportunities on an entry level. • Those interested in research or teaching on a collegiate level must also have their Master’s Degree and/or Doctorate Degree. • Take college preparatory classes in high school with a focus on science and math • Participate in the FFA and 4-H in programs related to animal science • Work a part time or summer job in animal science

6. Employment • Beginning salary range for someone with an undergraduate degree is between $25,000 and $30,000. • Those starting with a master’s degree can earn up to $40,000 annually • Animal nutritionists with a PhD or in administrative positions earn over $60,000 annually. • Population growth and a government focus on food safety will create positions in this field. • May work in academia, private or public sector, or in research.

7. Vocabulary Palatable- acceptable to the taste; sufficiently agreeable in flavor to be eaten. Ex. Dog and cat foods must be palatable. A diet can have great nutrients, protein, etc., but if the diet has a low palatability, the animal will not eat it!

8. Related Careers • Animal Scientist • Nutritionist • Veterinarian • Wildlife Biologist • Zookeeper • Zoologist

9. Career Resources American Veterinary Medical Association 1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100 Schaumburg, IL 60173 Internet: http://www.avma.org American Society of Animal Science 1111 North Dunlap Avenue Savoy, IL 61874 Internet: http://www.asas.org American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 70 Timber Creek Drive Cordova, TN 38018 Internet: http://www.aalas.org