Basics of Animal Production and Farm Animal Welfare (5cr)

Evaluation scale

1-5

Objective

The students are familiar with the duties at different stages of production cycles. They can assess animal welfare. They are familiar with the most usual housing systems and the technology used in management of housing conditions, manure handling and milking. They can make a summary and find information about the central legislation concerning animal welfare.

Content

Duties connected to different stages of production cycles, farm animal behaviour and handling, interaction between animal and its environment, assessment of farm animal welfare, housing systems and management of housing conditions, technology in manure handling and milking, legislation concerning animal welfare, basics of anatomy and physiology connected to above-mentioned issues.

Materials

To the appropriate extent e.g.: Christiansen, J.P. 2005. The basics of pig production

Marcussen , D. & Krog Laursen, A. 2008. The basics of dairy cattle production

Jensen, P. 2002. The ethology of domestic animals. An introductory text. Wallingford, Oxon: CABI publishing

Field, T.G. & Taylor, R.E. 2008. Scientific farm animal production. An introduction to animal science. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall

Damron, W.S. 2003. Introduction to animal science. Global, biological, social and industry perspectives. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Other material informed by the teacher.

Teaching methods

Lectures, assingments, demonstrations.

Student workload

Totally 133 h. Scheduled studies 60 h, autonomous studies 73 h. In multiform learning scheduled studies 35 h and autonomous studies 98 h.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The students can explain the most important duties at different stages of production cycles. They can list factors affecting farm animal welfare. They can recognize the most usual housing systems and technological solutions used. They can find information about the central legislation concerning animal welfare.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

The students can explain the principles of the care of the animals at the different stages of production cycles. They can name the factors affecting the interaction between an animal its housing environment and explain their significance on animal welfare. They can explain the differences between different housing systems and technological solutions. They can make a summary about the central contents of legislation concerning animal welfare.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The students can compare different technological solutions and evaluate their suitability in different situations. They can compare the practical conditions of animals with the contents of legislation concerning animal welfare. They can evaluate and justify the effects of production conditions on the production result, animal health and welfare.