Basic Knowledge and Practice of Animal Husbandry

Structure Type: Course
Code: KA01BKOTU02
Type: Compulsory
Level: Bachelor
Credits: 6.0 points
Responsible Teacher: Tiainen, Juha
Teacher Team: Rönkä, Teija
Language of Instruction: Finnish

Learning Outcomes

Students get acquainted with livestock production in Finland and learn the basic terms and concepts of animal husbandry. They can explain common farming practices and know the principles of management of disease risks and quality of products. They know the central laws and regulations concerning animal production, animal welfare and food safety. They get basic abilities for working with livestock during the practical training period.

Student's Workload

Scheduled studies 97 h, autonomous studies 53 h, totally 160 h.
In multiform learning scheduled studies 42 h, autonomous studies 118 h.

Prerequisites / Recommended Optional Courses

No previous studies are required.

Contents

Production cycle of farm animals and feeding and care at different phases of production, Housing of animals and managing housing conditions, Properties of the most significant types of feed, feed evaluation system, feeding recommendations and basics of diet formulation, Monitoring animal health and preventive health care, quality of animal products, Principals of legislation on domestic animal production, Basics of animal breeding

Recommended or Required Reading

To the appropriate extent: Christiansen, J.P. 2005. The basics of pig production; productionField, T.G. & Taylor, R.E. 2008. Scientific farm animal production. An introduction to animal science; Marcussen , D. & Krog Laursen, A. 2008. The basics of dairy cattle
Guide to good farming practices for animal production food safety. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations & World Organization for Animal Health. 2010. http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i0482t/i0482t00.pdf
http://www.evira.fi/portal/en/evira/; https://portal.mtt.fi/portal/page/portal/Rehutaulukot/feed_tables_english
Other material informed by the teacher.

Mode of Delivery / Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lectures and exersices 65 h, group teaching (practical work and observation) 42 h, independent study 53 h. In multiform learning lectures 30 h, exercises 6 h, group teaching (practical work and observation) 6 h, independent study 118 h.

Assessment Criteria

Level 1: The student can list the most important sectors of the Finnish animal production. He can present the processes of production and can list the most important duties in different stages of production cycles. The student can interpret feed analysis, feeding recommendations and feeding plans. The student can name the most important prevention methods of contagious animal diseases and factors affect the hygienic quality of the domestic animal products. The student can find information about the fundamental legislation concerning animal welfare. The student can explain the most important breeding methods used in animal production. The student has participated in the practises in the cowhouse and piggery.
Level 3: The student can present the summary of the scope of the Finnish domestic animal production. The student can explain the leading principles of the care of animals at the different stages of the process of production. The student can compare the amount and nutritional composition of feed given to an animal with animal’s feeding recommendations. The student can make a summary about , the central contents of legislation concerning animal welfare. The student can explain the basic connections between the animal production and food safety. The student can list the main breeding goals of the most important animals and explain how the information needed for the breeding of the animals s gathered. The student has participated in the practises in the cowhouse and piggery.
Level 5: The student can compare the scope and development of the different sectors of animal production. The student can present the production processes and can apply this knowledge to the planning of the production. The student can calculate the amount feed needed for the animals annually. The student can compare the practical conditions of animals with the contents of the regulations concerning animal welfare. The student can estimate the basic effects of the production conditions in the animals' health and on the quality of the products. The student can explain the principles by which the animals used for breeding purposes are chosen. The student has participated in the practises in the cowhouse and piggery.

Assessment Methods

•Active participation ,Written assignments ,Written exam

Work Placement

None

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