212-220 Animal Science 1

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Objectives:

Animal Behaviour: The student will have an understanding of animal behaviour, factors modifying its expression and the influence of behaviour on animal production systems. This will lead to better handling and management of livestock. Animal Health: The student will appreciate the importance of animal health in animal production systems and that disease usually has animal management as a component of its occurrence, prevention and treatment. Nutrition and Energy: Students will understand the central role of nutrition in animal production systems, with other disciplines serving to optimise the conversion of animal feeds to desired products. They will be familiar with the nature of the nutrients, their digestion, metabolism, interactions and their supply and availability in feedstuffs. An understanding of basic nutrition is a prerequisite for subsequent Animal Science courses, such as Animal Physiology in third year and Animal Production A and B in fourth year, as well as enabling the student to appreciate the significance to animal science of other subjects in the course.

Content:

Animal Behaviour (6 lectures) Behaviour and adaptation; imprinting, habituation and conditioning; social behaviour, with emphasis on domestic and agricultural species. Animal Health(6 lectures) The concept of 'Production Disease'. Management for control of nutritional, reproductive, parasitic and neonatal diseases. Nutrition and Energy (24 lectures) Basic nutritional and energetic concepts. The central role in animal production of efficiency of conversion of feeds to desired products. Feed resources: identification and utilisation. Interactions between plant and animal production in meeting nutritional needs of domestic animals and humans. Practical Work including laboratory studies, animal house exercises and field visits.

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