212-411 Animal Management and Production

The course includes analysis of the following key issues in livestock production systems: the size, distribution and value of each animal industry, breed selection and genetic improvement, practical feeding of breeding and growing animals, optimisation and reproductive output, environmental effects and use of buildings, management regimes to maintain animal health, maximisation of product quality, production system analysis and considering of alternatives, and marketing and markets. On completion of this subject, students should be aware of all the major inputs into a management production system; aware of the products of animal production systems and product quality; able to understand the effects of changes in inputs and/or outputs on the efficiency of the production system; capable of analysing a production system; aware of alternative production systems; and capable of surveying an animal industry.

A 3-hour written end-of-semester examination; two written assignments (up to 2500 words each) related to the practical work