208-263 Animal Science and Nutrition

202-154 Introductory Biology for Land and Food

The subject provides students with a sound knowledge base for decision making in relation to the management of health, nutrition and breeding programs and covers the production of high quality animal products through the use of specialised intensive and semi-intensive systems. The subject will focus on ruminant species but students will be given the opportunity to develop knowledge of other farmed species.

The subject is divided into five main areas:

• animal products: factors influencing quality of meat, wool, dairy products;

• reproduction: enhancement of fertility and challenges to fertility in modern production systems;

• nutrition: systems for matching feeds to animal requirements, ration formulation, intensive feeding systems;

• health and welfare: prevention and control programs at farm and national levels; cost of disease; and

• animal improvement: economically important traits and their inheritance; breeding programs; genetic modification in animal production.

One or more mid-semester assignments totalling 2000 words (totalling 40% of final marks); 3-hour end-of-semester examination (60% of final marks).