250-318 Small Ruminants 1

Students completing this subject should be able to: design a prevention program for diseases and production limiting conditions that commonly affect sheep; suggest a list of differential diagnoses, in descending order of probability, from the history, epidemiology, clinical signs and/or lesions observed in individual sheep or in sheep flocks; submit appropriate samples for laboratory testing and interpret the test results for diseases and production limiting conditions that affect sheep; ascertain if the welfare of sheep is compromised; develop a disease control program that includes a realistic prognosis, treatment advice, consideration of chemical residues, and for commercial flocks an economic appraisal of the program; demonstrate competence in the analysis of farm financial performance and of animal health and production records; develop skills in report writing; and develop skills in verbal presentations.

Topics covered include diseases, preventive medicine and production of sheep, other small ruminants and camelids; clinical examination; infectious, metabolic, nutritional, reproductive and parasitic diseases; and diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

After completing the subjects Small Ruminants 1 and Small Ruminants 2 students should have developed:

• cognitive, analytic and problem solving skills, involving independent thought, rational enquiry and self-directed learning;

• professional and technical skills; and

• respect for intellectual integrity and professional ethics.

One 2-hour end of semester written examination (100%) and satisfactory performance during the small ruminant and camelid component of the ruminant rotation.