ANSC30310 Dairy Systems

Academic Year 2024/2025

This undergraduate course targets students specialising in Dairy Science and addresses Dairy Systems. It consists of lectures, research seminars, practicals and field trips. The specific Dairy Farm System components addressed in this module include:
• Dairy farm system definition
• Grass-based and TMR dairy systems
• Winter milk production
• Irish and international farm systems
• Farm system appraisal
• Farm budgeting
• Modeling of milk production systems including Irish models, international models and model application (e.g. EBI)
• Aspects of policy including policy interaction with farm system and the wider landscape/environment
• Farm layout and infrastructure, including Teagasc Heavy Soils Research programme
• Milking parlour infrastructure and function including energy efficiency and Automated Milking Systems
• Labour efficiency and people in dairying
• Careers in dairying

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this course the student should be able to:
• Outline the key facts about dairy systems and be able to describe a number of production systems
• Explain systems of milk production in terms of the applications of key principles, concepts and ideas from the relevant disciplines: be able to deconstruct each system of production into its component parts, and be able to evaluate the significance of the components and their interrelationships to current systems of production
• Describe the background to the grass-based milk production systems operated in Ireland
• Understand the effects that policy has had on milk production systems and therefore be able to hypothesize how the system will change in the future
• Understand how models have been used in Ireland and internationally to answer key questions within the dairy industry
• Offer well-founded advice on sustainable dairy systems, incorporating knowledge of current and future policy constraints
• Analyse systems of production both from the biological/technical and financial perspectives, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and make recommendations for remedial action as appropriate
• Design a plan for a dairy enterprise from the financial to the physical layout of the farm, and understand the reasons for each of the components
• Outline the sources of reliable information relevant to each enterprise.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

25
Seminar (or Webinar)

4
Practical

6
Field Trip/External Visits

5
Autonomous Student Learning

60
Total

100
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module provides a mixed method approach to teaching and learning consisting of, but not limited to, Lectures, Active based learning, Practical work outside the classroom (on farm), Problem based learning and Debates. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Exam (In-person): Two hour end of trimester exam n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

65
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Short questionnaires to be held throughout the trimester as a form of continuous assessment.
The timings and number of assessments noted are indicative only and as such they are subject to change.		 n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

35

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback is provided individually to students, both in semester and after the final exam

Name Role
Dr Laurence Shalloo Tutor