VET20070 Veterinary Food Animal Systems

Academic Year 2022/2023

This module consists of a series of lectures on the applied practical aspects of husbandry and management of the main farm animal species, beef, dairy, sheep, pigs and poultry, as well as an introduction to the aquaculture industry and common diseases affecting the fish farming sector. There will also be an introduction to herd health, including the important production diseases of cattle (mastitis, lameness) as well as infectious disease; there is a similar introduction to flock health and disease. Recent additions to the module include lectures on honey bee husbandry and camelid husbandry.

The main purpose of this module is to familiarise students with common farming systems and critically important husbandry aspects which have a direct and indirect impact on animal health, animal welfare, productivity and economic performance on farms.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:

Make current practical recommendations on how to manage, feed and produce food animal species efficiently and safely.

Demonstrate an understanding of the basic production systems for dairy, beef, sheep, poultry and pig meat production.

Demonstrate an understanding of the environmental requirements of domestic species and how the animals environment affects its health and production.

Advise on appropriate husbandry for the maintenance of herd or flock health.

Have an awareness of the key animal health issues that form part of routine herd and flock health programmes.

Have a basic understanding of fish production systems, fish husbandry and fish health plans.

Have a good understanding of pig and poultry systems, husbandry and health plans.

Have a basic understanding of the importance of disease prevention and herd health and how this relates to antibiotic usage on farms and the challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

On completion of this module students should be able to:

Make current practical recommendations on how to manage, feed and produce food animal species (cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and fish) efficiently and safely.

Demonstrate an understanding of basic production methods for beef, sheep, poultry, fish and pig meat production.

Describe the quality standards applied to milk production for human consumption and the management factors that contribute to mastitis in dairy herds.

Demonstrate an understanding of the environmental requirements of domestic species, especially their housing requirements, and how the animal’s environment affects its health and production.

Know how to manipulate the environment to optimise health and production.

Identify environmental and husbandry aspects that predispose to health problems and limit production.

Have a basic understanding of herd health as a concept, as well as basic understanding of important herd health topics including lameness control, mastitis management, infectious disease control in cattle and flock health management.

Be competent in the handling and husbandry of calves, including practical aspects such as disbudding, castration, stomach tubing, colostrum management and basic clinical examination.

Have a basic understanding of bee husbandry and common diseases affecting honey bees.

Have an understanding of the important husbandry requirements of camelids, e.g. alpaca, including dietary requirements, animal handling techniques, and common diseases.


Indicative Module Content:

Lectures
Wednesday Lectures: 11am - 1pm Theatre FS-G01 (201) Agriculture & Food Science Building

FS1 FM Calf rearing system / management: colostrum, nutrition of pre-ruminant calf, milk replacer, composition, whole milk, automatic feeding systems.
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FS2 FM Calf housing principals (such as orientation, relative humidity, ventilation, space allocation, feeding arrangements), individual and group housing, Patterson houses etc

Fish Lectures Friday 25th Jan Dr. Susie Mitchell

FS 3 FM Dairy - Rearing replacement dairy heifers

FS4 FM Beef production - conventional calf to 18 months or calf - 24 months system, including calendar of events

FS5 FM Beef production - suckler beef production, including calendar of events.

FS6 FM Beef production - bull beef / cereal beef production - calf to 12/14 months, intensive / winter finishing

FS7 FM Wed 13-02-18 11:00 Dairy cow and beef housing: housing types (slatted floor, straw bedded, sloped floor, cubicles), feeding, manure management, space allocation

FS8 FM Cattle housing continued: Watering arrangements, footbaths, milking parlours layout of parlour / collecting yards; Dairy cow health / husbandry problems associated with inadequate housing, housing of breeding bulls.

FS9 MAC Sheep - Management of lowland sheep
FS10 MAC Sheep - Mid season sheep production system / calendar of events.
FS11 ER Introduction to Herd Health

FS12 ER Introduction to Cattle Mastitis
FS13 EGM Poultry husbandry; qualities of broilers and layers; production cycles, targets, records. Poultry nutrition – layers and broilers.
FS14 EGM Poultry housing; deep litter, battery cages and alternative systems. Environment – ventilation, temperature, humidity; lighting programmes
FS16 EGM Pig husbandry- dry sow/farming sow management.
FS16 EGM Pig husbandry - weaning stage
FS18 EGM Pig husbandry: finishing management
FS18 ER Introduction to Cattle Lameness
FS19 MAC Sheep - Early lamb production. Hill sheep - Finishing of store lambs.
FS20 MAC Sheep housing - types, layout, ancillary facilities, costs, and problems.
FS21 ER Introduction to infectious diseases of cattle
FS22 ER Infectious diseases of cattle continued
FS23 ER Introduction to flock health

Honey Bees and their Husbandry Lecture - Friday (1 hour)
Camelid husbandry and health - Lecture Friday (1 hour)

FS24 FM Economic analysis of food producing animal husbandry


Practicals (1/4 class) Lyons Estate
FP1 FM Thursday Lyons Estate Calf husbandry, colostrum feeding, housing, Calf dehorning, castration, stomach tubing


Tutorials

FT1 ER: Beef Cattle Health and Production Tutorial

FP2 EGM: Pigs / Pig records Tutorial

FT2 MAC: Sheep Tutorials
Sheep problem solving - Evaluation of sheep production systems - economics, reproduction, genetics, nutrition, welfare. (2h x2)

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

28
Tutorial

6
Practical

4
Autonomous Student Learning

66
Total

104
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The approaches to teaching and learning in this module VET20070 include traditional didactic lectures as well as face-to-face interactive tutorials. These tutorials on beef health and production, pig records and sheep disease involve group work where students will be divided up into small groups and given problem based learning exercises to work on - these PBL exercises will increase their knowledge of key aspects of animal husbandry, herd health and disease as well as promoting teamwork and communication skills through presentation to their peers and discussion with their mentors.
In addition, the module involves hands-on practical animal handling, specifically of calves in Lyons Estate, where students will be exposed to common calf and cow housing and feeding practices and will learn how to perform common husbandry procedures including calf clinical examination, handling, disbudding and burdizzo castration.
Real-life videos of important husbandry, housing and disease scenarios will be available and students will be exposed to these in order to stimulate learning in an emmersive T&L environment. It is hoped this blended approach will enhance deep learning. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Pre-requisite:
VET10040 - Practical Animal Husbandry

Co-requisite:
VET20050 - Genetics & Animal Breeding, VET30350 - Practical animal nutrition, VET30390 - Reproductive biology

Additional Information:
Pre-requisite: VET10040 Practical Animal Husbandry Co-requisites: VET20050 OR VET30350 and VET30390


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Examination: Summer written examination under the supervision of invigilators. Mix of MCQ, matching set, short answer questions and longer written questions across the main farm animal species. 2 hour End of Trimester Exam No Alternative non-linear conversion grade scale 50% No

80
Multiple Choice Questionnaire: First half of the module - MCQ questions will be based on lecture content, tutorials and practicals in Lyons. Week 7 n/a Alternative non-linear conversion grade scale 50% No

10
Multiple Choice Questionnaire: MCQ questions covering the second half of the module only - MCQ questions based on lecture content, tutorials and practicals in Lyons Estate. End of trimester MCQ n/a Alternative non-linear conversion grade scale 50% No

10

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
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
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Following each MCQ assessment, particularly the mid-semester MCQ assessment, students will be given formative feedback on their progress, particularly if their performance has been below par. If students are progressing well this will be through Brightspace. For individual students that do not appear to be progressing satisfactorily, face-to-face feedback and help will be given. In addition, the students will be informed that I will be available to discuss any matters of relevance to the module or otherwise throughout the semester and my email will be available to all students on Brightspace.

Animal Health Ireland guide documents for vets, farmers and farm advisors - Calf Care, Cellcheck, Infectious Disease, Parasitic Disease, Biosecurity.
Name Role
Professor Mark Crowe Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Emmet Kelly Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Finbar Mulligan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mr Finnian Logan Tutor
Miss Vicki Rhodes Tutor