Feeding, Health and Breeding of Production AnimalsLaajuus (8 cr)

Objective

The students
- are able to plan the feeding and care of the main production animals.
- can determine the food requirements of different animals according to their production phases and can assess the impact of feeding-related factors on the quality of domestic animal products.
- know the most common diseases of production animals, master disease prevention principles, and can describe the principles of production animal health care.
- can describe Finnish production animal breeds,
know the breeding targets for different production animals, as well as breeding methods, and understand the significance of the various breeds for production

Content

Functioning of the digestive system
- ruminants and monogastrics
- development of young animals
- absorption of nutrients
Determining nutrient requirements
- energy and protein
Fodders and their properties
- fodder analysis
- fodder values and fodder tables
Planning feeding
- characteristics of production stages
- feeding plans
- organizing feeding in practice
- follow-up of the success of feeding
Products and their quality
- milk and meat and the safety of foodstuffs
- introduction to food industry
The characteristics of a healthy animal
Diseases and their prevention
- pathogens and resistance
Health care programmes
Breeding in Finland
- organization and the various breeds
Breeding targets and methods
- brief basics of genetics
- goals, evaluation and coupling methods
The impacts of breeding on the various breeds and production
- operation in practice and its impact

Qualifications

Knowledge of fodders and mastery of fodder production practices

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Inexperienced performer (1-2)
o The student can broadly plan feeding on a production animal farm and masters the basics of health care and the refinement of breeds.

Developing performer (3-4)
o The student can independently plan feeding on a production animal farm and is able to assess the impact of feeding, health and breeding on production.

Competent performer (5)
o The student can independently apply his/her skills in the planning of feeding in different farm conditions and can develop the feeding, care and breeding practices of a farm.