Course Catalogue

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This course focuses on production, companion and laboratory animal management including nutrition, genetics and behaviour. It seeks to widen the student's knowledge of the animal based production industries, give them practical skills in handling a range of these animals, and an understanding of their welfare and how animals interact with their environment together with a basic understanding of animal nutrition and animal breeding. The course will also explore how animal production can be enhanced and manipulated.

Weekly lectures and practical classes complemented by tutorials and self-directed assignments.

Students must have attained the minimum requirements for entry into level 2 of the Veterinary Biosciences [Hons]/MSci Programme as specified in the Veterinary Biosciences [Hons]/MSci Programme Supplementary Regulations.

None

The course will be assessed by an essay (20%), oral presentation (10%) and an end-of-course examination (70%). The end of course exam may contain MCQs, DIQs and MEQs.

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

Reassessment will not be offered in the oral presentation for this course.

The aims of this course are to:

Provide the students with a knowledge of:

■ The range of systems used to keep production, laboratory and companion animals and the associated legislative requirements

■ The principles of animal nutrition for monogastrics and ruminants.

■ The behaviour and welfare of production, laboratory and companion animals.

■ The means of manipulating production, including basic genetics, genetic problems, and means of selection for specific traits

Equip students with the skills needed to:

■ Handle production, laboratory and companion animals

■ Critically review scientific resources

■ Give oral and written presentations

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Discuss the economics and social reasons which drive animal ownership.

■ Describe the systems in which production and companion animals are kept and the rationale for their development 

■ Explain the legislative requirements that accompany animal ownership in the UK.

■ Describe and use energy and protein feeding systems for ruminant and monogastric animals.

■ Explain the nutrient requirements of production and companion animals.

■ Describe how feeds are classified for animal nutrition purposes and how these are sampled and analysed according to legally regulated procedures.

■ Identify feedstuffs of importance in animal feeding and know their broad group nutritional characteristics.

■ Describe the important features of mineral/vitamin requirements and understand effects of relative or absolute deficiency/ over-supply and how minerals are supplemented to different classes of farm livestock.

■ Interpret nutrient data given on proprietary pet food products and apply this in the correct rationing of cats and dogs.

■ Explain behavioural theory and its relevance to welfare research and assessment.

■ Describe the basic concepts of animal welfare

■ Safely and effectively handle production, laboratory and companion animals

■ Describe how genetics and the analysis of relationships inform the selection of animals in breeding programs.

■ Explain the means by which animal growth can be manipulated.

■ Critically review scientific resources.

■ Give an effective oral presentation.

■ Write an essay using effective scientific writing skills.

The minimum requirement for award of credits is the completion of a least 75% by weight of summative assessment for the course. In addition, you will normally be required to attend all practicals and tutorials - students whose practical attendance falls below 75% in the course will normally be deemed not to have completed the course.