Morphological feeding and animal welfare

Academic Year 2018/2019 - 3° Year - Curriculum ZOOTECNICO ECONOMICO

Learning Objectives

• Feeding techniques

  Students acquire the basic knowledge on the anatomy and physiology of the digestive system, on feeds, on their chemical-related nutritional and storage systems, as well as on methods for assessing chemical-nutrient.

  At the end of the course students will be able to make an assessment of nutritional properties of feeds for animals.

• Morphological evaluations of farm animals and animal welfare

  To give knowledge on methods to evaluate morphological characteristics of farm animals, traditional and modern dairy cattle judging techniques, methods to estimate functional parameters for meat and milk production

Course Structure

• Feeding techniques

  Class lectures, applied activities and tests during the course

• Morphological evaluations of farm animals and animal welfare

  Class lectures, applied activities and tests during the course

Detailed Course Content

• Feeding techniques

  Nutrients. Elements of anatomy and physiology of polygastric and monogastric digestive systems and endocrinal system. Chemical characteristics of feeds for animals; Chemical analysis, digestibility and nutritive value; green fodder, hay, silage, concentrates, byproducts. Preservation techniques of fodder: hay and silage. Energy and protein needs.

• Morphological evaluations of farm animals and animal welfare

  Descriptive terminology of skeletal structure; Anatomy and physiology of mammary system; Evaluation of defects; Ideal type standards; Measures and indices. Morphological, functional and constitutional types. Judging dairy cows.
  Basic knowledge of animal welfare

Textbook Information

• Feeding techniques

  G. Bittante, I. Andrighetto, M. Ramanzin, Fondamenti di Zootecnica Liviana editore

  M. Antongiovanni, M. Gualtieri “Nutrizione e alimentazione animale” Ed. Edagricole, Bologna

• Morphological evaluations of farm animals and animal welfare

  1) D. Balasini – Zoognostica – Edagricole;
  2) Bortolami-Callegari-Beghelli – Anatomia e Fisiologia degli animali domestici – Edagricole;