Morphological feeding and animal welfare

Academic Year 2016/2017 - 3° Year - Curriculum ZOOTECNICO ECONOMICO
Teaching Staff Credit Value: 12
Taught classes: 64 hours
Term / Semester:

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


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;