Morphological feeding and animal welfare

Academic Year 2020/2021 - 3° Year - Curriculum ZOOTECNICO ECONOMICO

Learning Objectives

• Feeding techniques

  To acquire knowledge on anatomy and physiology of the digestive system, highlighting the differences between monogastric and polygastric animals; to provide expertise on zootechnical feeds, their chemical-nutritional characteristics and conservation systems; to acquire skills on chemical-nutritional evaluation methods of zootechnical feeds.

• VALUTAZIONI MORFOFUNZIONALI E BENESSERE ANIMALE

  To acquire skills on traditional and modern methods of evaluating the morphological characteristics of animals in livestock production in order to estimate their reproductive and productive potential associated with them. Provide general information on the main genetic improvement models aimed at improving the morphological characteristics of dairy and meat animals. Insights, on the main regulations concerning animal welfare, with particular attention to some aspects of this topic (transport, slaughter, castration, diagnostic systems)

Course Structure

• Feeding techniques

  Class lectures (28 h).

  In-depth seminars on some of the topics covered, classroom and laboratory exercises (28 h).

  If teaching is given in a mixed formula or remotely, necessary changes may be introduced to what was previously stated in order to comply with the provided and reported syllabus.

  Learning assessment may be done remotely if necessary.

• VALUTAZIONI MORFOFUNZIONALI E BENESSERE ANIMALE

  Lectures, in-depth seminars on some of the topics covered, classroom exercises, farm visits with examples of morphological evaluation of live animals.

  If teaching is given in a mixed formula or remotely, necessary changes may be introduced to what was previously stated in order to comply with the provided and reported syllabus.

  Learning assessment may be done remotely if necessary.

Detailed Course Content

• Feeding techniques

  Notes on anatomy and physiology of the digestive system and physiology of the endocrine system. Chemical-nutritional characteristics of zootechnical feeds: chemical analysis, digestibility and nutritional value. Zootechnical feeds: green fodder, hay, silage, concentrates, by-products. Forage conservation techniques: haymaking and ensiling. Notes on the energy and protein needs of animals according to the phase of the production cycle

• VALUTAZIONI MORFOFUNZIONALI E BENESSERE ANIMALE

  The part of morpho-functional evaluations of the course will cover the following topics: study and description of the skeleton; anatomy and physiology of the mammary apparatus; study of morphological types; zoognostic terminology; the zoognostic regions: anatomical bases and their merits and defects; zoometric measurements and indices; morphological and functional evaluation of the dairy cow and beef cattle; age estimation from the examination of the teeth; carcass classification (Europe and North America). Presentation of the main genetic improvement programs and relative indices of evaluation of the breeders. The part of the course that will deal with the welfare of farm animals will deal with the current legislation, the farriery technique (care of the bovine foot), the "Wellness" Integrated Diagnostic System, castration in the various species of zootechnical interest, animal transport and slaughter techniques

Textbook Information

• Feeding techniques

  1. Bittante, Andrighetto, Ramanzin - "Fondamenti di zootecnica", Liviana Editrice, Padova

  2.. Antongiovanni, Gualtieri - "Nutrizione e alimentazione animale", Edagricole editrice, Bologna

  3. 3. Mc Donald, Edwards, Greenhalgh, Morgan, Sinclair, Wilkinson - "Animal nutrition", Pearson Education Limited Edition, Harlow, England

• VALUTAZIONI MORFOFUNZIONALI E BENESSERE ANIMALE

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

  3) Cataloghi centri di fecondazione Artificiali

  4) Dispense del docente; Supporti informatici forrniti dal docente tramite e-mail (glicitra@unict.it)/Piattaforma Studium