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Animal Husbandry I

Course developers

Prior knowledge

LauZ3145, Animal Nutrition

Vete2023, Animal Anatomy and Physiology

Replaced course

LauZ3141 [GLAU3141] Animal Husbandry I

Course abstract

Students have been introduced with importance of animal husbandry in national economics, characterization of branch and development perspectives in Latvia and other countries. Students get knowledge in species and breeds of dairy cow, beef cattle, pig and horse, their forming history, different animal breeding technologies, methods of estimation of productivity, organization of pedigree recording system in Latvia.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Students get basic knowledge of the dairy cow, beef cattle, pig and horse biological traits, breeding and feeding technologies, animal products and quality assurance principles. Successful written tests.
Students have skills to evaluate of appropriate farming technologies for dairy cow, beef cattle, pig and horse species, to fill out the required documents, to evaluate the indices of product quality. Successful completion of practical works. After completing of course students are competent to assess the conformity of dairy cow, beef cattle, pig and horse for production, to evaluate the applied breeding technologies, to indicate animal holder to the mistakes in documentation and in production of high quality animal products. Successful final course test.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. The economic importance of cattle breeding and the characteristics of the sector in Latvia, the European Union and the world. Legislation of Latvia and the European Union regulating the cattle breeding industry. (L-1h)
2. Milk productivity of dairy cows, milk composition and quality, factors affecting it. (L-1h; Pr.-2h)
3. The exterior of dairy and beef cows, its assessment methods. Use of exterior evaluations in cattle breeding. (L.-1h; Pr.-1h)
4. Cow reproduction indicators, their interrelationships and influencing factors. Relationship of reproduction indicators with cow productivity. (L.-1h; Pr.-2h)
5. Beef production (live weight, growth, fattening, slaughter weight, slaughter yield, carcass quality, etc.). (L.-1h; Pr.-2h)
6. Keeping and milking systems for dairy and beef cows. Possibilities of recording and monitoring animal health, productivity and production quality in herds. (L-1h; Pr.-1h)
Test. Breeding of dairy cows and beef cattle.
7. The economic significance of pig production and its development in Latvia. Characteristics of the pig breeding situation in different countries of the world. (L.-1h)
8. Pregnancy. Factors affecting fertility, Milk of sows. Pig growing factors, Feed utilization. (L.-1h.;Pr.-2h)
9. Classification of pig breeds. Characteristics of pig breeds grown in Latvia (Latvian White, Great White, Landrace, etc.). (L.-1h.;Pr.-1h)
10. Pig herd structure. Breeding herd reproduction variants. Use of leech and artificial insemination. The pig groups in production process (piglets, sows, boars, etc.). (L.-1h.;Pr.-1h)
11. Theoretical principles of pig fattening. The different kind of fattening and influencing factors. (L.-1h; Pr.-2h)
12. Pig keeping and welfare. Calculation of the number of pens needed in pig production. (L.-1h; Pr.-2h)
Test. Pork production.
13. Characteristics of the horse breeding sector, situation in Latvia. Uses of the horse. Classification of horse breeds. Registration and identification methods of horses. Horse description by colour and markings. Horse condition assessment. (L.-1h; Pr.-2h)
14. Selection work in horse breeding. Horse breeding methods. The economically important traits of horses, their evaluation methods. Characteristics of the horse's conformation, its role in choosing the direction of use of horse and identifying health risks. (L.-1h; Pr.-2h)
15. Horses housing and care based on welfare conditions. (L.-1h; Pr.-2h)
16. Housing systems and technologies. Assessment methods of housing conditions. (L.-1h; Pr.-2h)
Test. Horse husbandry.

Requirements for awarding credit points

Successfully did all practical works, and at the end successfully completed tests for each (dairy cow and beef cattle, pigs, horses) animal species.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

The student independently studies popular scientific literature on the topics included in the study course. Control questions about the literature studied in the individual work are integrated into the tests.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

A student can get a successful mark on a test if at least 50% of the questions are answered correctly.
The practical work performed is evaluated according to the evaluation procedure specified in the practical task. The final tests cannot be taken without the successful written control works and did practical works of each animal species of course. The final mark of the course is calculated as the arithmetic average of the 3 final tests. The student obtains the assessment passed with the grade.

Compulsory reading

1.Moderna piena ražošanas ferma (tehnoloģija, tehnika, apsaimniekošana/ J. Priekuļa redakcijā. Jelgava: LLU, 2012, 240. lpp.
2. Piena lopkopība. Rokasgrāmata/A. Jemeļjanova redakcijā. Sigulda: Sigra, 2001. 191. lpp.
3. Dairy Science and Technology: Second edition. P. Walstra, J.T.M. Wouters., T.J. Geurts. London: Taylor & Francis, 2006, p.763.
4. Seržāns A. Zirgkopība.- Rīga: Zvaigzne, 1986. 222 lpp.
5. Warren J., Borton A., Hintz H. (1997) The Horse. – 2nd ed. – New York: W. H. Freeman and Company. 860 p.
6. Frape D. (2008) Equine nutrition and feeding. John Wiley & Sons. 664 pp.
7. NRC (National Research Council)( 2007) Nutrient Requirements of Horses. 6th ed. Washington: National Academies Press. 341 pp. https://www.nap.edu/read/11653/chapter/1
8. Z. Bērziņa, D. Kairiša, A. Laurs, J. Priekulis, S. Štrausa, A. Veģe. Liellopu un cūku mītnes: tehnoloģija un aprīkošana. Zemkopības ministrija, Rīga, Latvija, 2003, 96-186 lpp.
9. Ilsters A. Aprīkojums un izmaksas cūkkopībā. LLU Ulbrokas Zinātnes centrs, 2001,171. lpp.
10. NRC Nutrient requirements of swine. 11th rev. ed. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C., 2012, 400 pp., https://www.nap.edu/catalog/13298/nutrient-requirements-of-swine-eleventh-revised-edition
11. Patience J.F., Thacker P.A. and de Lange C.F.M. Swine nutrition guide. 2nd edition, Published by Prairie Swine Centre Inc., Canada, 1995, 274 pp. http://www.prairieswine.com/publications-psc/pdf-sng/PREFACE.PDF

Further reading

Ciltsdarba programma govkopībā
http://www.ldc.gov.lv/lv/ciltsdarbs/
Ciltsdarba programma Latvijā audzētajām cūku šķirnēm 2017. gadam un tuvākai perspektīvai līdz 2026. gadam http://www.ccc.lv/docs/ciltsdarba_new.pdf
Ciltsdarba programma zirgkopībā.
http://lszaa.lv/ciltsdarbs/ciltsdarba-programma/

Periodicals and other sources

1. Saimnieks. Saimnieks LV. Rīga : TEE BIO, 2004- ISSN 1691-1598.
2. Agrotops. AgroTops. Rīga: Aģentūra Agro apgāds. ISSN 1407-5164.

Notes

Compulsory course in the second cycle professional higher study program Veterinary Medicine