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Agricultural technology and machinery II

Course developer

Prior knowledge

VidE3001, Agricultural Technology and Machinery I

Course abstract

The aim of the study course is to study modern technologies and machinery that are used in animal farming for production and storage of animal farming products: handling, feeding of farm animals and water supply, manure removal and management, milking of cows, cooling and storage of milk, ensuring of microclimate in animal housings and observing of welfare requirements as well as herd management system.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

1. Knowledge - students will know the technological processes in modern animal farms, including the possibilities of application of robotised and automatic machinery, solutions of introduction and usage of precise animal farming (management systems) (practical work reports, tests);
2. Skills - students will understand the possible animal farming modernisation solutions as well as the basic principles of construction and operation of machinery used in animal farming (practical work reports, tests);

3. Competence - students will be able to summarise the latest information using technical information of the branch (journals, brochures, presentations, normative documents and other materials) to select grounded technological solutions for improvement of farm animal handling and care (independent work).

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Solutions for handling milk cows, calves and young stock. - 1 h.
2. Ensuring microclimate in animal housings in compliance with welfare requirements – 2 h.
3. Modern technologies and machinery for preparation and feeding forage mixtures for animals of different breeds – 3 h.
4. Modern solutions for farm manure removal, storage and management – 4 h.
5. Modern milking equipment – 3 h.
6. Milk primary processing technologies and equipment – 2 h.
7. Introduction of precise animal farming and efficient application – 3 h.
Test 1: Modern machinery and technologies in milk farming.
8. Latest trends in pig farm installation and ensuring of pig welfare – 4 h.
9. Modern solutions for feeding pigs with dry and liquid forage – 3 h.
10. Manure removal from modern pig housings and storage – 3 h.
11. Latest solutions for laying hen and other poultry farming: modernised cage batteries, volieres – 2.
12. Modern solutions for poultry watering, feeding, manure removal and ensuring of microclimate – 2 h.

Test 2: Modern technologies and machinery in pig and poultry farming.

Requirements for awarding credit points

Students get credit points, if all practical works and tests are successfully passed. Written examination on the course materials.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Independent work – Solutions of breeding exotic animals from the point of view of Latvia or similar – according to the student’s choice approved by the teacher of the course. The work is submitted as a presentation with at least 15 slides.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Finishing the course students take a written examination.
If the tests and independent work are assessed at least with 7 grades, the examination grade is calculated as the mean average of all test and independent work grades.

Compulsory reading

1. CIGR Handbookof Agricultural Engineering. Vol. 2. Animal production and aquacultural engineering. St.Joseph: American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 1999. 558 p.
2. Dairy Farming Handbook. DeLaval. 2012. 305 p. Ir LLU FB 1 eks

3. Precision livestock farming applications: making sense of sensors to support farm management. Edited by: Ilan Halachmi. Wageningen, The Netherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2015. 326 p.
4. Lauksaimniecības mašīnas. J.Ozola red. Rīga: Zvaigzne, 1993. 413 lpp.
5. Smidzinātāju rokasgrāmata. J.Āboliņš u.c. Ozolnieki: LLKC, 2001. 144 lpp.
6. Kažotnieks J. Arkli. Rīga: [b.i.], 2006. 27 lpp.
7. Zāles lopbarības sagatavošanas tehnoloģijas un mašīnas. J.Pankovs, S.Ivanovs, D.Viesturs. Ulbroka: LLU Ulbrokas zinātnes centrs, 2004. 125 lpp.
8. Āboltiņš A., Palabinskis J. Graudu kaltēšana un uzglabāšana. Jelgava: LLU, 2007. 74 lpp.

Further reading

1. Systems of poultry production. Pieejams: www.poultry-farming.com/
2. Technik Tierhaltung / T.Jungbluth, W.Büscher, M.Krause. Stuttgart (Hohenheim): Ulmer, 2005. 304 S.
3. Stuart Banks, John L. Skinner The Complete Handbook of Poultry-keeping. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1979. ISBN 0442233825, 9780442233822.

4. Gadd J. Modern Pig Production: A practical guide to profit. Nottingham University Press, 2011. 613 p.

Periodicals and other sources

1. Profi. The Professional Farm Machinery Magazine. Pieejams: https://www.profi.co.uk/
2. Top Agrar – Mehr Landwirtschaft. Pieejams: https://www.topagrar.com/

Notes

Limited elective course for the academic Bachelor programme Biosystem Machinery and Technologies. 2nd year 4th semester.