HFX132 Livestock Biology

Credits (ECTS):10

Course responsible:Judit Banfine Vas

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Norsk

Course frequency:Yearly

Nominal workload:250 hours

Teaching and exam period:Autumn

About this course

The course consists of three parts, breeding/genetics, nutrition, and ethology. Each part is taught for 4-5 weeks and during the course students are working in groups on an interdisciplinary project. Students choose the topic of their project and it should focus on a current issue related to animal biology.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

Breeding/genetics (responsible Bjørg Heringstad)

  • Understand the principles of animal breeding
  • Know the basics of breeding theory and methods for selection animals for breeding
  • Know practical breeding and conservation

Nutrition (responsible: Rasmus Bovbjerg Jensen)

  • Understand the major differences in nutrient content of common feedstuffs
  • Understand similarities and differences between the gastrointestinal tract of different animals
  • Understand similarities and differences between digestion of feeds in different animals
  • Understand why nutrients and the digestive tract influences the energy value of different feedstuffs

Ethology (responsible: Judit Vas)

  • Understand the most important theory and definitions related to ethology
  • Understanding the basics of evolution and behaviour, social, development of behaviour, learning and memory, motivation and animals choices, signals and communication and emotions
  • Understand the interaction basic behaviour of animals in relation to production and welfare

Skills:

  • The student can identify and describe an interdisciplinary research topic within animal science and use the right terminology within breeding/genetics, nutrition and ethology

Competences:

  • The student can use knowledge and skills in dissemination and discussions within topics related to animal science at professional and nuanced level
  • The student can set up and describe a project according to university standards
  • Lectures, visits to animal facilities, summaries/discussions, quizzes, practical exercises, demos, and group work with project work and presentations
  • Course responsible can be contacted on email. Relevant literature for all topics will be available on Canvas
  • 3 hours written exam. Mark A-F.

    The exam covers the three topics breeding/genetics, nutrition, and ethology.

    All three topics need to be passed to pass the course.

  • External censor
  • Students are working in groups of 4-5 on an interdisciplinary project. Students choose the topic of their project and it should focus on a current issue related to livestock biology. The project should be presented and evaluated by fellow students and teachers in the course.

    Students in groups should work on a separate ethology group project. They will present in for the class.

    Participation at group work, delivering of group reports and works, being present under presentations of these (ethology and interdicsiplinary, own and that from other student groups) is obligatory.

  • Letter grades
  • GSK