HFX256 Small Ruminants: Breeding, Nutrition and Ethology. Pasture use in livestock production

The course will provide knowledge about small ruminant production with focus on breeding, nutrition and ethology in goats and sheep and knowledge about pasture ecology and use of pasture in Norwegian animal husbandry in general.

The small ruminant part of the course will consist of a) feeding, nutrition and care, b) feed planning, c) applied breeding, d) livestock environment, e) animal welfare, f) economy.

The grazing part of the course provides an overview of the importance and value of grazing as a feed resource for livestock in Norway. A brief introduction to the framework conditions for grazing (natural, legal, economic/political) is given. Different categories of grazing in outfields (vegetation types, etc.) and cultivated areas in terms of quality (nutritional value) and quantity (yield and grazing capacity). Grazing ecosystems with adaptations between plants and grazing animals (e.g. behavioral and physiological adaptations, grazing resistance), including the impact of grazing on biodiversity and cultural landscapes. The course combines animal science, ecology, ethology, plant science and botany, but the main emphasis is on animal science and ecology. Through field registrations and processing of collected data, the reviewed theory is linked to practical grazing use and management. Methodology for research on grazing-related topics will be demonstrated.

At the beginning of the course, an excursion is organised with visits to well-established grazing areas and farms with sheep and goats. The students will work in groups on exercises related to observations and data from this excursion. Interdisciplinary knowledge from the course is necessary to be able to solve these tasks.

After the course, the students will know the scope and structure of meat production and milk production on small ruminants in Norway, also wool production. The student should be familiar with the most important feedstuffs for small ruminants, know the principles of feed planning and be able to set up feed plans for sheep and goat farmers. The students will also have knowledge about feeding and care through a pregnancy and lactation cycle, meat and milk quality, body condition assessment as a tool in feed planning and some important conditions that affect the economy of sheep and goat productions.

In applied breeding, students will understand the Norwegian breeding programs for sheep and goats, have knowledge of breeding goals and the breeding organization.

Within farm animal environment and ethology, the students should have knowledge of the animals' thermoregulation, their requirements for climate and animal welfare and how different environmental factors affect behavior, health and welfare. Students will have an overview of housing systems and buildings for sheep and goats.

Students will gain an overview of the importance and value of grazing as a feed resource for livestock. The students will be familiar with the history of grazing, and the importance and value of grazing as feed in the current situation. They should know the framework conditions for grazing (natural, legal, economic/political). Students should be able to understand adaptations between plants and grazing animals (e.g. behavioral and physiological adaptations, grazing resistance). They should be familiar with the different categories of grazing in outfields (vegetation types etc.) and on cultivated pastures, and know methods for calculating grazing capacity. Participants will also know how to measure plant quantity and quality, and what factors influence this. Participants will understand the grazing habits of domesticated grazing animals in Norway, the importance of the species and how they affect the cultural landscape. There are increasing conflicts around land management, and the students should be familiar with the basis for the conflicts and the arguments of the various parties.

The theoretical basis provided by the course will create an interest in - and the competence to - specialize in small ruminant production and grazing-related topics for master's courses and in further work.