Laurea Magistrale a Ciclo Unico in Medicina Veterinaria

The course on farm management gives students a general overview of the wide range of production, management, housing, breeding, and selection schemes of farmed animals in Italy (sheeps, goats, pigs, cattle, equids, buffalos, poultry, fish and rabbits). The main objective is to give students a basic background in this sector and to make them aware of the emerging areas of interest. Focus is also given to different managing systems according to the different phases of the productive cycle, thus emphasizing animal health and welfare. The role of disease prevention, considering environmental issues, according to animal needs and welfare, thus ensuring efficient and quality food production is also highlighted.

The course also includes a part of economic management of animal farms that provides basic knowledge for the evaluation and interpretation of a budget or financial and income statement and it gives the skills to exercise assistance on management rules that must be respected in livestock farms.

The student can assess the economic sustainability of businesses related to animal breeding, production and keeping

The learning outcomes during the theoretical and practical part of the course will enable students to develop their own critical analysis and objective of the structural parameters, managerial, productive, reproductive and animal welfare indicators in the various kinds of farming, they are, therefore, able to compare the main animal farming techniques used in Italy. They will finally be able to learn the importance of the figure of the veterinarian and his role in a public health context.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

The student must know the main farming typologies, he must also acquire the ability to recognize the problems interpreting the structural, health, environmental, reproductive and productive indicators, to prevent possible pathologies related to sub-optimal farming conditions.  The student should also understand what are the main economic indicators that guarantee the farmer economically sustainable farm management.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

Students will develop skills during practical training in animal handling. These skills will be useful for a basic understanding of a first approach to pets and farmed animals, moreover, the scientific knowledge acquired during the course will allow them to focus their attention on critical points of animal farms, thus letting them suggest basic solutions.

MAKING JUDGEMENTS

The learning outcomes during the theoretical and practical part of the course will enable students to develop the ability to judge properly the main characteristics of an animal farm, thus using the acquired knowledge to express their own critical opinions about analyzed situations.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Students are not required to acquire a mnemonic or notional study of the subject, but rather an ability to critically analyse any basic question related to animal farming. This ability will consequently allow them to communicate in the appropriate language with the farmers of the different animal species on issues inherent in animal breeding, farm management and animal welfare.

Transversal and basic competencies (Practical training):

As part of the practical training, students will be able to acquire the following skills, which will be certified on the portfolio, at the end of the activity:

1) They are able to create a checklist of critical points in livestock farming (for all animals in production).

2) They correctly evaluate whether the breeding conditions meet the ethological needs of cattle, pigs, rabbits, broiler chickens, laying hens, and horses.

3) They assess the welfare of cattle, pigs, rabbits, broiler chickens, laying hens, and horses.

4) They become familiar with commercial feeds and commonly used label information for animal nutrition.

5) They analyze reproductive performance in pig, cattle, rabbit, broiler chicken, and laying hen farms.

• Specifically, the acquisition of these skills will be guided by Professor Forte during the practical part:

PA_1.20_3: The student correctly evaluates the Body Condition Score (BCS) in ruminants PA_1.20_4: The student correctly evaluates whether housing conditions meet the ethological needs of the cow

PA_1.20_17: The student correctly evaluates the Body Condition Score (BCS) in swine PA_1.20_18: The student correctly measures thickness of dorsal fat layer in swine

PA_1.20_20: The student correctly assesses whether housing conditions meet the ethological needs of the pig

• Part concerning the horse (Professor Valle during the practical part).

Acquisition of the following skills:

• Zooculture skills acquired during the course or through multimedia teaching tests (Prof Sicuro and Prof Mugnai):

PA_1.20_37: The student recognizes main species of farmed fish 

PA_1.20_38: The student correctly assesses environmental parameters in fish farm

PA_1.20_39: The student correctly assesses if farming environmental parameters are optimal for each species of farmed fishes

PA_1.20_40: The student correctly assesses environmental parameters in different parts of fish farm (growth out tanks and hatchery)

PA_1.20_41: The student correctly assesses farming conditions in different part of fish farm (growth out tanks and hatchery)

PA_1.20_42: The students is able to outline a checklist to analyze critical points in a farm (all production animals)

PA_1.20_31: The student correctly evaluates the Body Condition Score (BCS) in rabbits PA_1.20_32: The student correctly assesses rabbit welfare

 PA_1.20_30: The student correctly assesses the housing conditions (rabbit)

 PA_1.20_33: The student correctly assesses the housing conditions in broilers

PA_1.20_34: The student correctly assesses welfare in broilers

PA_1.20_35: The student correctly assesses the housing condition in laying hens

PA_1.20_36: The student correctly assesses welfare in hens

• Acquisition of the following skills (Prof Massaglia during the tutorials):

TB_21: The student is able to assess the economic sustainability of business related to animal breeding, production and keeping

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND MANAGEMENT

-Basic principles of animal production and management for intensive and extensive livestock production systems.
- Farm animal welfare.
-Organic farming.
-Evaluation of reproductive and productive efficiency of farm livestock.
-Husbandry system of cattle, sheep, goat, swine, horse, and buffalo. During the practical training will be performed on animal handling, different methods of breeding and management, evaluation of the body condition  and the signalment with the interpretation of the passport
-Milk production, milking procedures, hygiene and udder health.
-Milk quality and factors affecting milk composition.
-Meat production, quality, and factors affecting meat quality, carcass evaluation and characteristics in cattle and pigs, carcasses classification and traits.
-Principles of bioclimatology (environmental parameters and their impact on the animal performances).

POULTRY SCIENCE

-Poultry and rabbit welfare related to farming and products quality;
-Main characteristics and rules of poultry farming for meat and egg production in Italy. 

AQUACULTURE

The state of aquaculture in Italy and in Europe; Environmental impact of aquaculture; rainbow trout farming; trout farming in Itay; Carp farming, principal technologies; European sea bass and gilthead sea bream production, principal technologies; new species for modern aquaculture in Europe; integrated aquaculture. 

FARM MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
Analysis of the Italian production system with particular reference to zootechnical companies.
Livestock enterprise forms (individuals, companies, cooperatives, etc.).
Preparation of income statement and budget of an agricultural enterprise.
Prediction of gross marketable production in function of agricultural land available.

The greater number of lectures are given to the student without group partition. These lectures can be possibly supported by industry experts in case of subjects that need particular experience in a practical field. Practical trainings are organized in student groups at private farms in the area of Piemonte or in the experimental station of the Veterinary Sciences Department.

 ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND MANAGEMENT: 31 hours of lectures, eventually supported by industry experts; 10 hours of group exercises in the classroom (Audio Visual Sessions); 37 hours of practical training in groups at farms.

POULTRY SCIENCE AND AQUACULTURE: 29 hours of lectures and 10 hours of practical training in typical farms in the sector.

FARM MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION:  20 hours of lectures, possibly supported by industry experts; 7 hours of collective classroom exercises.

The assessment consists of a written test and a practical test.

The written test includes considering the three modules, relative questions, both MCQ, true/false and/or open questions (questions available on the Moodle platform). A right answer corresponds to one point;  minus 0.5 point in case of a wrong answer.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND MANAGEMENT: The written text will include 20 questions about basic farming animal techniques (multiple choice questions and open questions). The minimum score to pass this test  is 12 correct answers

POULTRY SCIENCE AND AQUACULTURE: The written test will include 30 questions (20 poultry science and 10 aquaculture)

FARM MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION:  7 multiple choice questions and 2 open questions with a discussion of business cases.

Each of the three written parts of the programme has to be passed with a minimum sufficient score.

The final note will be the weighted average of the practical and written tests.

In case scores are slightly insufficient, these evaluations can be eventually integrated with a short oral test during the date of the final test.

Students have also the possibility to attend ongoing evaluations as follows:

- ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND MANAGEMENT: there will be a written ongoing evaluation containing 11 questions, open and multiple choice. The evaluation programme will cover the first part until the special part (description of the different animal husbandry). The students who pass this part, during the exam will be required to pass a written with only nine questions (9+11=20 questions). Otherwise, students who have not taken the ongoing evaluation, or who have not reached a sufficient score, will receive a 20-question written test.

POULTRY SCIENCE AND AQUACULTURE: there will be one written ongoing evaluation, 10 questions about poultry sciences, multiple choice test. In case of a positive result, that evaluation is considered valid and integrated with a final test of 20 questions (10 of cunicolture and 10 of acquacolture).

FARM MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION hasn't an ongoing evaluation.

For one year, the ongoing evaluation will remain valid.

Online video lectures are available.    

POULTRY SCIENCE AND AQUACULTURE:

• Slides of the course;
• Avicoltura e coniglicoltura, Cerolini S., Marzoni Fecia di Cossato M., Romboli I., Schiavone A., Zaniboni L Point Veterinaire Italie (Ed.) , Milano 2008 pp 554.
• Acquacoltura responsabile. Cataudella S. Bronzi. P. 2001. Eds. Unimar-Uniprom

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND MANAGEMENT:

Slides of the course

• Dispensa del corso di zootecnia speciale. M. Tarantola

The recommended texts are specific for the species covered in the course, except the last three that give an overview of animal husbandry:

• Zootecnica applicata BOVINI E BUFALI (2000). Dialma Balasini CALDERINI EDAGRICOLE
• Zootecnica applicata EQUINI (2000). Dialma Balasini CALDERINI EDAGRICOLE
• Zootecnica applicata SUINI (2001). Dialma Balasini CALDERINI EDAGRICOLE
• Zootecnica applicata OVICAPRINI (2001). Dialma Balasini CALDERINI EDAGRICOLE
• Manuale di allevamento suino, (2001) Bertacchini F., Campani I. Edagricole
• Zootecnica speciale (1998). Dialma Balasini CALDERINI EDAGRICOLE
• Zootecnia Speciale, (1996) Falaschini A., EDAGRICOLE
• Tecniche di Produzione Animale (1993) Bittante G. et al., Liviana Ed., Torino.

FARM MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION:

Slides of the course