ZOOCULTURE
Academic year and teacher
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2022/2023
- Teacher
- STEFANO GRIGNOLIO
- Credits
- 6
- Didactic period
- Primo Semestre
- SSD
- AGR/20
Training objectives
- The aim of the course is to provide students with basic skills related to the breeding and production of animal species of commercial and laboratory interest. The student will learn notions related to the technologies of breeding poultry, pigs and cattle and industrialization of the processes of production and transformation of products. Moreover, the student will acquire the basic behavioural notions of animals on a farm. The course will provide the student with preliminary skills in the field of fish farming, including laboratory animals, and beekeeping. Finally, the student will have training on animal welfare legislation.
Prerequisites
- No specific prerequisites are mandatory, but basic knowledge of zoology and biology are required to adequately face the course.
Course programme
- Introduction.
Zooculture in Italy and in the Po Valley.
The importance of poultry farming and historical notes. The situation of poultry farming globally and locally. Types of farming. Egg production.
Pig farming: historical notes and current situation. Types of farming. Different breeding techniques in relation to age and sex.
Cattle breeding. Description of cattle farming in Italy. Cow breeding techniques for dairy production.
Hints of fish farming for commercial and laboratory interest.
Hints of beekeeping.
The importance of ethological aspects in zooculture. Foraging behaviour. Sexual behaviour. The activity rhythms. Examples of behavioural modifications resulting from wrong animal management.
The legislation for animal welfare in breeding and in scientific experimentation. Didactic methods
- During the lectures, it will be proposed issues to stimulate the students' skills to develop a critical judgment and to seek information using scientific and appropriate sources, with the final aim to increase their problem-solving skills. During the lessons, power-point presentations, videos and websites will be used to highlight the main topics. Specific readings and general knowledge will be offered to encourage the acquisition of specific skills and the ability of students to interact with an audience with heterogeneous training.
Learning assessment procedures
- The exam will be a written test consisting of 31 multiple-choice questions, covering the entire course program. The student will have 40 minutes to conclude the exam.
Evaluation criteria: the student acquires 2 points for each correct answer, loses 1 point for each wrong answer. The lack of an answer is worth 0 points. The final mark is given by the sum of the points divided by 2.
To cope with the COVID-19 emergency and limit any inconvenience to the students, the exams could take place in a different way than described above. Reference texts
- BITTANTE G., ANDRIGHETTO L., RAMANZIN M.: Tecniche di produzione animale. Liviana Ed., Torino, (Nuova Edizione).
CEROLINI S., MARZONI FECIA DI COSSATO M., ROMBOLI I., SCHIAVONE A., ZANIBONI L., 2008: Avicoltura e coniglicoltura – Point Veterinaire Italie
