Module
Livestock Production 1
- Module code
- 1053
- Module leader
- Christopher Brough
- Module level
- 4
- Module credits
- 15
- Prerequisites
- None
- Min study time
- 150 hours
- Contact Hrs within study time
- 30 hours
- Teaching period
- Semester 2
Module content
- Introduction to livestock production in the UK, distribution, trends.
- Classification of livestock enterprises, categories.
- Characteristics / comparison of intensive and extensive.
- Introduction to the components of business, familiarisation with the systems analysis approach, input categories and costs, the value of output.
- Basic management for different species, the production cycles.
- Principles of nutrition, growth and development and breeding improvement.
- Physical and climatic environmental requirements for health and welfare.
- EU and global perspectives / influences.
Module outcomes
To achieve credit for this module, students must be able to:
- Identify the range and characteristics of the main livestock enterprises in the UK.
- Understand the essential elements of good practical management throughout the production cycle.
- Define the biological principles which underpin the commercial productivity of healthy livestock.
- Appreciate the cost, efficiency measurements and income components of a livestock system.
Assessment
| Assessment | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Group seminar presentation | 50% |
| Examination | Unseen exam (2 hours) | 50% |
Key texts
Students should be familiar with the content of at least one of the following:
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (2014) Pig & poultry pocketbook 2014. Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.
- Beynon, N. (2014) Pigs: a guide to management. 2nd ed. The Crowood Press Ltd.
- Court, J. (2010) Sheep farming for meat and wool. CSIRO.
- Garnsworthy, P.C. (2005) Calf and heifer rearing. Nottingham University Press.
- Hernandez, C.T. (2013) Dairy cows: reproduction, nutritional management & diseases. Nova Publishers.
- Herring, A.D. (2014) Beef cattle production systems. CABI.
- Hulsen, J., Aerden, D. and Rodenburg, J. (2014) Feeding signals: a practical guide to feeding dairy cows for health and production. Roodbont Publishers.
- Lawrence, T.L.J., Fowler, V.R. and Novakofski, J.E. (2012) Growth of farm animals. 3rd ed. CABI.
- McDonald, P. (2011) Animal nutrition. 7th ed. Pearson Education.
- Nix, J. (2015) Farm management pocketbook. 45th ed. Agro Business Consultants.
- Whittemore, C.T. and Kyriazakis, I. (2006) Whittemore's science and practice of pig production. 3rd ed. Blackwell Publishing.
- Willis, M.B. (1998) Dalton's introduction to practical animal breeding. 4th ed. Blackwell Science.
Supporting texts
- Students to derive costing and marketing trend information associated with the range of livestock species from the regular farming press i.e. Farmers Weekly / Guardian Publications