Animal Husbandry and Animal Welfare

Introduction to the concept of animal welfare
Evolution in the approach to animal welfare assessment
Approach to the ethological study
Adaptation, stress and animal welfare and their relationship with animal behavior
Basics of learning procedures and practical exercises
Normal and abnormal behavior
How animals communicate
Human-animal relationship
Behavioral observation methodologies and practical exercises
Main critical animal welfare issues of dairy farming
Main critical animal welfare issues in beef cattle
Main critical animal welfare issues in pig farming
Main critical points of animal welfare during transport and at time of killing
Existing protocols for the on-farm welfare assessment
In field visits to dairy farms to perform behavioral observation and human-animal relation tests

Part I: Livestock judging
Lectures
Market types, classes and grades of farm animals with emphasis on food production animals.
The body regions: head, neck and trunk.
Limbs and foot.
Principles of judging dogs.
The age of the animals.
Coat colors of animals
Principles of animal mechanics.
Dairy cow evaluation.
Beef cattle evaluation.
Practice.
How to judge conformation in dairy caw and beef cattle with pictures and video demonstration.
Technical visit to a dairy farm with a practical judging of a dairy cow.
Technical visit to a beef cattle farm.

Part II: Animal Husbandry
Lectures
Milk production.
Dairy cow livestock management.
Reproduction and fertility.
Pregnancy, calving and lactation.
Milking management.
Milk production and quality.
Meat production.
Livestock management.
Weaning and rearing of calves.
Raising cattle for beef production.
Meat production and quality.
Goat farming.
Breeding and management of livestock.
Goat milk production and quality.
Practice
Technical visit to a breeding association.
Technical visit to a dairy goat farm.
Technical visit to a dairy cow farm.