Unit COMPLEMENTARY COURSE OF ANIMAL SCIENCE OF ANIMALI I
- Course
- Animal science
- Study-unit Code
- GP004366
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Mariano Pauselli
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2019
- Offered
- 2021/22
- Type of study-unit
- Opzionale (Optional)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa integrata
ADAPTIVE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES IN LIVESTOCK
| Code | GP004377 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 3 |
| Teacher | Massimo Zerani |
| Teachers |
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| Hours |
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| Learning activities | Affine/integrativa |
| Area | Attività formative affini o integrative |
| Academic discipline | VET/02 |
| Type of study-unit | Opzionale (Optional) |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | General aspects of physiology of adaptation. Main nervous and endocrine mechanisms involved in adaptation. Homeostasis concept and regulation mechanisms. Stress and its actions on the reproductive and immune system. Stress in animal production. Physical climatology; Adaptation to ambient temperatures: thermoregulators; Effects of thermal stress in animal production. Energy homeostasis. |
| Reference texts | ADAPTATION PHYSIOLOGY NOTEBOOKS – L . Menchetti and C. Boiti. |
| Educational objectives | What to Know: The main objective of the module is to provide PA students with adequate knowledge of the functional mechanisms underlying the adaptation to the environment of animals of animal interest with particular emphasis on the stressful conditions caused by breeding systems and energy homeostasis. The main knowledge gained will provide: - the basics for understanding the functioning of specific organs / systems involved in the adaptive stress mechanism; - the basics for understanding the mechanisms of regulation of individual organs / systems and of functional interactions between different organs / systems; - the essential elements for the understanding of homeostasis and causes that alter it (stress, nutrition); - elements for the understanding of livestock practices useful in limiting the negative effects of stress. What to be able to do: The main skills derived from applying the above knowledge will be: - critically evaluate functional parameters and adaptation mechanisms to different types of stress; - identify the main causes of stress that may alter the normal functioning of the animal organism; - the basis for understanding the pathophysiology and pathology associated with animal production (reproduction, milk production, growth, etc.). |
| Prerequisites | An essential prerequisite for understanding the contents of the course and the learning objectives of the course is that the student has successfully supported the animal physiology examination of zootechnical interest. |
| Teaching methods | The course is organized as follows: - Classroom lessons on all subjects covered; - laboratory exercises on endocrinology topics applied to the physiology of adaptation: "methods for stress assessment". In relation to the number of students who follow the course, they can be divided into groups following guided exercises of 1-2 hours each; - Classroom seminars on topics related to the course: Effects induced by thermal stress on animal podusions, Adaptation to fasting. From the Moodle platform you can download the slides used in the official course. |
| Other information | The teaching activity is carried out during the first semester of the second year of the course. The student is invited to consult the page on the calendar of lessons on the website of the Department of Veterinary Medicine (http://www.medvet.unipg.it/) for further details on the start and end dates of the teaching activities. Lessons and seminars will be held at the Educational Pole (Department of Veterinary Medicine), Educational Laboratories of the Department. Some exercises will be carried out at the Didactic Animal Husbandry Company (Sant'Angelo di Celle) or in other classrooms/structures according to the needs. |
| Learning verification modality | The exam provides for an oral test consisting of a discussion lasting about 20 to 30 minutes to determine the level of knowledge and understanding acquired by the student on the theoretical and practical content provided by the course starting from a topic chosen by the student . The oral test will also allow you to verify the candidate's critical capacity, communication skills, language ownership, and the degree of autonomous organization in the display of the arguments required. |
| Extended program | Arguments of physiology of adaptation and physioclimatology. Meaning of environment and adaptation. Definition and analysis of the main adaptation mechanisms. The hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic nerve structures involved in adaptation responses. Short and long-term physiological responses. Homeostasis and feedback control systems (feed back). Homeostasis and homeostasis: definition of the "zone of physiological comfort"; influence on animal productions. Definition of stress, specific analysis of hormonal action and adaptation in stress. Influence of stressors on immune responses. The temperature and its effects. Heat exchanges between animals and the environment. General mechanisms of adaptation of animals at cold or hot environmental temperatures: heat production (shivering and shivering thermogenesis), heat distribution (heat exchanges against the current), thermal insulation, heat loss regulation. Physiological effects of temperature: short, medium and long-term enzymatic adaptations, induction of stress proteins. Specific analysis of the problems of thermoregulation and of the effects induced by thermal stress in the breeding of dairy and meat cattle, in the breeding of sheep and pigs: climate comfort limits in lactating cattle and calves; limits of climatic adaptability of pigs and sheep related to the age of the animals; the housing of hens and broilers. |
PRECISION FARMING
| Code | A001603 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 3 |
| Teacher | Mariano Pauselli |
| Teachers |
|
| Hours |
|
| Learning activities | Affine/integrativa |
| Area | Attività formative affini o integrative |
| Academic discipline | AGR/19 |
| Type of study-unit | Opzionale (Optional) |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | To provide knowledge concerning: data collection through management software, automatic milking systems and their elaboration to put in evidence critical point in management of dairy farms. Data collection by the use of commercial accelerometers/pedometers and evaluation of their efficiency in a case study situation. Environmental data collection by sensors in pig farms and dairy farms. Verification of precision in feeding management. |
| Reference texts | Various material (papers and ppt) showed during the course and available on Unistudium |
| Educational objectives | Knowledge: The role of data collecting and their appropriate elaboration in modern livestock farming. - Productive data. - Reproductive data. - Behavioural data. - Environmental data. - Automatic feeders data and total mixed ration mixer. Ability: To collect and elaborate productive, reproductive and behavioural data in cattle management. To collect and elaborate environmental parameters to improve animal welfare. To manage automatic feeders and total mixed ration mixer to improve the dietary efficiency of the herd. Interpersonal skills: Be able to work in group. |
| Prerequisites | The ability to perform simple mathematical calculation and the basic knowledge of Excel software. |
| Teaching methods | The course is organized as follows: Lecturers. Field data collection from automatic milking systems, accelerometers, environmental sensors, automatic feeders and total mixed ration mixer. Classroom exercises for data editing and data elaboration. Seminars with external experts- Classroom discussion about material previously delivered by the teacher. |
| Other information | The course will be held in DSA3 classrooms. Frequence is facultative but recommended |
| Learning verification modality | The exam consists in an oral examination, based on the discussion of a group technical report and answers to questions aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge and understanding acquired by the student on the subjects of the course. As a whole, the test will evaluate the students' communication and language skills, the ability to apply the acquired skills, and work out solving problems and solutions. For information on support services for students affected by disabilities and SLD visit the webpage: http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa |
| Extended program | Lecturers/seminars Introduction (0.3 CFU) Herd efficiency definiton. Importance of data collection at farm level. Methods for data collecting. Data elaboration. Data collection in dairy herd (0.4CFU). Data from herd management software. - Production data. - Reproductive data. - Milk quality data. Data collected from accelerometers/pedometers. Data collected by Automatic Milking Systems. Data collected by environmental sensor. Data collected by total mixed ration mixer. Data collected in beef cattle herd (0.3 FCU) Data from herd management software. - Reproductive data. Data collected by accelerometers. Data collected by geolocation systems. Data collected by automatic feeders. Data collected in pig farms (0.2 FCU). Data collected by herd management software. Data collected by environmental sensors. Data collected by automatic feeders. Practical lessons. Visit to the farms for data collecting (0.9 FCU) Data processing (0.9 CFU). |