Educational offer - University of Padova

Syllabus

Prerequisites:	Basic knowledge of matematics, chemistry and biochemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology of livestock. Previous frequency of the following courses are recommended: "Animal nutrition and feeding", "Animal breeding and rearing systems".
Target skills and knowledge:	The course aims to provide basic knowledge and technical information on production chains and rearing systems of broiler chickens, laying hens, turkeys and meat rabbits. The management of reproductive and growth phases, the nutritional requirements and feeding techniques of poultry and rabbit species and the different productive categories will be discussed in relation to animal welfare, product quality and environmental impact. By means of classroom lessons, seminars and technical visits, the student will acquire the knowledge of digestive physiology and nutritive requirements, and will be able to organize the rearing cycles, monitor the productive efficiency, cover the requirements of production factors and manage the reproductive and growing phases. The practical activities (classroom exercises, laboratory) of the course will provide students the basic tools for formulating compound feeds for the different categories of poultry and rabbits, besides specific competencies on the evaluation of the quality traits of poultry and rabbit products available at market.
Examination methods:	A written examination (multiple choice, open answers and exercises). Working students can ask to be examined in oral form in order to evaluate their knowledge and competencies obtained with teaching methods different from frontal lessons, laboratory experiences and technical visits to poultry and rabbit farms (i.e. study of books and multi-medial documents, discussion of work experiences). Students with dyslexia or mouvement and expression difficulties can ask to sustain an examen adapted to their skillness.
Assessment criteria:	Students will have to demonstrate theorical knowledge and practical skills as well as the capability of critically analysing and solving problems of management in the poultry and rabbit production chains with emphasis on the techniques of animal rearing and feeding, improvement of animal welfare and management, reduction of breeding pollution and evaluation of product quality.
Course unit contents:	1st CFU: International and national market of poultry and rabbit products. Organization and problems of poultry and rabbit production chains. 2nd CFU: Poultry species and breeds of commercial interest. Outlines of genetics applied to poultry production and commercial hybrids. Comparative anatomy and physiology of birds. 3rd CFU: Nutrition and feeding of poultry. Nutritive characteristics of feeds for poultry. Formulation of compound feeds. 4th CFU: Environment, equipment and buildings for poultry rearing. Characteristics and management of poultry litter and manure. Rearing techniques of broiler chicken. Rearing techniques of laying hen. Rearing of reproducing poultry. Artificial incubation of eggs. Behaviour and welfare of farmed poultry. Basic knowledge on the raising of turkey. Basic knowledge of avian pathology. 5th CFU: Breed and commercial hybrids of rabbits. Outlines of genetics applied to rabbit for meat, fur and wool production. Anatomy and physiology of reproduction of rabbit. Reproduction methods and remating rhythms. Artificial insemination. 6th CFU: Anatomy and physiology of digestion. Nutrition and feeding of rabbit. Formulation of compound feeds. 7th CFU: Environment, equipment and buildings for rabbits. Rearing techniques of reproducing, weaning and growing rabbits. Behaviour and welfare of farmed rabbit. Basic knowledge of rabbit pathology. 8th CFU: Quality assessment of poultry and rabbit carcass and meat. Slaughterhouses and slaughter techniques. Assessment of quality and freshness of eggs.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods:	The module will consist of classroom teaching (40 hours) which will provide students with theoretical knowledge and main instruments to get skills in the poultry and rabbit chains. The practical activities (24 hours) will consist of classroom exercises for technical indexes assessment, farm dimensioning and compound feed formulation; presentation of slides and movies of model farms and equipments; technical visits of model poultry and rabbit farms to analyse in field the management techniques and the problems of farms besides understanding their economical and productive dimension; laboratory activities for the evaluation of products of poultry and rabbit farms (meat and eggs).
Additional notes about suggested reading:	The teaching material used during classroom lessons is offered to the students as pdf documents on the Moodle platform of the School of Agronomy and Veterinary at the address: https://elearning.unipd.it/scuolaamv/ On the same platform, additional scientific and technical articols, multi-medial documents and web links will be available for subject studies. Students are recommended to attend lessons. As a support for study, the below mentioned book (Avicoltura e Coniglicoltura, Point Vétérinaire Italie) is recommended for Italian students. To obtain more information or arrange an appointment, please contact the teacher (gerolamo.xiccato@unipd.it)
Textbooks (and optional supplementary readings)	Silvia Cerolini, Margherita Marzoni, Isabella Romboli, Achille Schiavone, Luisa Zaniboni (Editors), Avicoltura e Coniglicoltura. Milano: Point Vétérinaire Italie, 2008.