93971 - Precision Feeding in Livestock

Learning outcomes

At course completion, the student possesses knowledge on: the theoretical bases on which to model the needs of livestock; precision feeding of livestock; determining the nutrients available in feed and the precise formulation of diets in the application of nutritional needs of individual animals or groups of animals. In particular, the student possesses the skills to: quantify the changes in nutritional needs that occur over time and the variation in nutritional needs that exists among animals, as well as to minimize the use of productive resources; organize the combination of: 1) automatic collection of animal data, 2) data processing, and 3) control system actions of the practical satisfaction of needs

Course contents

Traditional and modern precision feeding: general scopes and advantages.
Nutrient contents of animal products and the theoretical bases of the partition of nutrients, the feeding requirements and of the control of feed intake.
The general framework for the quantification of the variation in nutritional needs with the progression of the production, and to take into account the changes due to different phenotypic and genotypic values of the animals.
Feeding methods and distribution.
Importance of punctual collection of productive animal data, data processing, and response actions to adjust the practical feeding to satisfy productive goals.
Method of feed formulation and tools to improve the precision of the feed mixtures.
Least cost feed formulation and pre and post-hoc tools for quality control. Feed additives and the optimization of their supply.

Readings/Bibliography

Lesson notes,

Suggested scientific articles

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars held by experts ,exercises delivered in class, visits to leading plants of animal production and feed compound plants.

Assessment methods

The student evaluation for the course "PRECISION FEEDING IN LIVESTOCK" will be carried out as an oral exam of about 30 minutes. The theoretical and applicative knowledge of the student will be verified. The evaluation will be based on the overall level of knowledge, the capacity for critical analysis and connection among different topics, and the use of proper and specific terminology.

The evaluation will be based on the following e score grid:

- a very thorough knowledge of the topics addressed in the course, together with high skills of critical analysis, connection and a sure command of specific terminology will be evaluated with the maximum score (30-30L);

- a thorough knowledge of the topics addressed in the course, together with good analytical and critical skills and the possession of a sure command of specific terminology will be evaluated with good marks (27-29);

- a technically adequate preparation and a sufficient analytical capacity, even if not particularly articulated, expressed in a correct language, will produce fair evaluations (23-26);

- sufficient preparation and capacity for analysis, expressed in a language which is barely formally correct, will determine the sufficiency (18-22).

Dates, times and locations of the examinations will be published on the course website. Students can enrol for the exam using the web application AlmaEsami.

Office hours

See the website of Diana Luise