| Unit name | Animal Production |
|---|---|
| Unit code | VETSM0021 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Ian Richardson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Core skills 1 unit, Biochemistry and meat quality unit. |
| Co-requisites |
Other units required for completion of PgC (3 units, 20 credits), PgD (6 units, 20 credits) and MSc (6 units + Core Skills 2 + Research Project). Animal welfare Poultry processing Meat hygiene and public health Meat processing |
| School/department | Bristol Veterinary School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
The unit explains the principles of animal production and how factors such as genetics, breed and feed, growth rate and liveweight at slaughter can influence carcass and meat quality. It also shows how carcasses are traditionally graded in Europe, the distribution of grades for beef and sheep within the UK and the development of automated grading systems. The unit deals primarily with carcass meat from cattle, sheep and pigs but also introduces exotic species as sources of food. Sustainability, trends in the meat industry and the development of farm assurance schemes are also covered.
Students will be able to demonstrate a systematic knowledge and understanding of:
Students will also be able to:
The unit has 18 hours of lectures, a tour of the University abattoir, a demonstration of carcass anatomy and classification, a visit to a large commercial beef abattoir supplying one of the major retailers, and student-led oral presentations.
The unit has a separate Blackboard site that hosts all the lectured material and online multiple choice questions for formative assessment. Each lecture has a set of powerpoint slides, written notes (with references for further reading), and an audio presentation. The site also includes full details of coursework requirements, and past exam papers. Coursework is submitted electronically and checked for plagiarism.
Knowledge, understanding and other M level skills are assessed by a combination of coursework (50% of available marks) and a 3 hour written examination (50% of available marks).
Coursework consists of a fully referenced essay (~2500 words) and a visit report (~1500 words) which account for 70 and 30%, respectively, of the coursework.
Students can select an essay from a list of titles, allowing individuals to develop an area of particular interest. Students must review the available literature on the topic using appropriate electronic resources, present a summary of the main findings in 2500 words (excluding tables, references and figures), and demonstrate a critical awareneness of current issues. The essays are submitted electronically through Blackboard and checked for plagiarism.
The unit includes a visit to a high throughout beef abattoir. Students must produce a 1500 word report that summarises and analyses what they have observed.
The 3 hour unseen examination paper has a mandatory 5-part question designed to test breadth of knowledge, and a choice of essay-style questions (3 from 6) designed to test depth of knowledge and understanding of the subject area, including past and current research.
There will be a strong reliance on original research papers from various journals (eg animal, meat science) that can be accessed through the library or using the University’s electronic resources. Students will also be directed to specific meat-oriented internet sites. The following books are also helpful.
1. Swatland, H. J (1994). Structure and development of meat animals and poultry. CRC Press.
2. Kempster, T., Cuthbertson, A. & Harrington, G. (1982). Carcass evaluation in livestock breeding, production & marketing. Granada Publishing.
3. Kerry, J., Kerry, J. and Ledward, D. (2002). Meat Processing: improving quality. Woodhead Publishing, Cambridge.
4. Lawrence, T.L.J. and V.R. Fowler (2002). Growth of farm animals. 2nd Edition CABI Publishing, Wallingford
