Module Title:Farm Animal Health and Welfare
Language of Instruction:English
Credits: 5
NFQ Level:8
Module Delivered In 3 programme(s)
Teaching & Learning Strategies: Formal lectures will be complemented by practical field laboratories on farm. This will allow for a balance of theory and hands on learning activities. Classroom activities will focus on the main animal enterprises in Irish agriculture and strategies to optimise animal health and welfare standards on these farms. Case studies will be used where appropriate to demonstrate how welfare standards are implemented on farm. Students will be required to complete an animal health plan for an enterprise of their choice.
Module Aim: This module will focus on the health and welfare of farmed animals and how management can play a role to reduce the incidence of both ill health and welfare issues on farm. Students will learn about the role of the consumer and the regulator in setting the standards for farm animal welfare and how this applies to different animal groups. Several concepts relating to health and welfare will be explored so that the student will be capable of assessing and implementing health and welfare standards on farms that keep animals for food production.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module the learner should be able to:
LO1 Be capable of recognising the signs of stress and ill health in farm animals and provide the animal keeper with advise on any changes that are required to reduce the incidence of both
LO2 Be capable of constructing an animal health plan and demonstrate how this health plan will be implemented on the farm
LO3 Be capable of engaging with the consumer, government and NGO on farm animal health and welfare related issues
LO4 Be capable of assessing the welfare standards of animal facilities on farm and else where and providing advise on any changes that are required to improve the overall welfare standards of the facility.
Pre-requisite learning
Module Recommendations

This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is recommended before enrolment in this module.

7832 FARM H1718 Introduction to animal production
Incompatible Modules
These are modules which have learning outcomes that are too similar to the learning outcomes of this module.
No incompatible modules listed
Co-requisite Modules
No Co-requisite modules listed
Requirements
This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is mandatory before enrolment in this module is allowed.
No requirements listed
 

Module Content & Assessment

Indicative Content
Concepts of Animal Welfare
Five freedoms of farmed animals, definition of a sentient animal, the role of the consumer in setting animal welfare standards, the role of non governmental organisations in setting animal welfare standards, Temple Grandin principles of design for animal welfare
Animal Welfare in Practice
Statutory Management Requirements and other legislation that governs animal welfare on farm, assessing the adequacy of animal welfare in the built environment, assessing the adequacy of the animal's diet in the prevention of malnutrition
Concepts of Animal Health
One Health as it applies to food producing animals, dealing with antimicrobial resistance in the food chain, testing and treating ill health from an animal keeper's perspective
Animal Health in Practice
Recognising the signs of ill health, production diseases of farm animals and their prevention, parasitic infection of farmed animals and it's prevention, construction of a farm health plan, The Four Rights of medicine administration as it applies to the animal keeper.
Assessment Breakdown%
Project20.00%
Practical30.00%
End of Module Formal Examination50.00%
No Continuous Assessment
Project
Assessment Type Assessment Description Outcome addressed % of total Assessment Date
Project Students will be asked to devise an animal health plan for a farm of their choice. This should identify the various animal health risks on the farm and provide a strategy for reducing said risks. 1,2 20.00 n/a
Practical
Assessment Type Assessment Description Outcome addressed % of total Assessment Date
Practical/Skills Evaluation Students will be required to complete reports on their practical sessions summarising the key learnings and discussing the implications of these learnings for farm animal health and welfare. 1,3,4 30.00 n/a
End of Module Formal Examination
Assessment Type Assessment Description Outcome addressed % of total Assessment Date
Formal Exam Terminal Examination 1,3,4 0.00 End-of-Semester

SETU Carlow Campus reserves the right to alter the nature and timings of assessment

 

Module Workload

Workload: Full Time
Workload Type Frequency Average Weekly Learner Workload
Lecture 12 Weeks per Stage 2.00
Practicals 12 Weeks per Stage 1.00
Independent Learning Time 12 Weeks per Stage 3.00
Total Hours 72.00
 

Module Delivered In

Programme Code Programme Semester Delivery
CW_EFARG_B Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Agricultural Systems Engineering 7 Elective
CW_SWOAG_B Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Organic Agriculture 7 Mandatory
CW_SWSFM_B Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Sustainable Farm Management and Agribusiness 7 Mandatory