Duration
88h Th, 8h FT
Number of credits
| Master in agricultural bioengineering (120 ECTS) | 8 crédits |
Lecturer
Substitute(s)
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course is part of the teaching program of bio-engineers in agricultural sciences with 8 credits within a compulsory module of 10 teaching credits. It aims at presenting the biological, technical and organizational fundaments of dairy production in temperate and tropical areas, including unit operations up- and downstream the farm. The knowledge and competencies in this field are essential to bio-engineer dedicating themselves to a job related to animal productions.
This course contains the following parts :
- Fundaments of dairy production
a. Role of milk in Human societies
b. World dairy production
c. Classification and description of livestock production systems
d. Dairy and economics of the farms
e. Feeding the dairy cow
f. Technical itinerary for dairy cattle
g. Basics of genetic evaluation selection and animal improvement
h. Dairy farming organisations
i. Adaptation of dairy breeds and their production potential
j. Composition of milk and factors of variation
k. Dairy production and the health of the udder
l. The anatomy and physiology of an udder including the mechanism of milk production in cows and the hormones involved with their role in milk synthesis
m. The anatomy and physiology of the reproductive function in bovine including its management in animal breeding
- Production systems
a. Components of a production system
b. Grassland-based dairy production : the Irish and New-Zealander models
c. Dairy production in Belgium and Wallonia
d. Dairy production in the Tropics : pastoralists and buffalo
- International conference
- Visit of companies
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of this course, the student will be able to : - master the knowledge related to the dairy and ruminant production systems; - be able to analyze, understand, and discuss the tight links between the natural, social, and economical environment of a livestock production area, including from an historical perspective as well as the dairy production methods found in this area, their strengths/opportunities and weaknesses/limits; - be able to formulate and objectivize operational choices according to the production context, the products and the incomes from a livestock production system.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Fundaments in reproduction, genetics and animal improvement, digestive physiology, and nutrient metabolism is supposed to be mastered by the students attending this course.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The first part of the course will deepen the biological, technical and organizational fundaments specific to the dairy production (56 h). The second part of the course is dedicated to presenting diverse and contrasted dairy production systems (16 h). The last part is organized around the attendance to an international conference and the visit of companies busy in the dairy sector in Belgium.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
Face-to-face lectures Field trips
Recommended or required readings
A reference list related to the topics covered by the lectures will be issued. Reading these documents will help the student to getting familiar with the scientific vocabulary of this discipline in both French and English. There is no compulsory reading. The PDF files of the slides presented by the teachers will be made available online (e-campus)
Assessment methods and criteria
Knowledges and competencies acquired by the student thanks to this course will be assessed during collegial oral examination. One question will be blind-chosen by each student. After about 20 minutes of an open book preparation (no electronic resources!), each student will present his answer and discuss it with the 3 teachers during about 15 minutes.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
Some teachers will give their lectures in English. Students are invited to ask questions, even in French, in order to avoid any problems in their understanding of the teaching.
The slides will be made available at the beginning of the classes. However the content may be adapted during the progress of the reaching.
Participation at the conference and visits are compulsory. Any student not able to attend those activities must inform the teachers.
Contacts
You can always ask us questions during the classes or by making an appointment by phone or via email:
- jerome.bindelle@ulg.ac.be, +32 81 62 26 09
- yves.beckers@ulg.ac.be, +32 81 62 21 19
- nicolas.gengler@ulg.ac.be, +32 81 62 22 06