Production Animal Health Applications

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

This subject includes a pre-teaching period from the start of January. This is to allow students flexibility in the completion of required work experience (i.e. placements) within a wide variety of different industries/enterprises.

340 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This is a capstone subject, which allows students to integrate the knowledge gained from their previous studies in the major in Production Animal Health, and apply this to real world situations. Management practices to ensure optimal health and productivity will be covered in depth. Students will learn to interpret data from production systems, in order to evaluate productivity, and then develop strategies for increasing the health and productivity of production animals. Students will develop an understanding of the financial limitations on production systems, and how health and management strategies must fit within an economical framework, otherwise the business is not viable.

There will be opportunities for industry placements and to participate in syndicate case-based scenarios. Students will be expected to gather and record data, and model this information in terms of indices of productivity. They will be expected to be able to benchmark these results against national industry standards, and to propose and evaluate strategies for improving productivity.

Students will be required to complete three weeks of work placement in production animal related industries.

At the completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Collate, analyse and interpret data to determine the productivity of a production animal system
• Understand the limitations on production animal enterprises and how health and productivity can be maximised in an economical manner
• Evaluate strategies for increasing the health and productivity of the major production animals
• Understand the economics of animal production
• Analyse data from a production system and communicate the results in written and oral format
• Effectively communicate information about production animal health and management to their peers and others

• One 2-hour written examination in the semester 1 examination period (30%)
• Two equally weighted written reports on industry placements (1500 words each) due 2 weeks after the completion of the student's placement and no later than week 11 of semester 2 (Total 45%)
• An individual oral presentation on industry placements (15 minutes) during semester 2 (20%)
• Peer review of oral presentations (4 x 250 words) due during semester 2 (5%)

Hurdle requirements that must be completed to pass the subject:

• A mark of 50% or greater is required in each written report
• Peer review of oral presentations must be submitted
• Satisfactory completion of 120 hours of production animal health related industry placement

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

At the completion of this subjects, students should have developed the following generic skills:

• Problem solving
• Team work
• Critical thinking
• Sourcing and analysing information
• Effective communication
• Computer (IT) skills