Gwybodaeth Modiwlau

Module Identifier
BDM5920
Module Title
Livestock Health and Welfare
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Semester
Distance Learning
Reading List
Other Staff

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Interactive Tasks  Series of interactive elements including leading to a report or data report produced 1500 Words  40%
Semester Assessment Case study  on an aspect of livestock health and welfare. 2500 Words  60%
Supplementary Assessment Case study  on an aspect of livestock health and welfare. 2500 Words  60%
Supplementary Assessment Data Report  on an aspect of livestock health and welfare 1500 Words  40%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Compare the current methods of assessing and improving livestock health and welfare.

Judge the potential economic implications of poor health and welfare.

Evaluate the different methods of improving welfare and controlling disease for their chosen pathway.

Explain the current and future challenges that livestock health and welfare research could solve.

Brief description

This module draws on the expertise of Aberystwyth University and the VetHub. The first half covers the general legislation and management of Livestock health and welfare across the: dairy, beef and sheep, pig and poultry sectors. The second half allows you to choose which of these sectors you will be assessed on. Depending on which sector you choose you will cover the latest research on the diseases of most concern and will look at how welfare is measured and could be improved in that sector.

Aims

To outline the fundamental health and welfare issues that underpin livestock production and look at the recent research in to these areas.

Content

The module will involve 20 hours of formal teaching and consider the following areas:
  • Controlling diseases in the UK
  • Basic principles of nutrition
  • Animal welfare in the UK
  • Methods of control
  • Measuring Welfare
  • Improving Welfare
  • Economically significant diseases
  • Diagnosis
  • Methods of control
  • Challenges of the future
  • The module will deliver the content through a series of recorded lectures, interviews and discussions between researchers at IBERS and elsewhere. The students will be given a reading list of 'essential' and 'recommended' articles and books. They will be expected to interact through interactive tasks with other students and course tutor. The module will also contain assessments which will look to encourage students to apply the research they have learnt about to real-life scenarios.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number Data for the report will need to be analysied and compiled.
Communication Students will be expected to be able to express themselves appropriately in their assignments.
Improving own Learning and Performance Detailed feedback will be given for assignment work. This will be assessed through the feedback providing general guidance towards the student's next assignment. Especially with the formative assignment that will be due before any summative assignments.
Information Technology Students will be required to source information from a variety of scientific publication data bases and to use Blackboard for all aspects of the module.
Personal Development and Career planning This module will provide the students with the latest research into livestock health and welfare to help them provide the most up-to-date information/advice to their colleagues/clients in the agri-food industry. It will also help develop their critical skills regarding the interpretation of research literature.
Problem solving Online interactives will be used to help develop and improve students problem solving skills, through use of tasks that present theoretical problems for the students to solve.
Research skills Students will be required to undergo directed self-study and so will develop their literature research skills.
Subject Specific Skills The research methodology of maintaining or improving health or welfare, and the issues surrounding the accurate monitoring of these aspects of livestock production.
Team work Online assessments will require students to debate among themselves to develop a consensus of opinion.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7