This document outlines the laboratory sessions for an AVSC 222 General Livestock Production course taught in Spring 2016. The 9 laboratory sessions will provide hands-on experience with livestock and cover topics like livestock identification, health care and vaccination, disbudding and foot care, milking management, age determination and castration, parasite control, shearing, and breeding. Each session lists the activities and demonstrations students will participate in, such as visiting livestock facilities, vaccinating animals, hoof trimming, and artificial insemination. Materials and equipment needed for each session are also specified.

1. AVSC 222 Laboratory Syllabus Dr. Prattis Spring 2016 Page 1
AVSC 222 Laboratory Spring 2016 – Dr. Susan Prattis
General Livestock Production Laboratory Sessions
OBJECTIVE: The laboratory is intended to be hands on experience where students can gain
practical knowledge of the livestock industry.
1. Visit livestock facilities and identify livestock breeds T 3/1
a. Visiting the barns and seeing the animals
b. Initial non-invasive health check observations; maternal behavior
c. Methods of animal handling, knots, halter construction
d. Non-invasive handling and herd movement methods
2. Livestock identification systems and health record keeping T 3/8
a. Record keeping
b. Tagging, tattooing
c. Equipment needed to do the tagging, tattooing, ear notching
d. Physical examination: auscultation, thorax lung fields, rumen
3. Health care and vaccination AND T 3/8
a. Beef Cattle Import Quarantine Farm Visit
b. Vaccinating sheep and goats
c. Material and equipment needed: vaccine, vaccination guns, syringes and needles
4. Disbudding, Dehorning and Animal Foot Care T 3/15
a. For calves/lambs/kids – sheep and goats
b. Material needed, caustic soda, dehorning apparatus,
Lidocaine, 3 – 5 cc syringes, 20 – 22 g needles, scrub,
Gentian violet spray
c. Hoof trimming equipment – sheep and goats
d. Normal vs diseased hooves, laminitis check, cleaning
5. Milking Management Practices - AND T 3/22
a. Dairy Production Commercial Branded Large Herd Visit
b. Visiting the dairy plant; animal health management,
hospital barns; calving sheds; waste and compost management;
artificial insemination; rectal palpation and pregnancy diagnosis;
HACCP and milking management; nutrition
c. The AUB milking parlor – dairy cattle
d. Hand milking of AUB herds sheep and goats
e. Equipment needed: teat dip disinfectant, CMT plate for milk testing;
protective gear; farm biosecurity for visitors
6. Age determination, castration and docking T 3/29

2. AVSC 222 Laboratory Syllabus Dr. Prattis Spring 2016 Page 2
a. Age determination for sheep, goats and cows
b. Castration of lambs or kids
c. Equipment needed: bander castrate, castration coil,
Burdezzo apparatus, lidocaine, 3 – 5 cc syringes,
20 – 22 g needles, gentian violet spray
7. Parasite control (dipping and drenching of sheep and goats) T 4/6
a. Dipping sheep and goats
b. De-worming medicine
c. Material needed chemical for dipping, de-worming medicine
d. Advice of timing for this practice
e. Demonstrate tube placement for bloat, drenching
8. Shearing of sheep and wool production T 4/13
a. Sheep barn
b. Equipment needed shearing clippers, shearing scissors,
Gentian violet spray, restraint ties
9. Breeding, artificial insemination and parturition T 4/20
a. Using the cow model - anatomy landmarks
b. Rectal palpation adult cow for practical experience
c. Postpartum care, adult cattle
d. Natural service, AUB dairy bull and in heat heifer(s)
e. Calf watch for observation of live calving
f. Equipment needed: AI equipment, liquid nitrogen tank