Los Angeles Pierce College
Principles of Animal Science
Ag 501
  Fall 2009
(section  0137)

Professor:   Dr. L. S. Shapiro
Office:   AS4107B. T  12:35, Tue by appointment; (818-710-4254 or drcows@aol.com)
Required Texts:   1. Introduction to Animal Science (IAS), by Shapiro, 2001 Edition
                              2. Applied Animal Ethics 2nd Edition (AAE), by Shapiro, 2007 Edition.
 Recommended Texts:
 1. The Merck Veterinary Manual, 9th Edition.
 2. Stedman's Medical Dictionary
3. Pathology and Parasitology for the Veterinary Technician,2nd Edition by Shapiro, 2010
* Purchase a packet of Scantrons form #882 plus one form #884
Course Description: Provides a broad perspective of livestock management problems and decisions that must be made in livestock production.  Covers the following class of livestock: beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, swine, horses, poultry, llamas, rabbits and ostriches.  Topics include breeds, feeding, and reproduction,  livestock observation assignment, as well as other management activities.  UC:CSU credit with Ag596, Ag 506 or Ag441. Because every class moves at a different pace I will not put an exact date for each lecture, simply their order.  All of the reading assignments should be completed before each lesson. 

Starting with the Fall 2009 semester, a portion of this class will be taught on-line with “Moodle” or the college’s distant learning program. If you have not yet taken a course with Moodle, you will need to register with Moodle and take a brief tutorial on how to use the Distant Learning program. We hope to increase the hands-on laboratory portion of this class by having you complete increased lecture hours at home (on the computer) and spend additional time with the college’s poultry and livestock. Please register for Moodle at:

http://online.piercecollege.edu/student_tutorials.html

Tentative Schedule

Topic                                                                                                                                      Text
California Agriculture, Introduction, Government Agencies,                              Chapter 1 (IAS)

Crossword Puzzle Quiz on Chapter One (online through Moodle) Quiz closes Sept. 9th
  The Politics of Agriculture, Taxonomy                                                              Chapter 1-3 (AAE)
                                                                                                                             pg. 100-108(AAE)
Animal Breeding and Genetics    (study guide for test#1)                                        Chapter 2 (IAS)
Test #1 (a,b,c)       (three quizes  this week all online with Moodle)                     pg. 74-75, 121-127 (AAE)
Reproduction and Nutrition         (review on NDF/ADF)                                          Chapter 3-4 (IAS)
Parturition in the Horse
(study guide for test #2)   
Test #2   (This test is by Scantron in the classroom at Pierce)
Elements of Dairying      (learn more about dairying - click here)                          Chapter 5 (IAS)
Dairy and Meat Goat Production                                                                             Chapter 6 (IAS)
Test #3
 (study guide for test #3)    (This is a 100 point online test through Moodle closing on Oct. 10)
Beef Production                                                                                                       Chapter 7 (IAS)
Foot and Mouth Disease , Slaughterhouse facilities                        Chapter 9 (AAE) Part II (AAE)
Sheep Production, sheep slaughter terms                                                                Chapter 8 (IAS)
Swine Production                                                                                                     Chapter 9 (IAS)
Test #4
 (study guide for test #4)   (This test is by Scantron in the classroom at Pierce)
Poultry Production     (see Moodle section at http://moodle.piercecollege.edu/ )  Chapter 10 (IAS)
Naked Chickens

Equine Industry                                                                                                      Chapter 11 (IAS)
                                                                                                 Chapter 10-11 (AAE), Part II (AAE)
Rabbit Production (Crossword puzzle quiz online through Moodle closes Dec. 5) Chapter 12 (IAS)
Llama and Alpaca Industry                                                                                     Chapter 13 (IAS)
Ostriches
      (Online Quiz through Moodle closes Dec. 12th)                         Chapter 14 (IAS)
Final Exam
(Comprehensive) on  December 17, 2009  at 9:00 a.m.

Methods of Evaluation:
 Approximate points
1. Quizzes (5-10) 50-100  (by Moodle)
2. Midterms (100 points each;2 in class, two by Moodle) 400
3. Final Exam 200
4. Attendance – it is the student's responsibility to drop a class after the first day of attendance. Students who fail to drop will remain on the role and receive a fail in the course. During the semester each student will be expected to participate in feeding  and helping to maintain our livestock and their facilities. Hours should be arranged, in advance, with our agriculture assistants and Dr. Shapiro.

5. Cheating on ANY assignment will result in the automatic failure of the course.  This includes the assistance in cheating.

6. Farm Walk -   all students during the spring semester are expected to participate in the Department's Farm Walk. You will become the "Agriculture Ambassadors"
        Expected duties will include:
         a. set-up and taking down of booths and exhibits
         b. running "looking zoo," various department booths, tours
         c. clean-up before and after the event
         d. Fall semester students will participate in preparing poster boards, informational  packets and displays of   animal agriculture. Participation in this event will be counted in your overall (final) grade. A minimum of 10 hours of Farm Laboratory duties are expected during the semester.

    Fall Semesterall students are expected to help maintain our farm animal laboratory.  This means each student is expected to contribute a minimum of 8 hours cleaning and maintaining our farm animal units. Participation in this event will be counted in your overall (final) grade. Sign up sheets will be distributed during class.
7. Total points 600-700
8. No cell phones or beepers are permitted on during class time. If you are a doctor on call or if you have other emergency situations that require you to have your phone on during class time please confer with me at the beginning of class so we can make arrangements where you will not disturb the rest of the class.  Thank you for following this requirement.
9. No tape recorders, or any other electronic recording devices are allowed in class.

Extra Credit Assignments

Any student can earn up to 35 points extra credit for turning in individualized work concerning any topic related to the course where the student learns and future students learn from the project.  All projects MUST be approved by me in advance! Make sure I initial your proposed typed outline prior to starting your extra credit project.  Project must have a start and completion date on the signed paper.
Examples include:
1. Digital photos/ or Powerpoint presentations of various management procedures or animal welfare techniques practiced by industry (minimum 40 slides for 35 points)
2. Wall charts of breeds (all poster boards must be laminated)
3. Pictures (Digital photos or wall charts or PowerPoint presentations) of management procedures in the livestock industry
4. Videos or DVDs of the same
5. Tools or equipment display
6. Environmental enrichment for livestock species

 Note:  All of the above must be self explanatory - so that students can understand the project without me explaining it to them. Extra credit assignments must be completed no later than the end of the 14th week.
  For a printable  copy of this syllabus  click  here  PRINTABLE  COPY  of  syllabus   of  livestock observation assignment

  For Pre-Veterinary majors please print out this list of large animal skills needed prior to applying to veterinary school.

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