Outline

Overview

This unit of study provides the foundation for a career involving animals with an emphasis on livestock (cattle, sheep, pigs, fish/aquaculture and poultry), horses and wildlife. A clear understanding of animal production systems in the Australian and global environment is developed through online educational resources linked with tutorials and hands on in-field practicals. Online lecture and tutorial topics will include indigenous animal management, animal husbandry, animal health and welfare, and genetics. Invited industry experts provide their vision and trends for industry alongside the career opportunities available for their respective livestock species. In-field practicals will develop capability in the handling and husbandry of animals. Tutorials will be held at the Camperdown Campus in Sydney and practicals at the Camden Campus. In this unit, there is a risk of exposure to zoonotic pathogens. Vaccination against Q fever is a requirement to attend practical classes at the Camden Campus. In exceptional circumstances where this is not practical, specific Personal Protective Equipment must be utilised.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	AGEN2006
Assumed knowledge ?	AGEN1004 or BIOL1XXX or AVBS1003
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jessica Rickard, jessica.rickard@sydney.edu.au
Demonstrator(s)	Jeanette Lipscombe, jeanette.lipscombe@sydney.edu.au
	Cameron Sharpe, cameron.sharpe@sydney.edu.au
	Paul Lipscombe, paul.lipscombe@sydney.edu.au
	Greg Sawyer, gregory.s@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Wendy Muir, wendy.muir@sydney.edu.au
	Joy Becker, joy.becker@sydney.edu.au
	Sergio Garcia, sergio.garcia@sydney.edu.au
	Jaime Gongora, jaime.gongora@sydney.edu.au
	Sabrina Lomax, sabrina.lomax@sydney.edu.au
	Christopher Grupen, christopher.grupen@sydney.edu.au
	Mitch Gibbs, mitchell.gibbs@sydney.edu.au
	Jessica Rickard, jessica.rickard@sydney.edu.au
	Brandon Velie, brandon.velie@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Roslyn Bathgate, roslyn.bathgate@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 2 September 2024

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Farm Safety Induction Task Online activity	0%	Week 01 Due date: 02 Aug 2024 at 23:59	Until completion
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Online MCQ Quiz- #Early Feedback Task Quiz examining week 1+2 lecture content	5%	Week 03 Due date: 14 Aug 2024 at 13:00 Closing date: 14 Aug 2024	20 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Presentation Plan Project plan on group presentation (due later in week 10)	5%	Week 06 Due date: 06 Sep 2024 at 11:59 Closing date: 11 Oct 2024	2 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Attendance	Short answer Quiz 1 4 short answer questions Assesses week 3, 4, 5 and 6 lecture content	20%	Week 07 Due date: 11 Sep 2024 at 13:00 Closing date: 28 Aug 2024	60 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Livestock handling guide Presentation and plan: Marks awarded by staff, peers and group.	25%	Week 10 Due date: 11 Oct 2024 at 09:00 Closing date: 11 Oct 2024	10 minute group presentation
Outcomes assessed:
Attendance	Short answer Quiz 2 Four short answer questions Assesses week 7, 8, 9, 10 lecture content	20%	Week 11 Due date: 16 Oct 2024 at 13:00 Closing date: 16 Oct 2024	60 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Attendance	Short Answer Quiz and MCQ Practical Quiz 2 short answers (week 11+12) and MCQ all practical content	25%	Week 13 Due date: 30 Oct 2024 at 13:00 Closing date: 30 Oct 2024	60 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

Farm Safety and Animal Handling Resource Guide: These tasks are individually submitted online as documents.

Livestock Handling Guide: A guide/booklet is individually submitted based on your production animal species of interest.

Online quiz: Multiple choice quiz online.

Short answer assessment: You will need to inividually submit answers to four questions as short answers online.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	At HD level, a student demonstrates a flair for the subject as well as a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates the ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding to produce comprehensive critical discussions of theoretical concepts.
Distinction	75 - 84	At D level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the unit material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding of the subject to produce a reasonably well-developed critical analysis of theoretical concepts.
Credit	65 - 74	At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad general understanding of the unit material and can identify and superficially discuss theoretical concepts.
Pass	50 - 64	At P level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the unit material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory achievement and is awarded to a student who has threshold knowledge of the subject and can accurately identify key theoretical concepts.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Penalties of 5% per day will apply for late submissions as per University Policy. Each short answer or multiple choice quiz exam will need to be conducted in the time period stipulated. Without an approved special consideration, a mark of 0 will be recorded if the exam is not submitted in this time.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Welcome and Introduction to AVBS1002	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Multiple snapshots of major agricultural species and overview of industry- online recorded videos + Farm Saftey Induction Task	Individual study (1 hr)
Week 02	Soil Week	Lecture (1 hr)
	Soil Week	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
	Please see Practical timetable on Canvas. Students are divided into 10 groups which rotate around 6 practical topics between weeks 2-8 of S2. Each practical rotation is 3hours in duration. - Sheep - Aquaculture - Soil to Beef - Pigs - Poultry - Dairy	Practical (3 hr)
Week 03	Feed and Environment Week	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Feed and Environment Week	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Beef week	Lecture (1 hr)
	Drop in session, Q+A, EFT, feedback on assessment	Online class (1 hr)
	Beef Week	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Dairy week	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Dairy Week	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Sheep Week	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Sheep Week	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Poultry week	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Poultry Week	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Pig week	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Pig Week	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Equine week	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	Equine Week	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Wildlife week	Lecture (1 hr)
	Drop in session, Q+A, advice for presentations	Online class (1 hr)
	Wildlife Week Incursion around USyd to conduct a biodiversity survey	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Indigenous Animal Management Week	Lecture (1 hr)
	Indigenous systems Week + panel of visiting Elders	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
	Excursion to Gamay Rangers/Botany Bay to learn about the way indigenous people managed animals and ecosystem sustainably	Field trip (6 hr)
Week 12	Aquaculture week	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	Aquaculture Week	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Industry Job Forum	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	UoS Summary, feedback and exam prep	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Students are expected to participate in at least 80% of the timetabled activities for all units of study in their degree, unless granted an exemption by the Associate Dean. To meet the learning outcomes of this Unit of Study, students are required to attend a minimum of 4 of the 6 practial classes as defined in the unit of study outline. A student may fail this unit of study where inadequate attendance results in learning outcomes not being met.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Reading resources below:

The Agskills series of booklets, published by the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Books – Tagged "Agskills"– Regional NSW

Titles include:

Farm AgSkills #B113

Beef AgSkills # B105

Goat AgSkills # B108

Pastures AgSkills # B110

Sheep AgSkills # B111

Anderson, R. S. and Edney, A.T.B. (1991). Practical Animal Handling. Pergamon Press.
Battaglia,R.C (2002) Handbook of Livestock management Prentice Hall.
Cottle, DJ ed. (1991). Australian Sheep and Wool Handbook. Inkata Press.
Gardner, JAA et al ed. (1990). Pig Production in Australia. 2nd edn. Butterworths.
Malcolm B, Sale P, Leury B & Barlow S (2009) Agriculture in Australia: an introduction. 2nd edition. Oxford University Press.
North M.O. and Bell,D. (1990). Commercial Chicken Production Manual. 4th edition. Heinemann.
Reid R.L. (1990). A Manual of Australian Agriculture. 5th edition.
POULTRY RESOURCES
Jordon, FTW, and Pattison, M (1996) Poultry Diseases. 4th edition. WB Saunders, London
Moreng, RE and Avens, JS (1985) Poultry Science and Production. Reston Publishing, Virginia
Nowland, WJ (1978) Modern Poultry Management in Australia. Rigby, Sydney
Rose, SP (1997) Principles of Poultry Science. CAB International, UK
PIG RESOURCES
English, PR, Smith, WJ and MacLean, A. (1977) ‘The Sow – improving her efficiency’, Farming Press, Ipswich, Suffolk.
Ensminger, ME and Parker, RO (1984) ‘Swine Science’, The interstate Printers, Danville, Illinois.
Gardner, JAA, Dunkin, AC and Lloyd, LC (1990) ‘Pig production in Australia, Butterworths, Sydney.
Whittemore, C (1993) ‘The science and practice of Pig Production’, Longman Scientific & Technical, London.

Recommended

For excellent and inexpensive help with written English:

Strunk, W. and White, E.B. (2002) The Elements of Style. 4th edition, Longman Publishers.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. describe the characteristics of the management systems of the major domestic species used for production in Australia and in a world-wide context
LO2. demonstrate an appreciation of the dependence of living organisms upon their environment
LO3. describe the merits of husbandry practices and innovations that have been adopted by the production industries to retain their competitive advantage
LO4. use field practicals to develop knoweledge pertaining to animal handling and husbandry procedures for major domestic production animal species
LO5. explain the merits and importance of high standards of animal welfare practice in the management of animals
LO6. identify the major breeds of agriculturally important animals
LO7. demonstrate skills in written communication
LO8. demonstrate skills in independent library research and problem solving
LO9. develop an understanding of the animal science employment opportunities available and the associated knowledge base required

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Subjects are now delivered by species rather than major topic - helps with flow and learning to group this way. There is no end of year exam in this unit to aid in learning within semester using small regular assessments.

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Q-fever vaccination and completion of the Canvas module “Zoonosis Awareness” is compulsory as is completion of the Farm Saftey Induction Task

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

AVBS1002: Animal Management

Semester 2, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect