Forensic Aspects of Agricultural Animal Welfare » Veterinary Forensic Sciences Online Graduate Programs » College of Veterinary Medicine

VME 6572

CREDITS: 3

This case-based course is designed to provide the student with the tools to assess legal cases involving livestock species. Different species have varying care requirements depending on their geographic location and season. State and Federal laws often have an impact on relocating seized victims. Working within the confines of welfare law, regulatory agencies and accepted agricultural practices offers a unique challenge often not present in companion animal situations. The final project involves an assessment of multiple livestock species and generating a report suitable for the legal community and submission to the prosecutor or law enforcement.

Topics:

Module	Topic
Week 1	Assessing agricultural animal welfare Individual vs Herd Health (population) approaches Differences between livestock and companion animal seizures Variation in regional agricultural practices and resources and accessing accurate information Federal, State and Local laws. Federal programs.
Week 2	Housing and nutrition Feeds, feeding and feed delivery systems Water Housing, bedding, ventilation, and climate control Predators, parasites, biosecurity
Week 3	Beef cattle Beef cow/calf, calf conditioning, painful interventions Finishing steers Body condition scores Common diseases, reportable diseases Housing, bunk space Handling Welfare assessment
Week 4	Dairy cattle Production cycle related to BCS Lameness causes and prevention Nutrition and housing Welfare assessments including handling, mastitis, cleanliness
Week 5	Laying hens Breeds and suggestions for descriptions Housing systems (ventilation, litter, stocking density) Nutrition Diseases, public health, reportable diseases, culling Welfare assessment
Week 6	Broilers, Turkeys, Waterfowl Breeds Housing, ventilation, substrate, feed and water delivery systems Assessing flock health, expected losses Diseases, reportable diseases, lameness scoring Biosecurity
Week 7	Swine Housing systems, flooring, bedding, feeding systems, water delivery, climate control, ventilation Diseases, reportable diseases Assessing welfare including BCS, stocking density, lameness, nutrition, handling, biosecurity, standard agricultural practices Feral hog problem
Week 8	Sheep Breeds, use, management systems Housing systems, predator control, parasite control, handling Common and reportable diseases, Federal Scrapie Program Assessing welfare, BCS, lameness, cleanliness and overall health
Week 9 & 10	Equine Breeds and uses Housing, ventilation, bedding, fencing Nutrition Common and reportable diseases, parasite control, injury Handling and restraint
Week 11	Goats Breeds, meat vs dairy Nutrition Housing, ventilation, feed delivery, water delivery, Painful interventions Diseases, parasites, Federal Scrapie Program
Week 12	South American Camelids, captive cervidae Basic husbandry, handling, feeding, shelter Common diseases, reportable diseases, parasites Nutrition Federal laws Herd assessment
Week 13	Lagomorphs Basic husbandry, nutrition, feed and water delivery systems Diseases and parasites Assessing welfare
Week 14	Cockfighting, hog dog, bestiality Cockfighting – housing, cockfighting paraphernalia, wound patterns, evidence collection and documentation Hog dog – wound patterns, documentation Bestiality – species involved, lesions, applicable laws, documentation