Great Basin College
Course Syllabus
Course Title: AGSC 210 Livestock Reproduction Lab Credits: 1.0
Semester Offered: Fall 2013 Instructor Name: Tracy Shane
Class Schedule: Oct. 11-12, 18-19 Office Hours: MW 9:00-11:00am Thur 1:30-2:30pm
Office: Lundberg Hall RM 109B Office Phone: 753-2344
Email Address: Cell Phone: 775-934-5646
Format: Lectures, labs, field trips, presentations, and participation
Course Requirements:
Prerequisite: None
Required Text: None
Course Expectations and Academic Dishonesty
Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism and/or cheating will not be tolerated in any fashion. Students are expected to develop their own skills through the process of learning and critical thinking. Students should make themselves aware of the “Student Conduct Policy” in the Great Basin College general catalog.
Attendance: Attending all class sessions and field-trips will be essential for, not only each student’s success, but the success of the entire class. Students will be expected to be engaged and participate in all class discussions, class projects, and field-trips and all student participation grades will be recorded accordingly.
Absences arranged with instructor prior to missed class may be considered an authorized absence at the discretion of the instructor. With authorized absences, it is the responsibility of the student turn in any due assignments prior to the absence, arrange for any make-up work, and get class notes from another student. In the event of an unauthorized absence (no phone call to instructor prior to missing class), the student will not be able to make-up work, quizzes, or tests missed that day.
Assignments: Course work is due on the day it is assigned. Assignments turned in late will drop one letter grade each subsequent day. This means that an “A” quality assignment turned in more than 3 days late would receive an “F”.
Field trips: Field trips and guest speakers will be part of the course format. All of the field trips are one-day field trips leaving from the Elko Campus. More details will follow regarding the location and schedule of the field trip.
Great Basin College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to qualified students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A qualified student must furnish current verification of disability. The ADA Officer (Julie G. Byrnes) will assist qualified students with disabilities in securing the appropriate and reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services. For more information or further assistance, please call 753-2271.
Student Learning Assessment:
Assessment Devise: Standard College grading scale will be used. The following items will be graded accordingly and will carry the assigned grading values:
A) Field trip write-ups 50 pts
B) Lab practical 50 pts
C) Student participation 100 pts
C) Test 100 pts
Total Points 300 pts
Passing grades for this course range from “A” through “D”. Grade values are as follows:
A 90-100% B 80-89% C 70-79% D 60-69% F 59% or less
Expected Learner Outcomes: / Learner Outcome Measurements:· Identify the structures of male and female cattle reproductive tracts / Lab practical
· Detect pregnancy and estrus in bovine / Field trip write up
· Inspect semen and evaluate morphology, motility, concentration, etc. / Lab practical and test
· Identify and discuss function of equipment used in semen collection and insemination / Lab practical and test
· Prepare semen for artificial insemination / Lab practical
· Inseminate cows and heifers / Lab practical
· Discuss the procedure used for embryo transfer in bovine / Test
· Describe the importance of nutrition in reproduction / Test
· Describe an estrus synchronization program for bovine / Field trip writeup
· Read and Interpret “Sire Summaries” and “Sire Directories” / Lab practical and field trip writeup
· Compare and contrast various methods of pregnancy detection / Test
Course Catalog Description:
AGSC 210 Livestock Reproduction Lab
Livestock Reproduction Lab is designed to provide students with an understanding of the reproductive technologies in cattle, horses, and swine. Pregnancy detection and semen handling labs will provide students with practical livestock experience. Various mating systems will be discussed with an emphasis placed on artificial insemination (A.I.) and Embryo Transfer (E.T.). A field trip and lab component of this course will focus on professional A.I. techniques.
Course Schedule:
The class schedule is subject to change with prior notification by instructor
October 11 – Trip to Logan Utah
4:00 AM PST - 10:00 AM MDT – Drive to Logan, UT
10:00-10:30 - 12:00 PM MDT – Arrive at Hoffman’s AI, South Logan, and do tour and information presentations by Doug & Casey
12:00 – 1:30 PM MDT – Lunch; can go to USU cafeteria in TSC, Angies, Village Inn, or “fast food” place?
1:30 – 3:30 PM MDT – Tours of USU ADVS facilities: Animal Science Farm; beef cattle; sheep; swine; and equine units; then take them down to the Caine Dairy Farm.
3:30 – 5:00 PM MDT – Tour of Ward Purebred Angus Ranch, Young Ward, UT, Chris & Tony Ward, (801) 725-1669; over 250 mother cows. (Trevor, I haven’t been able to reach the Ward’s, but hope to over the weekend to confirm GBC’s desire to see a PB beef cattle operation, and the Ward’s ranch and seed stock are high praised by the Angus Association and its member breeders around the country.)
5:00 MDT – 8:30 PM PST– Return to Elko
October 12 – Repro Lab Class – LUND 129
8:00am-11:00 am
· Semen handling
· A.I. Equipment and Handling: care of the tank, thawing procedures, semen handling – Ron Torell
· Anatomy of the tracts
· Repro tract dissections, male and female
· Pregnancy testing – learn the anatomy of the female tract and the stages of the developing fetus. Watch video on pregnancy testing. Dissection of uterus from pregnant cow. Estrus synchronization, practice inserting CIDR.
12:00- Travel to TS Ranch Battle Mountain
1:00 – Practice AI and Pregnancy Detection – including: Body condition score assessment, general chute evaluation of cattle, including aging by teeth, physical appearance, etc. and discussion of nutritional impacts on reproductive performance. Practice pregnancy testing
3:00- Return home
October 18 – Repro Lab Class – LUND 129
8:00-11:00 am
· Estrous Cycle of the Cow – Hormones and implications for Artificial Insemination – Ron Torell
· Reproductive Technologies – Lecture and Discussion - Ron Torell and Tracy Shane
· Reproductive Management of the Beef Cow – Tying nutrition, genetics, and management together to ensure reproductive success – Ron Torell
· Estrus Synchronization –Students will learn the various systems and products available to synchronize estrus. Lutalyse explanation and discussion.
· AI Management Manual - EPD’s, Interpreting EPD’s, ratios, breeding values, indexes for sire selection, sire selection discussion. How much can you afford to pay for a bull based off his EPD’s?
12:00 Leave for TS Ranch
1:00 Practice AI and Pregnancy Detection – including: Body condition score assessment, general chute evaluation of cattle, including aging by teeth, physical appearance, etc. and discussion of nutritional impacts on reproductive performance. Practice pregnancy testing
Heat detection exercise and explanation, apply heat detection aids. Discussion of use of pelvimeter for pelvic assessment of replacement heifers.
3:00 Return Home
October 19 – TS Ranch
8:00 am Leave for TS Ranch
9:00 am Practice AI and Pregnancy Detection – including: Body condition score assessment, general chute evaluation of cattle, including aging by teeth, physical appearance, etc. and discussion of nutritional impacts on reproductive performance. Practice pregnancy testing
10:00 am Practice using pelvimeter
11:00 am Turn in all assignments. Final exam. Course evaluations.
12:00 pm Return to Elko
1