STOCKSCH 269
September 1 – December 8, 2021
Instructor:
Nicole Burton, ngburton@umass.edu , (413) 429-6544
Class Description
This course is a farmer’s perspective on the sustainable management, production and marketing of poultry and pigs on a small farm. This course will address the advantages of having pigs and poultry and will review basic care, processing options, regulations and marketing. The course will be structured around lectures, farm visits in your own region, discussions and readings. We will explore different alternative farming systems that utilize animals to enhance their production. At the end of this course, students will be able to utilize pigs and poultry as an integral part of their small farm plan.
Course Objectives
Some of the specific skills you will obtain in this course:
- Identify and utilize sustainable management practices for pigs and poultry
- Comprehension of the complete life cycle management of pigs and poultry for meat and egg production
- Understand basic anatomy for purposes of monitoring animal health, estimating meat production volume and best practices for
- Understand basic nutrient stoichiometry in order to prepare appropriate feed for optimal development and use of animals
- Understand the rules and regulations of running a small farm business
- Develop critical thinking skills on designing and implementing sustainable systems on a small farm
Written Assignments:
All written assignments will be submitted on Blackboard. If they are not submitted by the due date then there will be 2 points deducted for each day thereafter.
Readings Reflections & Discussions:
Each week you will have an article or document to read. You must post a written reflection on the material. Be prepared to discuss the material in a threaded discussion.
Meat Consumption Reflection and Entries:
Throughout the semester you will have a daily journal where you will observe and document your personal consumption of meat. At mid-term and the end of the semester you will write a reflection on your observations on your own consumption over the semester and state any changes or appreciations you have on your diet.
Farm Visit:
After a farm visit in your own region you will be responsible to recap the highlights on the systems used at that particular farm. This must be in the form of a 2 page reflection and a condensed blog post. The blog post must include pictures and should be uploaded onto the Small Farm Husbandry blog site before class. If no farms are available, you may discuss with the instructor other options such as meat markets etc.
Special Topic Paper:
Students choose a topic of interest in the field of poultry or pigs. Topic descriptions are due on Oct 2nd. Students must submit a 4-6 page research paper outlining their topic and, post a power point presentation on Blackboard regarding their findings to the class.
Grading Rubric
Written Assignments: 320Points
8 @ 40 points each
Reading Reflections: 180Points
9 @ 20 points each
Video Reflections: 80 Points
4 @ 20 points each
Reflective Responses: 120 points
Meat Journal: 100 Points
Midterm reflection: 50
Final reflection: 50
Farm Visit Blog Post: 100 points
Special Topic Final: 200 Points Outline: 20
Presentation: 100
Paper: 80
Total Points = 1100
Week Topic Assignment & Readings
| September 6th | Class Review Intro to the Sustainable Management of Pigs and Poultry
Management |
Readings #1 |
| 11th & 13th | Poultry Breeds
Purchasing Starting your flock |
Reading #2
Chapter 4 and 5 Assignment 1: Choosing poultry breeds |
| 18th & 20th | Poultry Fencing & Housing
Designing a chicken tractor
|
Readings #3
Assignment 2: Design a poultry shelter |
| 25th & 27th | Physiology and Egg Prodution
Health and Nutrition |
Readings #4
Assignment 3: Develop a homemade nutrition program for poultry
|
| October 2nd & 4th | Illness and Disease
Other Poultry: Ducks, Geese, pheasants, Turkeys
|
Special Topic Subject Due
Readings #5
Assignment 4: Solve and treat an illness |
| 10th (Tuesday as a Monday) & 11th
9th = no class |
Pig Breeds and purchasing | Readings #6
Internet articles on pasturing pigs and silvopasture Assignment 5: Explore pig breeds and their benefit to your system |
| 16th & 18th | Pig Housing
Behavior Management |
Video #1
Mid-Term Meat Consumption Journal reflection due |
| 23rd & 25th | Physiology
Health & Nutrition |
Special Topic Outline Due
Farm Visit Contact Info Video #2 |
| October 30th & Nov. 1st | Breeding
Raising young
|
Readings #7
|
| 6th & 8th |
Illness and Disease Slaughter |
Assignment #6: diagrams on anatomy and developing an alternative approach to adding to nutrition |
| 13th & 15th | Integration of swine and poultry into alternative farming systems | Video #3: Vermont Compost poultry production
Assignment #7: Designing a sustainable system of integration with your animal of choice. |
| 19th-26TH |
Certifications, Labeling & Logistics
|
Reading #8 Video: Ted Talk on full life of swine |
| 27th & 29th |
Products and Marketing
|
Reading #9
Assignment #8: Product research at stores |
| 31st & Dec 4th |
Finances & Funding |
Presentations Due |
| 6th & 11th | Reviewing 3 peers presentation of choice | Final Meat Consumption Journal Reflection Due |
Textbooks
Homegrown Pork: Humane, Healthful Techniques for Raising a Pig for Food, by Sue Weaver, Storey Publishing 2013, Cost $18.95
The Small-Scale Poultry Flock: An all-natural approach to raising chickens and other fowl for home and market growers, by Harvey Ussery, Chelsea Green Publishing 2011, Cost $39.95
Accommodation Statement
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is committed to providing an equal educational opportunity for all students. If you have a documented physical, psychological, or learning disability on file with Disability Services (DS), you may be eligible for reasonable academic accommodations to help you succeed in this course. If you have a documented disability that requires an accommodation, please notify me within the first two weeks of the semester so that we may make appropriate arrangements.
Academic Honesty Statement
Since the integrity of the academic enterprise of any institution of higher education requires honesty in scholarship and research, academic honesty is required of all students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Academic dishonesty is prohibited in all programs of the University. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating dishonesty. Appropriate sanctions may be imposed on any student who has committed an act of academic dishonesty. Instructors should take reasonable steps to address academic misconduct. Any person who has reason to believe that a student has committed academic dishonesty should bring such information to the attention of the appropriate course instructor as soon as possible. Instances of academic dishonesty not related to a specific course should be brought to the attention of the appropriate department Head or Chair. Since students are expected to be familiar with this policy and the commonly accepted standards of academic integrity, ignorance of such standards is not normally sufficient evidence of lack of intent (http://www.umass.edu/dean_students/codeofconduct/acadhonesty/).
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This class fulfills requirements for all three of the online programs offered by the University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture in Sustainable Food and Farming:
All online classes cost $482/credit.
