Use of Animals in Teaching

In several courses, animals are used to demonstrate the principles of animal management and to study various biological phenomena. At all times we strive to provide housing and care of animals as prescribed by the guidelines of the National Institutes of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture for the care of animals. Whenever procedures are used to demonstrate livestock management practices or used in laboratory experimentation, the amount of pain is kept to a minimum. Class use of animals is reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

Courses that utilize animals

Presented in each course are the uses and procedures conducted. Students who find certain techniques personally objectionable may meet with the instructor at the start of the semester and arrange an alternative exercise. If there is no alternative to the laboratory exercise the student should not elect to take the class. The procedures that may be conducted on animals fall into the categories of: surgery, anesthesia, euthanasia, fasting, pain, and injections. Only the procedures actually used will be presented in the discussion of each class.

ANIMLSCI 101 – Introduction to Animal Science
Animals are used to demonstrate common animal management practices. Animals used include horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine and poultry.

ANIMLSCI 103 – Introduction to Animal Management
An introduction to animal management practices with hands-on experiences. Animals used include horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine and poultry. Procedures used on some animals are routine farm management practices that include castration, ear tagging, tail docking, paint branding, ear notching, clipping of needle teeth and injection of iron. Students should request alternative exercises at the start of the semester if they find these practices objectionable.

ANIMLSCI 220 – Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals
The relationship between anatomical structure and function is emphasized. Preserved organs and models provide most of the anatomical material.

ANIMLSCI 231 & 251 Dorset Sheep Management
Students will learn skills such as hoof trimming, vaccinating, parasite detection, pregnancy detection, lambing and neonatal care; make decisions regarding selection, breeding and culling and learn to recognize signs of illness and administer treatments.

ANIMLSCI 232 & 252 Belted Galloway Management
Students will learn to perform practical management techniques such as handling, vaccinating, deworming, breeding, halter breaking, weaning, fitting and showing as well as observing the behavior of Belted Galloway cattle.

ANIMLSCI 233 & 253 Boer Goat Management
Students will develop practical skills including: handling, feeding, vaccinating, breeding, assisting with the delivery of goat kids, and assisting the herd veterinarian.

ANIMLSCI 234 & 254 Poultry Management
Students will be responsible for all daily care including:  feeding, cleaning, weekly weights, bird identification, moving the coops on pasture, record keeping, marketing and distributing the processed birds.

ANIMLSCI 236 & 256 Equine Management
Students will be responsible for the day-today care of the university reproduction horse herd and develop practical skills including safe horse handling and restraint, feeding, grooming, vaccinating, deworming, body condition scoring, first aid and assist with foaling.

ANIMLSCI 297B – Special Topics – A.I. Certification
This course demonstrates and teaches artificial insemination of dairy and beef cattle. The instructor is a professional from the A.I. industry.

ANIMLSCI 297D & 297DC – Special Topics – Dairy Calf Management
Students will feed and care for dairy calves seven days per week.  Students will also weigh, clean, and perform other management procedures with the calves.

ANIMLSCI 297L & ANIMLSCI 297P – Bay State Livestock Classic
The grooming and showing of cattle, sheep, goats, poultry and horses are taught through hands-on experience.

ANIMLSCI 301 - Equine Behavior and Learning Theory
Ethology of the horse, methods and principles of training based on how the horse learns. Students will have some practical learning opportunities to develop horse handling skills.

ANIMLSCI 302 - Development and Training of the Horse
The training, physical and mental development of foals to 3 year old horses. Students will have demonstrations of practices learned in class.

ANIMLSCI 333 – Equine, Cattle, and Companion Animal Nutrition 
Students will collect and process manure samples from horses. Horses may also be used for body condition scoring and conducting basic feed trials.

ANIMLSCI 373 - Equine Diseases and Health Management
This course is directed towards hands on experience in the general management practices with emphasis on such topics as infectious and non-infectious diseases, wound care, vaccination, dental care, lameness detection, and parasite control.

ANIMLSCI 398D - Service Dog Training
Students are responsible for fostering and training a service dog.

ANIMLSCI 398S - Equine Enterprise I
Students are responsible for the management and operation of the equine boarding facility at the Hadley Farm.

ANIMLSCI 401 – Management of the Equine Athlete
Students learn to recognize equine lameness and perform basic gait analysis, neurologic examinations, and flexion tests. Students assist veterinarians with diagnostic procedures including radiography, ultrasonography, thermography, and endoscopy.

ANIMLSCI 402 – Equine Rehabilitation
Students assist with equine rehabilitation plans, including monitoring vitals, handwalking, hydrotherapy, cryotherapy, passive mobilization and stretching exercises, cold laser therapy, and extracorporeal shockwave therapy.

ANIMLSCI 421– Wildlife Reproduction
Animals may used for palpations and breeding demonstrations.

ANIMLSCI 432 – Advanced Basic Animal Nutrition and Feeding
A ruminally cannulated cow is used to investigate digestive physiology of the fore-stomach.  Various ciliated protozoa that colonize the rumen are examined and identified under a microscope. Additionally, the rumen is partially emptied in order to examine various rumen anatomical landmarks.  Animals used in class may include cattle, horses, sheep and swine.

ANIMLSCI 445A - Equine Reproduction Lab
Hands on opportunities in equine reproduction; specifically: semen collection, preparation of the mare for breeding; teasing; and assisting in foaling.

ANIMLSCI 455 and ANIMLSCI 456 – Research Animal Management I & II 
Students are taught humane care, handling and management of animals used in research. Techniques used in nutrition, breeding, disease control, gnotobiology, anesthesiology, surgery, and necropsy are studied. Common handling techniques are practiced.  Animals used in the lab include: mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits.

ANIMLSCI 498S - Equine Enterprise II
Students are responsible for the management and operation of the equine boarding facility at the Hadley Farm including caring for the horses.

ANIMLSCI 521 – Physiology of Reproduction
Laboratory exercises are used in conjunction with the lectures to demonstrate current methods and technologies used in developing successful reproductive management programs for domestic animals. Animals used include: cattle, swine, sheep, goats and horses.