Introduction

Being a part of Agriculture, Livestock sector plays great role in the progress of country. One cannot deny the importance of livestock because it produces a huge quantity of food, such as beef, mutton, poultry meat, milk, yogurt and lot of other milk and animal by products. Millions of acres are still being cultivated with the help of farm animal in this mechanized era. Livestock and poultry yields can be further increased if people involved in this field are better and skillfully educated. At present, higher education in livestock is imparted by formal agricultural and veterinary universities in Pakistan, which are not catering in-service personnel. However, AIOU has its own character having varieties of educational methodologies within itself. The AIOU conducted a survey to get an idea about the higher education in Livestock Management and received a positive response from candidates who could not improve their qualification from formal institutes. After which the department of Agricultural Sciences (DAS) decided to offer MSc (Hons) Livestock Management through distance learning system, especially for those who could not enhance their qualification through formal system.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To develop human resource necessary for transferring subsistence scale of livestock farming into commercial livestock production.

2. To provide an opportunity for continued professional development to the scientist in the area of marketing.

3. To provide information on the concepts of livestock development, public health and their integration in livestock production practices.

4. To create awareness about the livestock farming production, practices which will in turn promote community-based livestock development

DURATION OF PROGRAM:

The minimum duration of MSc (Hons) Livestock Management program shall be two years, and maximum duration shall be five years. There will be two semesters in each year.

1. The minimum period of the 24 credit hours course work for MSc (Hons) Livestock Management shall be two semesters (One Year).

 2. In case the student fails to complete the course/research work within the prescribed maximum period, she/he has to take a fresh admission in the program.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates possessing DVM degree or BSc (Hons) Animal Husbandry degree equivalent to second division in Annual System (not less than 2.5 CGP) in semester system will be eligible for admission.

Selection Process

  1. Candidates must have to qualify Subject Test being conducted by the Department.
  2. Selection of the candidates will be made strictly on the basis of merit, which will be determined by the departmental admission committee after scrutinizing the application of the students as per AIOU MPhil admission rules.
  3. There will be departmental admission committee responsible to finalize the admission.
  4. For clarification about academic matters please contact on the following address:

Teaching Methodology

Distance education

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY:

Laboratory Works: The laboratory of local Animal husbandry/Veterinary Institutes/NARC universities or appropriate livestock farms will be engaged for this purpose and will be supervised by the tutors appointed by the university.

S.No

Title of course

Code

Credit Hours

1

Biochemistry 

780

3(2+1)

2

Statistics

794

3(3+0)

3

Meat Production

774

3(2+1)

4

Rangeland Management in Pakistan

 

3(3+0)

S.No

Title of course

Code

Credit Hours

1

Dairy Production

778

3(2+1)

2

Livestock Management Practices

775

3(2+1)

3

Small Ruminant Production

773

3(2+1)

4

Livestock Industry

782

3(3+0)

S.No

Title of course

Code

Credit Hours

1

Thesis

797

6

S.No

Title of course

Code

Credit Hours

1

Thesis

797

6

1

2

3

4

Workshop

The workshop for each course will be conducted at the end of each semester at the main campus of AIOU. Eminent subject experts in the relevant fields will deliver lectures in the workshop. Attendance in these course workshops is mandatory for each student. A student failing to attend any workshop is generally declared fail in final result.

Thesis

At the beginning of the third semester, a student will be required to submit research proposal (Synopsis) to the Department. The synopsis will be prepared in accordance with the guidelines approved by the Board of Advance Studies and Research (BASR). The Department will provide guidelines for developing synopsis in the synopsis orientation workshop. Important Note: Rules, regulations framed, enhanced and changed from time to time by the authorities/bodies of the University will be applicable to all the students. The students will have to abide by all such rules and regulations

Practical

The list of practical of following course codes as follows: -

1. Dairy production (778). Dairy breed characteristics, selection on the basis of genotypic and phenotypic characteristics, Design and layout of modern dairy enterprise, practice of manual and machine adoption of hygienic measures at milking time, measurement of milk flow rate, least count ration formulation using computer Programs. Visit to dairy enterprises.

2. Meat Production (774) Ante and post-mortem examination, slaughtering and flaying methods, determination of dressing percentage, meat grades and carcass evaluation, meat cuts, determining important physical and chemical properties of various meats. Organoleptic studies of meats, visit to slaughter house.

 3. Small Ruminant Production (773) Selection and judging of sheep and goats for wool, mutton and milk. Farm practices including identification, culling, dipping, deforming, trimming feet, farm visits, Preparation of feasibility reports, computerized record keeping. Wool and hair sampling, microscopic structure of animal fibers, measurement of fiber length and diameter, detection of extractable matters, histological studies of follicles and fiber, handling, sorting, scoring, grading, packing, labeling and storage of animal fiber measurement of crimp, staple length, wool fat, suint and ash, visual grades of wool, visit to woolen mills and carpet industry and wool test house. Visit to animal fiber market.

4. Biochemistry (780) Diffusion and osmosis process. Qualitative test for carbohydrate, fats and protein, Estimation of Ca and Mg in milk, urine and blood hemoglobin estimation.

5. Livestock Management Practices (775) Methods of approaching, handling and restraining animals, regions and points of body, grooming and cleaning, identification of various breeds of farm animals. Methods of identification, preparing gestation charts, determining weight of animals from body measurement, measuring physiological norms, preparing animals for shows, visit to livestock fairs.

About

The Allama Iqbal Open University was established in May, 1974, with the main objectives of providing educational opportunities to masses and to those who cannot leave their homes and jobs. During all these past years, the University has more than fulfilled this promise.