The Department of Animal Science was founded at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources by merging two departments – the Department of Cattle Breeding and Dairying and the Department of Pig and Poultry Breeding. With this connection, a workplace was created where extensive zootechnical issues are solved.
Research activity Educational activity Consulting and cooperation with practice
Research is carried out in many areas concerning livestock, with particular attention given to: The determination and optimisation of animal growth parameters, growth intensity modelling in relation to selected internal and external factors, verification of effects of feeding additives on milk, meat and egg quality and appearance in order to produce functional food, histological typology of muscle fibers, optimisation management of fertility at all levels to ensure more effective breeding in cattle, pig, and sheep, and verification of effects of selected genetic markers on qualitative and quantitative production traits in livestock.
Lectures in specialised zootechnical subjects that are aligned with the theoretical knowledge of students are taught at the department. Education is focused on the following livestock – cattle, pig, poultry, sheep, goats, horse and small animals breeding. In Humpolec, there is a special centre for horse breeding education. Moreover, the department provides education in livestock animal reproduction, ornamental birds and cats breeding.
Department members solve a variety of projects, and studies are concentrated especially on practical cooperation with breeders' associations of livestock species and with the overarching Union of livestock breeders in Czech Republic. This cooperation includes organising conferences, seminars and trainings for the public. For applied research purposes, the department possesses a demonstrational and experimental stable situated on the campus, and operates a specialised test station in Ploskov, where stationary tests are carried out in the form of external company grants. In the frame of the national qualification system, the competence of professional qualifications for agricultural advisers for livestock (code of professional qualifications 41-064-R) cattle breeders (code 41-044-H), pig breeders (code 41-045-H), sheep and goat breeders (code 41-046-H), horse breeders (code 41-017-H), and poultry and flightless bird breeders (code 41-047-H) is verified.
