Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies

The Institute of Zootechnics at the Lithuanian Veterinary Academy was established in 1938. After the establishment of the Faculty of Zootechnics in 1946, the Institute saw repeated reorganisation. The first to separate was the Department of Zoohygiene which acted as a separate unit. In 1948, it was reorganised into two departments: the Department of Special Zootechnics and the Department of Animal Breeding which also offered a course in Genetics.  In 1949, both Departments were merged back into the Department of Animal Breeding and Special Zootechnics. In 1950, the Department was reorganised into the Department of Special Zootechnics and the Department of Farm Animal Breeding and Genetics.

In accordance with the Decision of the Senate of the Lithuanian Veterinary Academy (LVA) of 12 May 2004, following the reorganisation of the Department of Informatics and Engineering, the Milking Training Centre (which had been operating at the LVA since 1990) was integrated into the Department. The Department was subsequently renamed the Department of Animal Husbandry. As part of the reform of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry Technology, on 1 November 2014, the Department of Animal Husbandry was renamed the Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies. Following the renaming of the Faculty, it is now the Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies (abbreviation: IART) of the Faculty of Animal Science.

The aim of IART activities is to organise and deliver the study programmes at various study cycles (Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral), train specialists and researchers, and carry out research and scientific projects in the field of animal science.

Departments at the IART: Josifas Tacas Milking Technology Centre.

Research

Main research fields of the IART:

• Modernisation of the animal husbandry and aquaculture sector to improve the productivity and quality of production
• Development and integration of sustainable production (bio)technologies in animal husbandry
• Development and optimisation of alternatives to antibiotics and growth promoters in animal husbandry
• Improving animal performance and production quality by modelling the gastrointestinal microbiota
• Studies on the impact of animal rearing technologies (housing conditions, feed and/or feed materials and additives, etc.) on the quality of production

Doctoral courses coordinated by the IART:

• “Animal rearing technologies and their links to productivity, production quality and climate change”.  Coordinator of the course curriculum: Prof. Dr. Elena Bartkienė, senior researcher at the Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies of the Faculty of Animal Science of the LSMU Veterinary Academy
• “Animal therapy – pet socialisation, handler training, role of therapy in physical and psychosocial rehabilitation”.  Coordinator of the course curriculum: Prof. Dr. Elena Bartkienė, senior researcher at the Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies of the Faculty of Animal Science of the LSMU Veterinary Academy

Studies

The educational process is organised by the IART at the research laboratories and facilities of the economic operators. The lectures are delivered in modern and comfortable classrooms. The IART provides conditions for students to carry out experiments within the framework of their final theses. A guide system is used for field trips to the facilities of the economic operators. The IART subscribes to publications relevant to the professionals in ANIMAL SCIENCE in order to integrate scientific and state-of-the-art knowledge into the educational process.

Researchers at the IART teach:

• students
• students of the integrated study programme “Veterinary Medicine” and of the first- and second-cycle study programmes “Veterinary Food Safety” and “Food Science” at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Projects and Collaboration