Facility Manager:  Jerry Johnson, gjohnson@ucdavis.edu, (530) 752-1200

The Animal Science Department maintains two main cattle facilities on the UC Davis Campus.  The feedlot is primarily used for research and teaching pertaining to the feedlot industry.  Research in nutrition, immunology, animal behavior and ruminant physiology is carried out by the faculty of the Animal Science department, the Veterinary Medical Teaching hospital, the California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the Department of Agronomy.

The Animal Science Feedlot is located approximately 2 miles west of the main campus.  It has a one-time capacity of 650 head.  There are 28 group pens and a trial barn consisting of 136 individual pens.  Feed is produced on site in the Animal Science feed mill, which also supplies feed for the other animal facilities in the Animal Science department.  Feed is weighed to each pen daily and records are maintained on feed consumption and feed efficiency.  Pens are concrete floored with covers in each pen for shade and inclement weather.  Pens are scraped weekly with the manure transported and spread on fallow fields.

The Animal Science Beef Barn is located just west of the main campus off Garrod Drive.  This facility is primarily used for the cow/calf management and teaching.  The physical facilities consist of two large hay storage barns with cattle pens arranged around the outside of the barns.  In addition, there are approximately 50 acres of irrigated pasture near the main barns for summer grazing.  In the winter, cows and calves are moved to remote pastures in the foothills bordering the cities of Vacaville and Folsom.  These two pastures provide approximately 750 acres of annual grasses and oak trees.

The teaching herd is composed of purebred herds of Polled Hereford and Angus.  The hers are comprised of about fifty breeding age females.  Replacement heifers are generated from the herds with any excess animals being sold to help support the program.  Bull calves are either sold as herd sires or castrated and used for feedlot research.  Teaching herd animals are used or several beef classes, internships in beef cattle management and for tours given by 4-H clubs, producer groups, foreign visitors and many other community outreach activities.

The Animal Science Department also has cattle research in two additional locations.

The Sierra Foothills Research and Extension Center is located outside Marysville.  Commercial cow/calf research is the primary focus of this station.  The Station is maintained by the Division of Ag and Natural Resources of the University of California.  The Animal Science cattle herd is approximately 450 breeding age females.  Upon weaning, male calves are sent to the Feedlot on the Davis campus for further use in teaching and research activities.

The Desert Research and Extension Center is located near El Centro, California.  DREC is primarily a feedlot facility conducting research of feedlot cattle in the hot climate desert.  With a capacity of nearly 600 head of feedlot cattle, DREC is a valuable tool for the feedlot industry in California.

Sierra Foothill Range and Extension Center, 8279 Scott Forbes Road, Browns Valley ,CA 95918-9636, (530) 639-8800, Contact: Dan Meyers, (530) 639-8806

Located in the foothills of Yuba County near Marysville, this facility supports research in to the management of beef cattle, pastures and rangelands, and other natural resources.

Student interns at this facility have the opportunity to gain experience and in depth knowledge of all aspects pertaining to the management of cow-calf herd.

Internships vary in emphasis depending upon the time of the year and the range of activities include:  calving, semen collection and evaluation, estrus detection, artificial insemination, processing and weaning calves.  Student interns are provided dormitory space at the field station and may be eligible for a stipend of up to $500 for the quarter.

Imperial Valley Desert Research Center, 1004 East Holton Road, El Centro, CA 92243, (760)356-3060, Richard Zinn, Director, (760)356-3069

Located in the low desert region 90 miles east of San Diego and 13 miles north of Mexico, this facility focuses on feedlot cattle research and intensive grazing management of both cattle and sheep.

Students can participate in a variety of research projects related to health, nutrition, and management of feedlot cattle and sheep.  Specific activities may include: feed mill operation, receiving and processing cattle, feeding and management, and care of the animals in the metabolism unit.

Modern housing provided. Paid or academic credit internships available.

3.  HORSE TEACHING & RESEARCH FACILITY:

Facility Manager: (530) 754-4156

The Animal Science Horse Facility houses approximately 30 mares and 4 stallions.  The herd consists of Thoroughbred, Quarter, Arabian horses, and mules.  In addition, the facility stands a Mammoth Jack, Paint and QH stallions to department and outside mares.  All adult animals are procured though public donation or loan.

Facility

The horse facility is located on the south side of campus on La Rue Road.  The 19 outdoor paddocks are equipped with individual feeders, automatic waterers and protective shelters.  An outdoor area seats approximately 400 people.  The main barn consists of one office, one student lounge, eight stalls, a breeding shed, a laboratory, a large loft, four storage rooms, a feed storage shed, a restroom and living quarters for two live-in students.  An additional ten stalls are located in the "Mare Motel".

Teaching

The Animal Science programs offers a variety of courses and internships for students of all experience levels.  The following is a list of classes in the field of equine science:

Animal Science 15:  Introductory Horse Husbandry.  An introduction to the care and use of light horses emphasizing the basic principles for selection, responsibilities of ownership, recreational use and raising of foals.

Animal Science 49E: Animal Management Practices.  The application of principles of elementary biology; the art and science of management of horses.  Offered to students with little or no background in equine husbandry or breeding practice.

Animal Science 115: Advanced Horse Production.  Feeding, breeding, unsoundness and health management of horses; application of the basic principles of animal science to problems of production of all types of horses.  Designed for students who wish to become professionally involved in the horse industry.

Animal Science 125:  Equine Exercise Physiology.  Distance learning class broadcast from Cal Poly State University, Pomona, on the basic and applied physiology of the exercising horse.  Includes physiological systems, gait analysis, lameness, pharmacology, sports medicine; sport horse performance evaluation and conditioning.

Animal Science 126:  Equine Nutrition.  Distance learning class broadcast from Cal Poly Pomona on equine nutrition.  Includes equine digestion, digestive physiology, diet development and evaluation and the relationship of the topic to recommended feeding practices and nutritional portfolios. 

Animal Science 127:  Advanced Equine Reproduction.  Distance Learning Course.  Emphasis will be placed on the application of biological principles to management practices and reproductive efficiency.

Animal Science 141:  Equine Enterprise Management.  Introduces the student to concepts and principles involved in the operation of an equine enterprise.  The student will examine topics as diverse as equine law, marketing, cash flow analysis and state and federal regulations impacting the business.

Animal Science 149: Farrier Science. Distance learning class. In-depth examination of the structure-function relationship of the equine hoof and how it relates to conformation, injury, and performance.

Animal Science 149L: Farrier Science Laboratory. The art and science of horseshoeing in equine related fields. Proper use of the tools, materials and techniques in the fabrication of shoes and safe preparation of the hoof for application of shoes.

Stud Farm Management Internship: A 5-unit internship (ANS 192) given two consecutive quarters for juniors or seniors who wish to become professionally involved in owning or managing a stud farm or broodmare operation.  Students gain hands-on experience in breeding techniques as well as all facets of stallion, mare and foal care management.

Foal Management Internship: a 5-unit internship (ANS 192) given two consecutive quarters for juniors or seniors who are interested in owning or managing broodmares.  Students learn about the care and management of mares throughout pregnancy, signs of impending parturition, husbandry during the foaling process as post parturition mare and foal care.  Students will be required to register, market and sell foals via auction.

92 and 192 Internships at the Department of Animal Science Horse Barn:  Students gain practical experience in breeding and horse care management.

Research

Candidates accepted in the M.S. or Ph.D. programs in Animal Science, Physiology or Endocrinology are eligible to specialize in equine reproductive endocrinology research conducted by Jan Roser, whose research focus is endocrine regulation of fertility in the mare and stallion.

4.  AVIAN RESEARCH & TEACHING FACILITIES:

Hopkins Avian Facility

Facility Manager: Jacqueline Pisenti, (530) 752-2874, jmpisenti@ucdavis.edu

Located on Hopkins Road, across from the University Airport, the Hopkins Avian Facility houses multiple species ranging from chickens to kestrels to parrots to finches.  Comprised of more than 15 buildings on 18 acres, research and teaching can be carried out in a variety of building and environments.

Meyer Hall Hatchery

Facility Manager: Jacqueline Pisenti, (530) 752-3560, jmpisenti@ucdavis.edu

The Meyer Hall Hatchery is located in the lower level of Meyer Hall.  The hatchery supplies eggs and chick to other Animal Science Avian facilities as well as other departments and colleges on the UCD campus.

Meyer Hall Avian Facility

Facility Manager: Guochen Hu, (530) 752-3537, gchu@ucdavis.edu

The Meyer Hall Avian Facility provides intensive research facilities for faculty and students.  With the ability to house multiple species in a variety of controlled and monitored environments and chambers, it offers researchers an invaluable resource.

5.  DAIRY TEACHING AND RESEARCH FACILITY:

Facility Manager: Doug Gisi, (530) 752-1686, ddgisi@ucdavis.edu

Assistant Facility Manager:  Sharlie Cunningham, (530) 752-1686, sjcunningham@ucdavis.edu

The UC Davis Dairy Teaching and Research Facility is located on the main campus at the University of California at Davis.  The milking herd of 110 cows, excluding dry cows, is milked two times per day in a modern single herringbone parlor with automatic takeoffs and cow identification.  The system also has computerized production recording and motion monitoring for estrus detection.  The rolling herd average is well above 25,000 pounds of milk per cow annually.  Milk from the dairy is sold to Hilmar Cheese Company, Hilmar, CA.  Along with the milk cows, 100 replacement heifers are raised from birth to calving at this facility.  All of the animals are registered.  We have 85% Holsteins and approximately 15% of other breeds including Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Jersey, and Milking Shorthorn..

The UC Dairy is used extensively for teaching, research, and outreach.

Many formal classes use the dairy facility and its animals throughout the year.  Besides these courses, students can enroll in independent studies and internship programs at the dairy to gain practical experience in various aspects of dairy management.  In fact, the dairy facility relies heavily upon and encourages student involvement in day-to-day operations.  Four students live at the dairy and work for their housing, and students may interview for a full-year student manager internship position.  The research mission involves areas such as nutrition, embryo transfer, genetics, and herd health to name a few.  Researchers from a number of departments and colleges on the campus use the dairy facility and its animals.  The outreach activities of the dairy are varied.  Children from elementary schools in the Sacramento Valley tour the dairy each spring and the animals are used for fields days and judging contests.  The dairy show team exhibits dairy cattle at various fairs throughout the state during the summer, an activity that is a valuable learning experience for students interested in dairy science and that serves to promote communication between the university and the general public.

Current Internships

1) Morning calf feeder M-F 1.115 hrs feed and care for calves

2) Afternoon calf feeder M-F 1.5 hrs feed and care for calves

3) Morning heifer/dry cow herdsperson M-F 1.5 hrs feed, heat detect, move, treat heifers   and dry cows, assist calvings.

4) Afternoon heifer/dry cow herdsperson M-F 1.5 hrs feed, heat detect, move, treat heifers and dry cows, assist calvings.

5) Night herdsperson M-F 1.5 hrs feed, heat detect, move, treat heifers and dry cows, assist calvings.

6) Fresh cow herdsperson M-F 1.5 hrs Temp and treat fresh cows

 

 

6.  GOAT TEACHING & RESEARCH FACILITY

Facility Manager: Jan Carlson, Telephone:  530-752-6792, e-mail: jlcarlson@ucdavis.edu

 The Goat Research Facility operates under the daily management of a herd manager who is assisted by 3-5 part-time student employees, and two live-in students. About 30 students per quarter (90 students/year) come to the barn for weekly management classes or volunteer to gain goat management experience, and an additional 20 students are involved in the annual Kidding and Kid Management Internship which runs from Winter through Spring Quarter.  This facility is located off Old Davis Road south of the main UC Davis campus. The main barn contains the office, laboratory, milking, kid rearing, trial areas, and two student residences. Animals are kept in dry lot pens surrounding the main barn.

 The six major dairy breeds of Toggenburg, Saanen, Alpine, LaMancha, Nubian, and Oberhasli are all represented in the dairy herd, and the meat herd is comprised of Boer and Boer-crossed animals.  Crossbred animals at the facility are usually the result of research trials where breed markers are used to determine paternity. Herd size varies with current research needs and fluxes between 120 and 300 animals. The Goat Research Facility currently houses 200 goats. Preventative management systems are maintained to prevent and control Caprine arthritis encephalitis and Caseous lymphadenitis.

 A milking string of 40 does is maintained for research purposes. Milk not required for kid raising is sold as animal feed. Both artificial insemination and live cover is used for breeding purposes. Current research focuses on doe reproduction, buck behavior, grooming behavior, genetics, and approving drugs for use in goats. Excess animals are-sold privately or through auction to the general public.

 The Goat Research Facility is currently on a seasonal management system with does kidding from January through May, and breeding activities taking place from August through December. Kids are primarily hand raised on heat-treated colostrum and pasteurized goat milk. Interior kid rearing pens allow young animals to be closely monitored for the first month of life. Kids are offered free choice kid grain and alfalfa hay from birth, and are weaned when they reach a specific weight limit.  Student volunteers and employees provide the primary care and learn management techniques with the kids under the supervision of barn staff and veterinarians. After the first month kids are moved to outside kid pens, and about one year of age into adult pens.

 Student involvement at the Goat Research Facility is intensive. Goats are used in Domestic

Animals and People, Introductory Animal Science, Animal Management Practices (goat section),

Veterinary Reproduction, and Sustainable Agriculture classes. Additional student involvement includes Internships in Animal Science and Special Study classes in addition to The Block and Bridle Club, The Vet Aid Club and student volunteers. In 1996 UC Davis students started the first UC Davis Dairy Goat Show team, with the addition of Boer goats to the facility in 2000 the team name was modified to the UC Davis Goat Show team. This team allows students who may not have had any previous animal experience the unique opportunity to fit and show goats, and provides an opportunity for students to meet and work with producers and breeders in the goat industry.

 Goats maintained at the Goat Research Facility meet or exceed all guidelines for animal care as defined by national, state, and University specifications.

 

7.  SHEEP TEACHING & RESEARCH FACILITY

Facility Manager: Dana Van Liew, Telephone Meyer Hall:  530-752-9703      Barn:  530-752-0744, e-mail:  dbvanliew@ucdavis.edu

 The Sheep Unit is located on Garrod Road west of Highway 113 on the University of California at Davis Campus. The Sheep Program is committed to the three missions of the University of California: Teaching, Research and Outreach.

 The facilities include two large barns, thirty dry-lot enclosures and approximately seventeen acres of irrigated pasture. 200 head of Suffolk, Polypay and Crossbreds are maintained.

 Three Student Herdsmen live at the facility. Additional Student Herdsmen work at the facility; earning units, salary or as volunteers. Sheep management interns and show team member’s show and consign sheep to various exhibitions and sales annually. Numerous youth outreach activities are hosted annually. Fifteen classes from three departments on campus utilize the facility each year.

 Sheep are utilized extensively for research in discipline areas of: Reproduction, Genetics, Nutrition, Management, and Endocrinology.

 

Hopland Research and Extension Center

4070 University Road

Hopland, CA  95449

Located in the North Coast mountain range in Mendocino County near Ukiah, the Center supports one of the largest sheep research flocks in the U.S.A. The center consists of 5,358 acres ranging in elevation from 500 - 3000 feet.

 Student interns can participate in a variety of sheep and wildlife projects related to nutrition, animal behavior, breeding and management.

 Fall and winter quarter internships offer the opportunity to gain hands-on experience assisting in lambing out the center's 1,200 head ewe flock. Spring internships will be involved in weaning lambs and shearing.

Summer internships allow students the first hand experience of managing the flock during the breeding season, as well as assisting in the laparoscopic artificial insemination program. Short-term internships can be arranged during quarter breaks and the summer.

 Student interns are provided dormitory space at the center.

Please contact the Animal Science Advising Center (1202 Meyer) for internship information at the Hopland Research and Extension Center.

 

8.  SWINE TEACHING AND RESEARCH CENTER

Facility Manager:  Kent Parker, Telephone:  530-752-1683, e-mail:  kparker@ucdavis.edu

 The Swine Center is located two miles west of the core campus at 2953 Straloch Road, near the University Airport.  A scheduled appointment is necessary prior to entering the facility.

 The Center contains over 9,000 square feet of inside, enclosed space that houses a class and meeting room, student apartments, lab, office, break room, storage area, feed and work areas, as well as 2 farrowing rooms and 2 nursery rooms.  Outside covered space of over 24,000 square feet consists of boar and sow pens, finishing pens, hospital area, working and breeding areas, as well as load-out and feed handling facilities.

 The herd is compromised of 75 sows and 13 males.  The startup herd was donated by PIC, an International group from Berkeley, CA.  Approximately half of the herd are Yorkshire based line 1050, and the other half are Duroc based line 15 animals.  Pigs from both lines are used for class work in numerous courses, and to provide hands on experience for UCD students.  Basic and applied research in several disciplines is conducted throughout the year.

 The Swine Center farrows 10 litters each month and weans when the piglets are about 4 weeks of age.  Records are kept on a computerized system and indicate a farrowing rate of 82%, with 10.5 pigs born alive per litter, and 8.5 pigs weaned.  The pigs reach a 230 lb. Market weight in an average of 156 days.  About half of our pigs are sold as feeder pigs, and the remaining half are fed to market size, depending on the current research needs.

 

9.  SMALL ANIMAL RESEARCH & TEACHING COLONY

Facility Manager:  Sandra Weisker, Telephone:  530-752-3642, e-mail: sweisker@ucdavis.edu

 The Small Animal Colony provides housing for rodents and rabbits in a barrier facility for the teaching and research efforts of the Department of Animal Science, and is located at the Cole Facility.  Specific pathogen free status is maintained through a combination of limited access and strict attention to personal hygiene and sanitation. The 5500 square foot facility contains 15 animal rooms, which can be outfitted to house most small laboratory species. In addition, the facility has on-site sanitation and sterilization capabilities for all equipment used, as well as laboratories and surgical areas.

 Inventory includes more than 2000 mice, as well as smaller colonies of rats, hamsters, and rabbits.  Most animals used here come from our own breeding colonies and many of the mouse lines were developed by our faculty and do not exist elsewhere.

 The facility currently serves 7 faculty with a variety of research interests. Rodents are used primarily to study reproduction and genetics with projects in DNA mapping, fertilization mechanisms, and the development of transgenic models. Rabbits are being used for antibody production and cell differentiation studies.

 The facility provides education and experience through classes, internships, and student employment.  It supports 8 classes from several departments teaching students basic physiology, animal husbandry, facility management, and rodent surgery. The colony also employs an average of 15 students most of whom are in training for careers in veterinary medicine, biomedical research, or laboratory animal management. Employment provides experience required for AALAS certification. Graduates from the program are in high demand at universities, animal vendors, and biomedical companies.

10.  MEAT LABORATORY TEACHING & RESEARCH FACILITY

Cole Facility Building "C"

 

Facility Manager: Shane Dorrian, Telephone:  530-752-7410, e-mail: smdorrian@ucdavis.edu

The UC Davis Meat Lab is a Federally Inspected Meat Processing Plant located on the UC Davis campus in the Harold Cole Facility for the Study of Biology of Large Animals. The Meat Lab is part of the Department of Animal Science and is used for Teaching and Research activities. It is a 5000 square foot facility containing a multi-species kill floor, carcass coolers, processing room, cutting room, analytical lab, classroom, and freezers.

Students receive hands-on training in slaughter, fabrication, sanitation, and further processing of meat and meat products while they are enrolled in Animal Science 49 and Internship programs at the Meat Lab. During most quarters there are approximately 10 students working in those classes.

Production and Sales:

Annual production level is approximately 600-800 total head of all four red meat species, which includes Beef, Hogs, Sheep and Goats. The Meat Lab also processes carcasses into Extra-Lean

Ground Beef, Homemade Pork Sausage, and other retail meat products. Custom cut and wrapped Beef, Hog and Lamb carcasses can be ordered from the Meat Lab. For sales information contact 530-752-7410 or stop by the Meat Lab between 1 - 5:30 PM Thursday and Friday. 

The Meat Lab is located on the south edge of the UC Davis Loop in the Harold Cole Facility

Building "C", directly south of Meyer Hall across La Rue Road. Entrance to the lab is from the southeast end near the loading dock.

Teaching:

Animal Science Classes with labs taught at the Meat Lab: ANS 1, ANS 2, ANS 21, ANS 22, ANS 120 and ANS 145. Animal Science classes taught at the Meat Lab: ANS 49, ANS 92, and ANS 192.

Classes from other Departments that use the Meat Lab: FST 108

Research:

 Many researchers in the Department of Animal Science as well as other departments on campus use the facility for their research. Sample collections are performed at the Meat Lab on projects in the fields of Animal Science, Food Science, Reproductive Physiology, Endocrinology, Molecular Biology, Nutrition, Veterinary Medicine, Entomology, and Microbiology to name a few. Some of the types of samples collected at the Meat Lab range from whole carcasses to blood for mosquito food.

 Facilities and Research -- Cole Facility

The Cole facility is a four-building complex designed for research in physiology and metabolism.

Two buildings are used for intensive experiments that may be difficult to carry out at another facility.  Studies with cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs are common.

Other buildings at the Cole facility contain a meat laboratory, and a small animal laboratory that houses colonies of rats, mice, hamsters, and rabbits.

Facilities and Research - Aquatic Animals

 A number of fish species are cultured on campus at the Aquatic center. Research includes projects on aspects of reproduction and nutrition with such species as sturgeon, trout, and catfish. Research by departmental faculty on marine crustaceans and mollusks is ongoing at Bodega Marine Laboratory.

 

Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory

P.O. Box 247

(2099 West Shore Rd.)

Bodega Bay, CA  94923

(707) 875-2211

Contact:  Ernie Chang

 

10.  CABA AQUATIC CENTER

Manager: Paul Lutes, Telephone: 530-752-8160, e-mail: pblutes@ucdavis.edu

This 5-acre facility houses laboratories and aquatic animal containment resources. There are six buildings with over 10,000 square feet of indoor and 16,000 feet of outdoor animal holding space. Ground water is supplied at a rate of up to 1,000 gallons per minute. With over 1,300 square meters of dry laboratories and animal containment facilities and 180,000 liters of both indoor and outdoor freshwater tanks, the CABA Aquatic Center is the largest freshwater fish research facility of the University of California.

There is research space for a wide range of programs, including aquatic toxicology, reproduction, engineering, nutrition, genetics, endocrinology, disease and pathology, fish ecology, and general aquatic biology. About 15 species are under study at any one time. In addition to supporting animal research, the Aquatic Center’s water, after release from the tanks, contributes to the natural reserves and study sites at Jamison Pond and Putah Creek.

 

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