Practicum for zootechnics

Practicum for zootechnics comprises livestock buildings, machines and equipment for livestock production, farmland and livestock.

Activities in the practicum are managed by the head of the College practicums. The practicum is also managed by the Board for zootechnics consisting of teachers from the field of livestock production, and in coordination with the head of the College practicums they define technology of livestock production.

Practicum activities are:

• administration of practical classes in the field of livestock production according to the study programmes of the College

• administration of exact and demonstration test trials from the field of livestock production for the needs of professional and scientific-research work and professional development of teachers

• breeding and selection of livestock

• services

Practicum for zootechnics comprises the following specialized practicums:

Practicum for cattle breeding

Practicum for horse breeding

Practicum for poultry breeding

Practicum for sheep and goat breeding

Practicum for cattle breeding

Practicum for cattle breeding is designed and equipped for cattle breeding in the cow-calf system. With heads of the Hereford and Simmental breed the Practicum aims at creating a nucleus of several breeding lines of high value male and female heads adequate for further breeding and producing high value offspring for breeding and production of cattle meat in the cow-calf system.

Horse breeding practicum

Breeding of the Holstein breed of horses began at the College horse breeding practicum on 8. of March 1980 with the import of horses to Križevci University of Applied Sciences („Agricultural Institute Križevci“ at the time). On that occasion 4 broodmares of three different breeding lines were imported, followed by the import of two mares and a stallion the following year. Two young stallions were imported in 1987. The process of domestication of this horse breed was monitored within a project at the Agricultural Institute Križevci and in the wider area of Croatia. The stables where the horses are accommodated also serve as a horse breeding practicum for practical training of the students of Križevci University of Applied Sciences and students of Secondary Agricultural School Križevci. Throughout the years the horses as animal species have also served as material for writing of scientific papers for international professional and scientific meetings.   

Practicum for poultry breeding

Practicum for poultry breeding has various breeds of chickens and layers. The practicum also has the equipment for breeding and housing of poultry, as well as poultry incubator for eggs. The poultry feed is mixed in the own mixing unit with hammer mill and horizontal mixer with the capacity of 250 kg of feed mixture.

Practicum for sheep and goat breeding

Practicum for sheep and goat breeding keeps the most fertile breeds: Romanov sheep breed and Boer goat breed. Both breeds are adequate for the mother-offspring breeding system. The breeding herd consists of eleven sheep and one ram and four goats and one billy goat. The practicum also has two sheep and one ram of the local Pramenka breed.