History

The Department of Animal Breeding and Product Quality Assessment, in its current organizational form, was established by the Rector of the University of Life Sciences in Poznań on October 1st, 2015, by merging into a uniform structure: the Department of Cattle Breeding and Milk Production, the Department of Pig Breeding and Production, the Department of Small Mammals breeding and animal raw materials and the Poultry Department. Earlier, in 2006, the former Department of Sheep and Goat Breeding was combined with the Department of Fur Animal Breeding, and then in 2009 the Department of Animal Raw Materials was added, thus creating the Department of Small Mammals Breeding and Animal Raw Materials, functioning until 2015.

The Department of Animal Breeding and Raw Materials Assessment currently employs 23 employees, including 5 titular professors, 5 habilitated doctors, 6 academic teachers with a doctoral degree, 1 teacher with a master's degree and 6 engineering and technical employees. The scientific, research and teaching profile of the Department covers a wide range of issues related to animal husbandry, breeding and use of the main species of farm animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, fur animals and poultry) in the context of their welfare and obtaining high-quality products (meat, milk, eggs, coat) with pro-health values. The historically important achievement of the Department is, among others, breeding Wielkopolska sheep, two synthetic meat breeds of sheep (White-headed Mutton and Black-headed Mutton) and two breeds of pigs (Złotnicka White and Złotnicka Spotted). The Department keeps breeding books for both breeds of pigs.

The expanded headquarters of the Department is located in Złotniki, in the vicinity of the University's experimental farm keeping pigs, sheep, goats and rabbits. This promotes research activities and teaching student courses in direct contact with animals.