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Facilities

Put on your barn clothes or your lab coat. In this major, you’re going to be busy! Here is an overview of where Animal Science majors and faculty work and learn. You aren’t limited to just these facilities, of course, but these are the primary spaces for this major.

University Farms

University Farms is a 2,000-acre farm system that is the core of the Animal Science teaching program. The farms are adjacent to campus – you can even take our Saluki Express bus system to some of the barns.

SIU Animal Science students work with dogs at The Center for Canine Sciences

Beef Center

  • Calf barn
  • Steer feeding barn
  • Beef research barn
  • Research and teaching headquarters
  • Hay storage
  • Pasture

Swine Center

  • Farrowing house
  • Breeding
  • Finishing operation
  • Research and teaching headquarters
  • Swine waste treatment center
  • Hog grainery

Equine Center

  • Horse breeding barn
  • Horse Physiology and Metabolism Center
  • Teaching / classroom space
  • 27-stall stable with 4 foaling stalls and 23 regular sized stalls, wash racks and tack rooms
  • Indoor riding arena
  • Outdoor riding and show arena with jumping, barrel racing and trail class equipment
  • Round pen
  • Access to bridle paths/trails
  • Horse boarding available for majors and non-majors – bring your horse to college!
Mom and colt on SIU's farms

Research Labs

Our labs are the barns and fields, mostly. But you’ll also work in “lab coat” labs, too. Here are some of the classes that will get you into hands-on science laboratory work:

  • Biochemical Aspects of Nutrition
  • Comparative Endocrinology
  • Reproductive Physiology
  • Animal Genetics
  • Artificial Rumen Continuous Fermenters Lab

You’ll also meet our cannulated cow. She has been fitted with a cannula port, which gives us access to her rumen and aids in the study of the bovine digestive system.

We emphasize research and individual projects for our students even from freshman year. It’s the best way to learn.

Canine Sciences Research Program

The Canine Sciences research program is dedicated to teaching and research focused on improving the health and performance of working dogs in all disciplines.

  • Climate-controlled indoor kennels
  • Outdoor kennels
  • 1,200 square foot training yard dedicated to teaching agility, proprioception skills, olfaction skills, obedience and distraction training
  • Indoor olfaction training room (target odors introduced in a clean space)
  • Scent wheels and state-of-the-art odor containment devices
  • 8,000 square foot rubble pile to simulate disaster search scenarios with additional search scenarios including wide area and water search areas
  • Barrel field for teaching wide-area scent discrimination

Feed Mill

  • Micro-nutrient mixing
  • Ration formulation
  • High tech / industry standard

Bull Test & Beef Evaluation Center

  • Cattle working shelter
  • Scale house
  • Evaluation Station
  • Bull management and test station
School of Agricultural Sciences | College of Agricultural, Life, and Physical Sciences | 618-453-2329 |