Animal Husbandary

Animal husbandry is the agricultural branch that deals with animals that are produced for meat, fibre, milk, eggs, or other items. It entails day-to-day care, selective breeding, and livestock husbandry. Animal husbandry has a lengthy history, extending back to the Neolithic Revolution, when animals were first domesticated circa 13,000 BC, predating the first crop farming. Cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs were being produced on farms by the time of early civilisations like ancient Egypt. Major changes occurred during the Columbian Exchange, when Old World livestock was brought to the New World, and then during the British Agricultural Revolution of the 18th century, when livestock breeds such as Dishley Longhorn cattle and Lincoln Longwool sheep were rapidly improved by crossbreeding. A wide range of other species such as horse, water buffalo, llama, rabbit and guinea pig are used as livestock in some parts of the world. Insect farming, as well as aquaculture of fish, molluscs, and crustaceans, is widespread. Modern animal husbandry relies on production systems adapted to the type of land available

System:

Traditionally, animal husbandry was part of the subsistence farmer's way of life, producing not only the food needed by the family but also the fuel, fertiliser, clothing, transport and draught power. Killing the animal for food was a secondary consideration, and wherever possible its products, such as wool, eggs, milk and blood were harvested while the animal was still alive.

Feeding:

Animals used as livestock are predominantly herbivorous, the main exceptions being the pig and the chicken which are omnivorous. The herbivores can be divided into "concentrate selectors" which selectively feed on seeds, fruits and highly nutritious young foliage, "grazers" which mainly feed on grass, and "intermediate feeders" which choose their diet from the whole range of available plant material. Cattle, sheep, goats, deer and antelopes are ruminants; they digest food in two steps, chewing and swallowing in the normal way, and then regurgitating the semidigested cud to chew it again and thus extract the maximum possible food value.

Animal Health:

Good husbandry, proper feeding, and hygiene are the main contributors to animal health on the farm, bringing economic benefits through maximised production. When, despite these precautions, animals still become sick, they are treated with veterinary medicines, by the farmer and the veterinarian. In the European Union, when farmers treat their own animals, they are required to follow the guidelines for treatment and to record the treatments given. Animals are susceptible to a number of diseases and conditions that may affect their health.

Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery is an open peer review research invites submissions.
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Best Regards,
John George
J Vet Med Surg.