“Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture where animals are reared, bred and raised for meat, fiber, eggs, milk and other food products.”
What is Animal Husbandry?
Animal husbandry refers to livestock raising and selective breeding. It is the management and care of animals in which the genetic qualities and behavior of animals are further developed for profit. A large number of farmers depend upon animal husbandry for their livelihood.
Animals provide us with a variety of food products which have high nutritional values. Therefore, they require a lot of care and attention.
Animals are bred commercially in order to meet the high demand for food. Dairy products from animals like cows, buffaloes, goats, are rich sources of protein. These animals are called milch animals as they provide us with milk.
Another set of animals that provide nutrient-rich food are hen, ducks, goose, etc. They provide us with eggs, which again are rich sources of protein.
Animals like chicken, duck, ox, goat, pigs, etc. are bred for meat. Other than these domestic animals we have other sources of nutrients as well, they are marine animals. The seafood we eat has very high nutrient values. They are sources of a variety of nutrients like fat, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
The care, breeding, management, etc of animals are particularly monitored under the department of animal husbandry. Animal husbandry is a large scale business. The animals are bred, cared, reared and sheltered in a farm or region, which are specially built for them. Animal husbandry involves poultry, milk-farms, apiculture (bee agriculture), aquaculture, etc.
Types of Animal Husbandry
There are four major types of animal husbandry practised in the world today:
Dairy Farming
Dairy farming is the agricultural technique concerned with the long term production of milk, which is then processed to obtain dairy products such as curd, cheese, yoghurt, butter, cream, etc. It involves the management of dairy animals such as cows, buffaloes, sheep, goat, etc.
The animals are taken care of against diseases and are inspected regularly by veterinary doctors. A healthy animal is physically, mentally and socially sound.
These animals are milked by hand or by machines. The milk is preserved and converted into dairy products industrially, which are then used for commercial purposes.
Poultry Farming
Poultry farming is concerned with raising and breeding of birds for commercial purposes. Birds like ducks, chickens, geese, pigeons, turkeys, etc. are domesticated for eggs and meat.
It is very important to take care of the animals and maintain them in a disease-free environment to obtain healthy food from them. The eggs and meat are a rich source of protein.
Sanitation and hygienic conditions need to be maintained. The faeces of birds are used as manure to improve soil fertility. Poultry farming provides employment to a large number of people and helps in improving the economy of the farmers.
Poultry Farming
“Poultry farming mainly refers to growing and protecting various types of domestic birds commercially.”
What Is Poultry Farming?
In poultry farming, rearing and management of fowls are done for two purposes-
- Production of the eggs.
- Production of meat or flesh.
In order to meet the quantity and quality requirements, a variety of strains (breeds) are raised. These improved strains include layers which produce eggs and broilers that provide meat.
Leghorn and Aseel breeds
Since poultry farming is a profit-making business, its primary focus is on maximum production with less expenditure. For this reason, cross-breeding of local and foreign breeds was started. Cross-breeding aims for raising breeds with desirable traits.
For example, Indian Aseel/Asil and foreign Leghorn breeds were bred to raise variety of breeds.
Crossbreeding in poultry farming helped to meet the commercial purpose and management easily. They focused on:
- Quantity and quality of chicks
- Dwarf broiler parents for more chick production
- Adaptation/tolerance to high temperature
- Low maintenance and minimum feeding requirements
Farm Management
Poultry farming involves both egg layers and broilers. The housing, feeding and growing conditions for broilers and egg layers are different. For high yield, good management practices are required.
Shelter
Poultry birds are needed to be maintained in a strictly hygienic manner with proper housing. A good and clean environment with proper ventilation should be provided. The farm should be disease and pest free. Layers require regular temperature.
Food
Poultry farming involves both egg layers and broilers. Both these groups have different food requirements according to their farming purposes.
Since broilers are raised for meat, they are fed with protein and fat-rich food. Vitamin supplements help them for a good growth rate. They are regularly checked and good care is taken to avoid death and other infectious diseases. The egg layer’s rations are rich in vitamins A and K which help in more egg production.
Disease Management
For successful poultry farming, a disease-free condition is important. Fowls are vulnerable to numerous diseases. The cause of the disease may be from different modes of infections from viruses, bacteria, fungus, and other agents, or even food deficiency or nutritional deficiency. Hence, regular and proper cleaning, sanitation and spraying of pesticides and disinfectants should be performed to keep the surroundings clean, tidy and also free from all microbes. Along with this, all domestic birds are vaccinated to control the disease and to increase in backyard birds. Vaccination is commonly used a biological preparation that helps in preventing the chance of occurrence and spreading of infections.
Fish Farming
Fish farming is the process of raising fish in closed tanks or ponds for commercial purposes. There is an increasing demand for fish and fish protein. Fish species such as salmon, catfish, cod, and tilapia are raised in fish farms.
Fish farming or pisciculture is of two types:
- Extensive aquaculture, based on the local photosynthetic production
- Intensive aquaculture, based on the external food supply given to fishes.
Bee Farming
Bee farming or apiculture is the practice of maintaining bee colonies by humans in man-made hives. Honey bees are reared on a large scale. The bees are domesticated for honey, wax, and to pollinate flowers. They are also used by other beekeepers for the same purposes. The place where bees are kept is known as an apiary or a bee yard.
Role of Animal Husbandry in Human Welfare
Animal husbandry is beneficial to human beings in the following ways:
Dairy Products
Animals such as cows, goats, sheep, etc. are the major source of milk and milk products such as yoghurt, cheese, butter, etc.
Meat
Animals such as cows, buffaloes, pigs, and goats are reared for their meat. Their meat is a rich source of dietary protein.
Land Management
The livestock is sometimes grazed to control the growth of weeds on agricultural land. The dry shrubs in the areas that are prone to wildfire are eaten by goat and sheep, which reduces the risk of fire.
Fibre
Animals also produce fibres or textiles such as wool and leather. For eg, sheep are reared for wool whereas leather can be obtained from camel.
Manure
The excreta, blood and bones of animals are used as manure. The manure is spread on the fields to increase the crop yields and crop production. It is also used as fuel for fires and as plaster for walls and floor.
Labour
Animals are a source of non-human labour. They are used for ploughing fields, transporting goods and military functions. For ag., horses, yaks and donkeys are used for such purposes.
Advantages of Animal Husbandry
Animal husbandry has the following advantages:
- Animal husbandry helps in the proper management of animals by providing proper food, shelter and protection against diseases to domestic animals.
- It provides employment to a large number of farmer and thereby increases their living standards.
- It helps in developing high yielding breeds of animals by cross breeding. This increases the production of various food products such as milk, eggs, meat, etc.
- It involves the proper disposal of animal waste and promotes a healthy environment.
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