INTRODUCTION
Animal Science: A branch of agricultural science which deals with breeding,
feeding, care-management of animals and processing, marketing, distribution of
their products and by-products.
Animal Husbandry: It is a branch of animal science. Animal Husbandry talks about
those domesticated animals and birds, which are reared mostly for economic or for
recreation purposes. Husbandry practice includes proper feeding, breeding, housing,
health-care and many other activities.
Livestock: Domesticated farm animals or birds which are reared mostly for
economic or for recreation purposes. Such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, camel, pig,
horse, dog, poultry etc.
Poultry: Poultry means a group of domesticated birds having economic importance
and which reproduce freely under care and management of man. The term applies
to chicken, duck, pigeon, quail, geese, turkey, ostrich bird etc.
The density of livestock population per acre of cultivable land is 7.37
Importance
1. Food: Human body needs protein for its structural component. Source of protein
may be plant and animal. Plant protein is incomplete due to deficiency of
essential amino acids. But animal protein is complete. Animal and poultry are
great source of protein. Meat, milk, egg are very nutritious food for all ages of
peoples and contain all essential nutrients that we need for growth,
maintenance, lactation and reproduction. They are also a rich source of
vitamins & minerals.
2. Draft Power: ploughing, crop thrashing, transportation etc.
3. Manure: cow dung, poultry droppings, compost and bone meal, feed of fish.
4. Fuel: dry cow dung and biogas.
5. Clothing: wool, leather jacket, shoes etc.
6. Income generation: household, small and large farming.
7. Source of foreign currency: hide and skin, zoo animal etc.
8. Socio-cultural purposes: entertainment, festival, dowry, economic security etc.
9. Security: watching, guide etc. especially dog.
10. Ecological balance: weed and insects naturally control by livestock and poultry.
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Scopes of livestock & poultry production:
1. Livestock and poultry farming: Dairy and beef farming, Pig farming, Goat
and Sheep farming, Buffalo farming, layer and broiler farming, duck farming,
pigeon and quail farming, poultry hatchery etc.
2. Development of related industries: such as - feed industry, chicken and egg
processing industry, dairy and poultry equipment industry, veterinary medicine
industry etc.
3. Processing activities: slaughtering, meat and milk processing, egg processing,
shearing, wool and hair processing, tanning of hide and skin.
4. Industrial uses: animal glands (pharmaceuticals industry), animal fats (soap and
glue industry), bone (fertilizer industry) and egg (shampoo).
5. Income generation: Poultry farm provides a continuous source of income.
6. Market demand: Huge market demand of meat, milk and eggs in our country.
7. Use of wastage: We can utilize roughage and unused grains, pulses and their
byproducts as animal feeds.
8. Use in research work: Animal and poultry are used as an experimental animal
before applying drug and medicine in human body.
9. Job market: It creates jobs and employment opportunity in labor market.