Difference between revisions of "Animal husbandry" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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==History==
 
==History==
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Early agriculturists used animals extensively for labor, food, and raw material, but also realized, without the help of our modern understanding of genetics, that specific breeding practices could potentially yeild more beneficial traits in animal offsprings. Their methods were based solely on observable traits, so that animals with observably beneficial traits were bred, so that to produce offspring with combined traits.<ref> (2005) World of Genetics [[http://www.bookrags.com/research/animal-husbandry-wog/"Animal Husbandry"]] Retrieved September 17, 2007 </ref> While this method was sophisticated for many centuries, it produced as many undesirable traits as it did desirable ones.
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In the 20th century, with the advent of genetic science, the manipulation of animal genes with the desired result of more advantegous offspring became more succesful. At [[Iowa]] State University, Professor [[Jay L. Rush]] is considered to be the modern father of scientifically based animal husbandry.
  
 
==Education==
 
==Education==

Revision as of 14:47, 17 September 2007


Shepherd with his sheep in Făgăraş Mountains, Romania.
A man herding goats in Tunisia.

Animal husbandry, also known as animal science, is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock. An outgrowth of agricultural practices and techniques of farmers for centuries, the commercialization of agriculture and the advances of veterianary science during the 20th century helped to establish a recognized scientific discipline that is taught in many universities and colleges and used all over the world.

History

Early agriculturists used animals extensively for labor, food, and raw material, but also realized, without the help of our modern understanding of genetics, that specific breeding practices could potentially yeild more beneficial traits in animal offsprings. Their methods were based solely on observable traits, so that animals with observably beneficial traits were bred, so that to produce offspring with combined traits.[1] While this method was sophisticated for many centuries, it produced as many undesirable traits as it did desirable ones.

In the 20th century, with the advent of genetic science, the manipulation of animal genes with the desired result of more advantegous offspring became more succesful. At Iowa State University, Professor Jay L. Rush is considered to be the modern father of scientifically based animal husbandry.

Education

Students of animal science may pursue degrees in veterinary medicine following graduation, or go on to pursue master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and breeding, or reproductive physiology. Graduates of these programs may be found working in the veterinary and human pharmaceutical industries, the livestock and pet supply and feed industries, or in academia.

Historically, certain sub-professions within the field of animal husbandry are specifically named according to the animals that are cared for.

Different types of animal husbandry

Reindeer being milked by Sami people.
American Cowboy circa 1887.

A swineherd is a person who cares for hogs and pigs (older English term: swine). A shepherd is a person who cares for sheep. A goatherd cares for goats. A cowherd cares for cattle. In previous years, it was common to have herds which were made up of sheep and goats. In this case, the person tending them was called a shepherd. Camels are also cared for in herds. In Tibet yaks are herded. In Latin America, llamas and alpacas are herded.

In more modern times, the cowboys or vaqueros of North and South America ride horses and participate in cattle drives to watch over cows and bulls raised primarily for food. In Australia many herds are managed by farmers on motorbikes and in helicopters. Today, herd managers often oversee thousands of animals and many staff. Farms and ranches may employ breeders, herd health specialists, feeders, and milkers to help care for the animals. Techniques such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer are frequently used, not only as methods to guarantee that females are bred, but to help improve herd genetics. This may be done by transplanting embryos from stud-quality females, into flock-quality surrogate mothers - freeing up the stud-quality mother to be reimpregnated. This practice vastly increases the number of offspring which may be produced by a small selection of stud-quality parent animals. This in turn improves the ability of the animals to convert feed to meat, milk, or fiber more efficiently and improve the quality of the final product.

Ethical aspects of animal husbandry

Ethical husbandry. A wounded Norwegian reindeer is moved on a snowmobile sled. Courtesy altapulken.no.

There are contrasting views on the ethical aspects of breeding animals in captivity, with one debate being in relation to the merits of allowing animals to live in natural conditions reasonably close to those of their wild ancestors, compared to the view that considers natural pressures and stresses upon wild animals from disease, predation, and the like as vindication for captive breeding.

Some techniques of animal husbandry such as factory farming, tail docking, the Geier Hitch and castration, have been attacked by animal welfare groups such as Compassion In World Farming. Some of these practices also are criticized by farmers who use more traditional or organic practices. Genetic engineering is also controversial though it does not necessarily involve suffering. People who believe in animal rights generally oppose all forms of animal husbandry.

Some domesticated species of animals, such as the vechur cow, are rare breeds and are endangered. They are the subject of conservation efforts.

Domestication

File:Shepherd&Dog.jpg
Dogs and sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated.

Domestication refers to the process of taming a population of animals (although it can also be used to refer to plants) or even a species as a whole. Humans have brought these populations under their care for a wide range of reasons: to produce food or valuable commodities (such as wool, cotton, or silk), for help with various types of work, transportation and to enjoy as pets or ornamental plants. Animals domesticated for home companionship are usually called pets while those domesticated for food or work are called livestock or farm animals.

Domestication of animals

According to evolutionary biologist Jared Diamond, animal species must meet six criteria in order to be considered for domestication:

  1. Flexible diet — Creatures that are willing to consume a wide variety of food sources and can live off less cumulative food from the food pyramid (such as corn or wheat) are less expensive to keep in captivity. Most carnivores can only be fed meat, which requires the expenditure of many herbivores.
  2. Reasonably fast growth rate — Fast maturity rate compared to the human life span allows breeding intervention and makes the animal useful within an acceptable duration of caretaking. Large animals such as elephants require many years before they reach a useful size.
  3. Ability to be bred in captivity — Creatures that are reluctant to breed when kept in captivity do not produce useful offspring, and instead are limited to capture in their wild state. Creatures such as the panda and cheetah are difficult to breed in captivity.
  4. Pleasant disposition — Large creatures that are aggressive toward humans are dangerous to keep in captivity. The African buffalo has an unpredictable nature and is highly dangerous to humans. Although similar to domesticated pigs in many ways, American peccaries and Africa's warthogs and bushpigs are also dangerous in captivity.
  5. Temperament which makes it unlikely to panic — A creature with a nervous disposition is difficult to keep in captivity as they will attempt to flee whenever they are startled. The gazelle is very flighty and it has a powerful leap that allows it to escape an enclosed pen.
  6. Modifiable social hierarchy — Social creatures that recognize a hierarchy of dominance can be raised to recognize a human as its pack leader. Bighorn sheep cannot be herded because they lack a dominance hierarchy, whilst antelopes and giant forest hogs are territorial when breeding and cannot be maintained in crowded enclosures in captivity.

A herding instinct arguably aids in domesticating animals: tame one and others will follow, regardless of chiefdom.


Limits of domestication

Despite long enthusiasm about revolutionary progress in farming, few crops and probably even fewer animals ever became domesticated.

Domesticated species, when bred for tractability, companionship or ornamentation rather than for survival, can often fall prey to disease: several sub-species of apples or cattle, for example, face extinction; and many dogs with very respectable pedigrees appear prone to genetic problems.

One side effect of domestication has been disease. For example, cattle have given humanity various viral poxes, measles, and tuberculosis; pigs gave influenza; and horses the rhinoviruses. Humans share over sixty diseases with dogs. Many parasites also have their origins in domestic animals.

Hereford cattle, domesticated for beef production

Notes

  1. (2005) World of Genetics ["Animal Husbandry"] Retrieved September 17, 2007


References
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External links



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