Animal Husbandry
Animal Husbandry pertains to breeding, feeding, and management of animals, or livestock, for the production of food, fiber, work, and pleasure. Modern methods concentrate on one type of animal in large, efficient farming units that generate animal products at the highest rate of return for investment. Intensive husbandry conditions include large numbers of animals in small lots, enriched feed, growth stimulation by various means, and vaccination against disease. Most of the world’s domestic animals, however, are raised in small units under less efficient conditions and at lower rates of return. Animals furnish more than one-fourth of the world’s total value of agricultural products. They supply a much higher proportion of human food in the developed countries than elsewhere. In the United States, animal products account for more than one-half of the total agricultural income. Traditional husbandry practices are closely associated with the degree of control needed over the animals that ...