ANIMAL HUSBANDRY The agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock is called animal husbandry.

It deals with care and breeding of livestocks like cattles, buffaloes, sheep, pigs, horse, camel and goats etc. it also include poultry and fishery. Fishery includes: 1. Reaching, catching and selling of fishes. 2. Rearing and selling of shell fishes, prawn and crabs. Management of farms and farm animals: About 70% of livestock of the world is present in India and China while their contribution to world is only around 25%. This is due to poor farm practices and use of typical conventional methods. So, a proffessional approach is required for increasing the productivity. It includes Dairy farm management and poultry farm management. Dairy Farm Management The management of animals for milk and its products for human consumption is called dairy farm management. It deals with the processes and system to increase the producitivity and quality of milk. A good milk yielding variety is one which is healthy, having high yield and resistance to diseases. Characteristics of a good farm: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Well ventilated and aerated. Animals should be well spaced and maintained Proper nutirition and fiber rich diet Scientific approach to nutrition Proper sewage and excreta management Regular medical checkups and vaccinations by vets Clean and hygienic

Poultry Farm Management The domesticated fowl (bird) used for food or for their eggs. For example chicken, duck, turkey and geese are used in it. The important parameters of poultry farm management are: 1. 2. 3. 4. Selection of disease free, suitable breed. Proper and safe condition of farms. Proper food and water. Hygiene and health care of the birds.

ANIMAL BREEDING A breed refers to a group of animals related by descent and similar in most characters like general appearance, features, size and configuration. When breeding is done between the animals of same breed it is referred to Inbreeding. Similarly when the breeding is done between different breeds it is called outbreeding.

INBREEDING It refers to mating between closely related individuals within the same breed for 4-6 generations. Strategy for breeding: 1. Superior males and superior females of the same breed are selected for mating to obtain the progeny. 2. Among the progeny, superior males and females are again identified for mating to obtain a further good variety. 3. Due to inbreeding, it increases homozygousity. It is necessary to obtain a pure line in an animal. But it increases the chances of appearing of recessive genes. 4. It facilitates the accumulation of superior genes and elimination of less desirable genes 5. Sometimes close inbreeding reduce fertility and even productivity which is referred to INBREEDING DEPRESSION. OUTBREEDING It refers to breeding of unrelated animals either of same breeds but do not have a common ancestor or of between different breeds (cross breeding) or even different species ( inter specific hybridization) OUTCROSSING It is the practice of mating animals of same breed that have no common ancestors on either side of their pedigree up to 4-6 generation. The off springs are called outcross. It is applied in case of animals that are below average in milk production and growth rate, so a single out cross overcome inbreeding depression. CROSS BREEDING It refers to cross of superior males of one breed with superior females of another breed. It helps to accumulate the desirable genes of two breeds into a progeny, the progeny may be used for commercial production. Like Hisardale is a suitable example of cross breed between Bikaneri ewes and Marino rams breed of sheep.

INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDISATION It refers to crossing between male and female animals of two different species. The progeny may be the combination of both parents of considerable economic value. A mule is a suitable example obtained by crossing between a male donkey and female horse. CONTROLLED BREEDING EXPERIMENTS/ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION It is practiced by collecting semen from superior male, serves as male parent and injected into reproductive tract of selected female parent by the breeder. Advantage of artificial insemination 1. The semen is collected from the superior male, which serves as male parent and injected into the reproductive tract of superior female. 2. The semen can be transported more comfortably.