(N/A) Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock. It is a vital skill for farmers and is as much science as it is art.
Animal husbandry deals with the care and breeding of livestock like buffaloes,cows,pigs,horses,cattle,sheep,camels,and goats that are useful to humans.
It also includes poultry farming and fisheries. Fisheries include the rearing,catching,and selling of fish,molluscs (shell-fish),and crustaceans (prawns,crabs,etc.).
Since time immemorial,animals like bees,silkworms,prawns,crabs,fishes,birds,pigs,cattle,sheep,and camels have been used by humans for products like milk,eggs,meat,wool,silk,and honey.
It is estimated that more than $70$ percent of the world's livestock population is in India and China. However,the contribution to the world's farm produce is only $25$ percent,indicating that the productivity per unit is very low.
In addition to conventional practices of animal breeding and care,newer technologies must be applied to achieve improvements in quality and productivity.
- Animal husbandry has been a part of human civilization's development from the beginning.
- It remains a necessary element for producing food for humankind.
- $A$ professional approach to traditional farm management practices provides a much-needed boost to food production.