Animal Husbandry

In agriculture, animal husbandry is a special field that deals with rising of the livestock in a controlled, selective environment by providing them with the right care so that they can stay healthy and disease free.
There is a need to improve livestock production because the population of India is tremendously increasing. This means an increase in demand for eggs, milk and meat.
Animal husbandry includes the following:

    1. Cattle Farming

Cattle are used for two reasons –

•    They provide milk
•    They work as draught labour in the fields
Milch Animals: Animals that provide milk are called Milch Animals.
Draught Animals: Animals that work in the fields for irrigation, carting and tiling are called Draught Animals.

To Increase the milk production in cattle

•    Milk production can be enhanced by increasing the lactation period in the cattle.
•    Crossbreeding of foreign breeds and local breeds can provide cattle with qualities of increased lactation period and resistance to diseases.
•    Shelters of the cattle should be kept neat and clean in order to keep the cattle healthy.
•    The cattle should be kept clean and should be provided with a covered shelter that can protect them from harsh weathers.
•    The floor of the shelters to be kept a dry and clean

  1.    2.Poultry farming

Poultry farming includes different kinds of domesticated birds. Different types of poultry are:

•    Chicken
•    Duck
•    Goose
•    Pigeon
•    Turkey

It is mainly done for:

1.    getting eggs through layers
2.    getting chicken meat through broilers

Examples of Poultry birds:

•    Indigenous breeds: Aseel, Burosa
•    Foreign breeds: Leghorn, Black Minorca

Crossbreeding is a way to achieve this. Generally, foreign breeds of chicken are crossed with Indian breeds to achieve high quality. It thus has better traits such as:

•    Increase in a number of chicks.
•    They can tolerate high temperatures.
•    They do not require much maintenance
•    They can survive cheap diets
Egg and broiler production

Broiler Chicken

•    They need a diet with a high quality of Vitamins A and K, proteins and fats.
•    They need special care to maintain feathering and avoiding death.
•    Proper hygiene and temperature conditions should be provided to the broiler chicken.

 

Layers

•    They do not require such nutrient-rich diet.
•    They just need a controlled diet.
•    The layers require more space and lightning as compared to the broilers.

Disease Control methods should also be adopted against the diseases that are generally caused by bacteria, fungi and parasites in broilers and layers. Disinfectants can be sprayed regularly to avoid such diseases. Sometimes deficiency of nutrition can also need to diseases. Vaccination is a good way to protect the poultry fowl from diseases.

 

  3.Pisciculture

Fish can be obtained in two ways:

•    From Natural Resources - Capture Fishing
•    From Fish Farming - Culture Fishing
Marine Fisheries

•    Marine fishes are caught using fishnets and mechanical capturing techniques.
•    The main source of marine fishes is marine water or salt water.
•    Generally, large numbers of fishes can be captured at a time through mariculture.

Inland Fisheries

•    Fishes found in lakes, ponds, lagoons and rivers are captured.
•    The main source of Inland fisheries is freshwater and brackish water.
•    The yield is not as high in these sources hence large numbers of fishes are captured through aquaculture.

•    For Example, silver carp, common carp

Composite fish culture

•    In a composite fish culture, fishes are grown along with rice crop in the paddy fields.
•    In this method, a combination of 5 - 6 local as well as foreign fishes is grown in a single pond.
•    Such species are selected because they have different food habits and would not compete for the food with each other.
•    Some of them are surface feeders; some are middle zone feeders while others are bottom feeders.
•    They would rather eat all the food in the pond.
•    As a result, the fish yield in the pond increases

For Example, Catlas (surface feeders), Rohu (middle feeders), Mrigal (bottom feeders), Common Carps (bottom feeders), Grass Craps (aquatic weed eaters) are often grown together in composite fish culture. 

    4.Apiculture

Bee farming is performed in bee farms or apiaries. Many farmers perform beekeeping as a means of generating additional income because:

•    Honey is a widely used product
•    Bee farming is not very expensive
•    They also generate wax along with honey
Bees used for commercial and honey production

•    Apis Cerana Indica - Indian bee
•    A. Dorsata - The rock bee
•    A. Florae - The little bee
•    A. Mellifera – Italian variety of bee

Why Italian bees are popular in Bee farming?

•    They produce large amounts of honey.
•    They do not sting much.
•    The breeding period in Italian bees is long.

Factors that determine the quality of honey

•    Along with the choice of selection of the bee species, the flowers decide the quality, quantity and taste of the honey produced.
•    There should also be enough pasturage or availability of flowers to the bees so that they can collect enough nectar and pollen.