Preface

Animal husbandry is a complex and detailed field covering all aspects of the animal from its housing and feeding, to animal health and welfare conditions, reproductive biology and product production.

Computer programs are of great assistance, enabling the use of available resources and the feasibility and optimization of goals which, thanks to the developments of the last few decades, can now be achieved. Application of these goals is a major part of the production process in developed countries, while in developing countries it is only the case in certain production units.

Many sub-fields affect the keeping of animals and the production process, including nutrition, genetics, reproductive biology, animal welfare and well-being, as well as the production system, the behavioural characteristics of animals, and the production of greenhouse gases. Since the primary purpose of keeping animals is to provide people with adequate food, food of animal origin is closely related to people's health and nutritional status, but also to their employment and livelihoods. As a result, all disciplines related to animal husbandry and breeding are equally important for humans (and their animals).

In the age of genomic selection, the use of traditional breeding methods is still of fundamental importance. Livestock breeding uses favourable parental qualities to continuously improve the production qualities of domesticated animals. The realization of genetic potential is affected by environmental conditions (feeding, animal health conditions, management, etc.). The defining knowledge of this area is summarized in Chapter 1.

To create a properly functioning livestock economy, it is necessary to know the costs of each process as well as the final product yield. The use of software can help to optimize the input materials to achieve the expected quantity and quality of output. Chapter 2 provides an insight into the details and application of such programming.

Animal welfare and animal well-being (wellness) are both important factors in animal husbandry for all animal species. In the case of dairy cows, selection pressure aimed at increasing yield has many adverse animal health consequences. It is important to be aware of the increase in the tendency to diseases that occurs in parallel with the increase in milk yield. Chapter 3 introduces a computer database that enables the development and application of the necessary selection program, based on the knowledge of the genetic information and the animal's wellness characteristics.

The relationship between animal food and human health is presented in great detail in Chapter 4. Livestock farming affects about 600 million smallholdings in developing countries and plays a significant role in the food supply of the people living there. While these farms follow different production systems, their activities also

have significant social and employment implications. Animal products are the primary source of many nutrients (protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, but they also contain fiber) missing from the diet of people who follow a starch-based diet. This phenomenon not only means malnutrition, but also the presence of many diseases in the affected population. The relationship between animal food and human health is presented in great detail in the fourth chapter.

Although this book only covers certain issues in animal husbandry, I still trust that readers will be armed with extremely important knowledge that will equip them to

Hungarian Dairy Sheep and Goat Public Utility Association,

**Sándor Kukovics**

Várpalota, Hungary

Herceghalom, Hungary

Sheep and Goats Products' Board,

understand some aspects of this diverse science.

Although the selection is very successful in increasing milk yield in cattle, it has a dramatic negative effect on the fertility of dairy animals. This effect has been evaluated in detail in the case of the Black Holstein-Friesian, the world's most common breed of dairy cattle. The events of the 100 days after calving are decisive for improving the fertility of the herd. During this period diseases and other phenomena appearing in the slaughtered animals are identified, determining the likelihood of the next successful pregnancy. Knowledge of relevant data is particularly important in large dairy herds. The problems of animal fertility, the various test methods that can be used, and their advantages and disadvantages are evaluated in Chapter 5.

In most meat-producing countries, the wide range of animal welfare and treatment requirements, increasingly widely understood in developed countries, remains partially unknown. Stress factors, both on and off the farm, that affect product quality, are analyzed in Chapter 6, including appropriate housing, feeding and health conditions.

Even in the case of farmed animals, the social ranking of individuals is of great importance, not only for access to food (fodder) but also for reproductive opportunities: stronger animals always have an advantage. The defining details of the formation of the social ranking of Zulu rams are presented in Chapter 7.

The horse occupies a special place in the relationship between animals and humans. In addition to working horses, the importance of breeds that can serve both sports and human entertainment has increased in the last century. In addition to the "natural" walk, trot and canter, certain breeds of horses bred for this are also capable of so-called "artificial gaits", such as the fox trot, running walk and rack. Chapter 8 compares horse breeds capable of these special gaits.

In the case of all animal species, understanding the health of the microbiome flora of the digestive system, each part of which has a different microbiome composition, is of fundamental importance for maintaining the appropriate animal feed and animal health status. Chickens are particularly sensitive to any unexpected microbiome changes due to their short life span and high animal density. The details of this process are presented and evaluated in Chapter 9.

In the animal husbandry and production process, compounds may enter animals and their products that pose dangers to both animals and humans. These compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) are present in exhaust gases, cigarette smoke, waste, plant protection agents, insecticides, industrial by-products used as feed, etc., and thus also in feed, posing a danger to animal product consumers. Chapter 10 summarizes knowledge of these issues.

Although this book only covers certain issues in animal husbandry, I still trust that readers will be armed with extremely important knowledge that will equip them to understand some aspects of this diverse science.

> **Sándor Kukovics** Hungarian Dairy Sheep and Goat Public Utility Association, Herceghalom, Hungary

> > Sheep and Goats Products' Board, Várpalota, Hungary

Section 1 Breeding
