Preface

It is very essential to understand the recent advances in the ruminant science to recognize and control diseases and disorders in these animals. These findings are also critical for en‐ hancing production and reproduction in ruminants. Openly available, *Ruminants* - *The Hus‐ bandry, Economic and Health Aspects* provides a concise introductory chapter and details about the main three aspects of ruminants' science and production. This is the first edition of the book, so it covers the introductory level of topics, which are written specifically for vet‐ erinary and animal health students and scientists.

In the introduction section, there is a detailed description about the importance of ruminants for the world economy and food security. Way forward and future concepts are also cov‐ ered under this section.

In the "Husbandry and Economics" section, the focus is given to the use of silage for climate resilient small ruminant production and similarly beef cattle production in semiarid regions. Another important area covered in this section is the twin calving production in dairy cows, which is a revolutionizing area in this science. These topics provide an excellent introduc‐ tion to husbandry and production techniques and their application to ruminants' produc‐ tion and economics. The book is self-contained, with everything needed to understand the importance of ruminants' husbandry and economics.

In the "Animal Health" section, the book provides an emerging area of concern related to ruminant's health, i.e., mycotoxins that affect severely their health, and a detailed chapter is given which covers all major aspects including control measures. An introductory and upto-date overview on the use of serum proteins for the laboratory diagnosis of animal health issues is given. It provides an excellent introduction to anyone interested in acquiring a ba‐ sic understanding of lab diagnosis based on serology.

Throughout the book, examples are drawn from the field of veterinary and dairy science, and a clear account is provided on the importance of the different areas of ruminant's health. The various concepts are clearly and concisely expressed. The writing is generally clear, realistic, and quite positive on various aspects for easy understanding.

The book coverage includes the following main areas:


Each book section comprises chapters from renowned experts from the area and gives read‐ ers a unique opportunity to explore the topic.

I would like to express my gratitude to all the contributors of this book including the au‐ thors of the accepted chapters. My special thanks go to the Publishing Process Manager, Ms. Romina Rovan, and other staff of IntechOpen publisher for their kind support and great ef‐ forts in bringing the book to completion. In addition, I am also thankful to my colleagues, friends, and family for all their support in the fulfilment of this project.

> **Dr. Muhammad Abubakar** National Veterinary Laboratory Islamabad, Pakistan

**Introduction**

**Section 1**

**Section 1**
