**1. Introduction**

Farm animals constitute valuable bio-resources that support man's social and nutritional security through provision of quality food resources, specifically in the form of meat, milk, egg, and other food-based by-products, and as well economic development of human society through management and processing of the animals into products and by-products for income generation by individuals and organisations. In this wise, the livestock sector makes valuable contributions to national gross domestic products (GDP) of countries around the world. It contributes about 40% of the global value of agricultural outputs, supports the livelihood and food security of almost 1.3 billion people, and offer opportunities for agricultural development, poverty reduction and food security globally [1]. Animal-based

foods provide a variety of micronutrients that are essentially deficient in plantbased foods [2]. While crop-based foods are deficient in vitamin A, vitamin B-12, riboflavin, calcium, iron and zinc, animal-based foods are particularly rich in these nutrients thereby serving as food resource with which multiple nutrient deficiencies and nutrition challenges that arise from heavy consumption of crop-based foods can be readily addressed [3]. The effects of such animal-based food include good growth, better weight gain and healthy condition, particularly in children [4–6].

In addition to the nutritional values of farm animals is the stock's contribution to economic development around the world. The animals not only serve as means of employment to the farmers but also serve as means of income generation through direct sales of live animals and products such as meat, milk, eggs, wool and hides. Among all other animal products, sales of milk and eggs are essentially a means of continuous cash flow by which farm families move from subsistence to cash-based economies [7] and as well meet other essentialities of life. Similarly, animal husbandry stimulates the development of animal-based food industries through provision of animals and animal products as production resources for processing and conversion into other by-products or animal-source foods. The animal-based food industries not only become a source of income generation owner of the industry, through the distribution and marketing of the produced animal-source foods, but also become a job-creating avenue in the context of production, administration, financial management, marketing and distribution along the production chain to guarantee employment opportunity for individuals seeking to work. The economic values of the livestock sector are however not only limited to the immediate environment (local areas) of production but also have much impact on regional, national and international economies. For instance, the livestock industries contribute a lot to the United States of America's (USA) national economy by providing about 1,851,000 jobs, contributing \$346 billion as total economic outputs, \$60 billion as household income, \$15 billion as income from paid taxes, and \$6 billion from property taxes [8]. In the region of South Dakota, where livestock is dominantly managed in the Unites States, the livestock sector provides as much as 29,020 jobs, contributing \$7.3 billion in total economic outputs, \$1.1 billion in household income, \$235 million in income taxes paid, and \$149 million in property taxes paid [8].

In Europe. The livestock sector contributes almost 125 billion Euros per year and accounts for 40% of total agricultural production in the area [9]. Also, the contribution of animal production to the gross indigenous production in the region of Europe is about twice as high as the whole agribusiness sector in the area. In the developing countries, livestock contributes about one-third of the total agricultural outputs [10] and 10–45% of GDP in the region. In Ethiopia, the sector contributes an estimate of 19% of the country's total GDP, 45% of the agricultural GDP, and about 20% of the country's export earnings [11]. Based on the social and economic values of livestock a great deal of efforts in terms of research and management has been jeered toward improved and sustainable livestock production around the world.

#### **2. Livestock development to improve productivity**

In an attempt to sustain the social and economic values of the farm animals for nutrition and economic benefits of man, research has brought about a great deal of improvement in the livestock sector both in terms of production and management on a global scale. With the USA and Japan's support for livestock development, livestock production technology has developed rapidly worldwide [9]. The development strategies are generally in the form of breeding/cross-breeding, quality feed development,

**27**

marketing price.

*Farm Animals' Health Behaviours: An Essential Communicative Signal for Farmers' Veterinary…*

improved healthcare services, animal husbandry, and marketing system. Also is the development of new or automated technologies to aid the management and wellbeing of the animals [9]. Impacts of research in breeding include the development of quality breeds of animals with the potential for improved productivity, quick maturing, prolific litter production and resistance or adaptability to changing the environment. In this regard is the emergence of breeds of farm animals with specific production potentials in terms of meat, milk, and eggs. For instance, poultry birds such as broiler—a fast-growing chicken, is specifically developed for meat production while layers are developed for egg production. Pigs are largely developed for pork or beacon (meat) production and given the prolific litters produced at a birth, the animal has been a good source of meat for nutritional security of human society. Alongside the monogastric farm animals is the ruminant comprising sheep, goats, and cattle. Cattle breeds such as Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Friesian, etc. are prolific in milk production while the likes of Simmental, Angus, Charolais, Hereford, are good meat (beef) producing breeds. In the same vein are breeds of sheep, such as Dorper, Hampshire, Dorset, Suffolk; and goats—Boer, Spanish, Range Land, Kalhari, etc. with good meat (mutton and chevon, respectively) production. Although milk production is largely from dairy cattle, breeds of sheep—East Friesian, Lacaune, Finnish Landrace Polypay; and goats—Alpines, LaMancha, Saanens, Nubian, and Nigerian Dwarf, etc. are good milk-producing small ruminants [12, 13]. In the same vein are breeds of sheep such as Merino, Leicester Long-wool, Lincoln; developed for wool production alongside the likes of Barbados, Jacob; developed to produce hair for industrial fabric production. The developed prolific breeds of sheep for large litters of birth include Finnsheep, Romanov, and Booroola Merino, etc. [12, 13] thereby providing the sheep keepers the opportunity for quick increase of their flock population within a short time. In the same vein, pig prolificacy brings about 12–14 piglets per litter thereby making the animal the most prolific stock for production by intending livestock farmers. To support the productivity of the developed farm animals is the development of quality feeds that could adequately supply the animals' energy requirement for production and maintenance. Although feed types of the various farm animals differ, the common denominator of them all is the nutritional contents of the feed, characterised by the presence of adequate crude protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins; that may be available to the animals from the given feeds. In light of this are the development of different feed formulae and automated feed processing technologies for the production of feeds that are adequately rich in nutritional contents. In addition is production of concentrates and other feed additives to enhance feed intake and nutrition of the animals for improve productivity [10] An optimal nutritional program ensures adequate intakes of amino acids (both essential and nonessential), carbohydrates, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins by animals such that the nutrition contents readily supplement deficiencies in basal diets of the animals for enhanced consumption and conversion [14]. In addition to supporting productivity of farm animals quality feed is of significant value to healthy leaving of the animals as this readily enhance key metabolic functions of the animals to improve fertility and reproductive efficiency, immune function and animals' response to vaccinations, neonatal survival, and growth, feed utilisation efficiency, and meat quality [15]. In line with this is the development of health technologies and human capacities for the detection and effective management of farm animals. Deployment of automated technologies in farm animal management has widely been used, not only to monitor feeding behaviour and intake of animals but for detection ill health in the stock [9]. Consequently, well-fed and healthy animals result in good economic returns for the farmers in terms of profitable production arising from fewer expenses on animal medication, improved productivity and good

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89738*

#### *Farm Animals' Health Behaviours: An Essential Communicative Signal for Farmers' Veterinary… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89738*

improved healthcare services, animal husbandry, and marketing system. Also is the development of new or automated technologies to aid the management and wellbeing of the animals [9]. Impacts of research in breeding include the development of quality breeds of animals with the potential for improved productivity, quick maturing, prolific litter production and resistance or adaptability to changing the environment. In this regard is the emergence of breeds of farm animals with specific production potentials in terms of meat, milk, and eggs. For instance, poultry birds such as broiler—a fast-growing chicken, is specifically developed for meat production while layers are developed for egg production. Pigs are largely developed for pork or beacon (meat) production and given the prolific litters produced at a birth, the animal has been a good source of meat for nutritional security of human society. Alongside the monogastric farm animals is the ruminant comprising sheep, goats, and cattle.

Cattle breeds such as Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Friesian, etc. are prolific in milk production while the likes of Simmental, Angus, Charolais, Hereford, are good meat (beef) producing breeds. In the same vein are breeds of sheep, such as Dorper, Hampshire, Dorset, Suffolk; and goats—Boer, Spanish, Range Land, Kalhari, etc. with good meat (mutton and chevon, respectively) production. Although milk production is largely from dairy cattle, breeds of sheep—East Friesian, Lacaune, Finnish Landrace Polypay; and goats—Alpines, LaMancha, Saanens, Nubian, and Nigerian Dwarf, etc. are good milk-producing small ruminants [12, 13]. In the same vein are breeds of sheep such as Merino, Leicester Long-wool, Lincoln; developed for wool production alongside the likes of Barbados, Jacob; developed to produce hair for industrial fabric production. The developed prolific breeds of sheep for large litters of birth include Finnsheep, Romanov, and Booroola Merino, etc. [12, 13] thereby providing the sheep keepers the opportunity for quick increase of their flock population within a short time. In the same vein, pig prolificacy brings about 12–14 piglets per litter thereby making the animal the most prolific stock for production by intending livestock farmers.

To support the productivity of the developed farm animals is the development of quality feeds that could adequately supply the animals' energy requirement for production and maintenance. Although feed types of the various farm animals differ, the common denominator of them all is the nutritional contents of the feed, characterised by the presence of adequate crude protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins; that may be available to the animals from the given feeds. In light of this are the development of different feed formulae and automated feed processing technologies for the production of feeds that are adequately rich in nutritional contents. In addition is production of concentrates and other feed additives to enhance feed intake and nutrition of the animals for improve productivity [10] An optimal nutritional program ensures adequate intakes of amino acids (both essential and nonessential), carbohydrates, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins by animals such that the nutrition contents readily supplement deficiencies in basal diets of the animals for enhanced consumption and conversion [14]. In addition to supporting productivity of farm animals quality feed is of significant value to healthy leaving of the animals as this readily enhance key metabolic functions of the animals to improve fertility and reproductive efficiency, immune function and animals' response to vaccinations, neonatal survival, and growth, feed utilisation efficiency, and meat quality [15]. In line with this is the development of health technologies and human capacities for the detection and effective management of farm animals. Deployment of automated technologies in farm animal management has widely been used, not only to monitor feeding behaviour and intake of animals but for detection ill health in the stock [9]. Consequently, well-fed and healthy animals result in good economic returns for the farmers in terms of profitable production arising from fewer expenses on animal medication, improved productivity and good marketing price.

*Livestock Health and Farming*

\$149 million in property taxes paid [8].

foods provide a variety of micronutrients that are essentially deficient in plantbased foods [2]. While crop-based foods are deficient in vitamin A, vitamin B-12, riboflavin, calcium, iron and zinc, animal-based foods are particularly rich in these nutrients thereby serving as food resource with which multiple nutrient deficiencies and nutrition challenges that arise from heavy consumption of crop-based foods can be readily addressed [3]. The effects of such animal-based food include good growth, better weight gain and healthy condition, particularly in children [4–6]. In addition to the nutritional values of farm animals is the stock's contribution to economic development around the world. The animals not only serve as means of employment to the farmers but also serve as means of income generation through direct sales of live animals and products such as meat, milk, eggs, wool and hides. Among all other animal products, sales of milk and eggs are essentially a means of continuous cash flow by which farm families move from subsistence to cash-based economies [7] and as well meet other essentialities of life. Similarly, animal husbandry stimulates the development of animal-based food industries through provision of animals and animal products as production resources for processing and conversion into other by-products or animal-source foods. The animal-based food industries not only become a source of income generation owner of the industry, through the distribution and marketing of the produced animal-source foods, but also become a job-creating avenue in the context of production, administration, financial management, marketing and distribution along the production chain to guarantee employment opportunity for individuals seeking to work. The economic values of the livestock sector are however not only limited to the immediate environment (local areas) of production but also have much impact on regional, national and international economies. For instance, the livestock industries contribute a lot to the United States of America's (USA) national economy by providing about 1,851,000 jobs, contributing \$346 billion as total economic outputs, \$60 billion as household income, \$15 billion as income from paid taxes, and \$6 billion from property taxes [8]. In the region of South Dakota, where livestock is dominantly managed in the Unites States, the livestock sector provides as much as 29,020 jobs, contributing \$7.3 billion in total economic outputs, \$1.1 billion in household income, \$235 million in income taxes paid, and

In Europe. The livestock sector contributes almost 125 billion Euros per year and accounts for 40% of total agricultural production in the area [9]. Also, the contribution of animal production to the gross indigenous production in the region of Europe is about twice as high as the whole agribusiness sector in the area. In the developing countries, livestock contributes about one-third of the total agricultural outputs [10] and 10–45% of GDP in the region. In Ethiopia, the sector contributes an estimate of 19% of the country's total GDP, 45% of the agricultural GDP, and about 20% of the country's export earnings [11]. Based on the social and economic values of livestock a great deal of efforts in terms of research and management has been jeered toward

In an attempt to sustain the social and economic values of the farm animals for nutrition and economic benefits of man, research has brought about a great deal of improvement in the livestock sector both in terms of production and management on a global scale. With the USA and Japan's support for livestock development, livestock production technology has developed rapidly worldwide [9]. The development strategies are generally in the form of breeding/cross-breeding, quality feed development,

improved and sustainable livestock production around the world.

**2. Livestock development to improve productivity**

**26**
