This course will cover the study of four footed domestic animals, both ruminants and non-ruminants especially cattle, goats, sheep, rabbits, and pigs. Topics to be covered will include the importance of livestock, constraints to livestock production, solutions to livestock production, breeds of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, etc. The role of management in improving the reproduction efficiency in farm animals, and housing and breeding management: system of breeding economic traits. Other topics to be covered include: methods of breeding, prenatal and postnatal care and management of cattle, pigs, goats and sheep; care of neonate and young calves/kids/lambs/piglets; management strategies for reducing mortality in calves; age of first calving/kidding/lambing/furrowing and calving; calving/kidding/lambing/furrowing interval in cattle, goats, pigs, and sheep. Special attention will be put on dairy and beef production, record keeping, disease control and basic management procedures like management of in-calf cows/sows, goats, sheep, heifers/gilts; castration, dehorning and animal identification. Livestock products like milk, ice cream, ghee, mutton, pork, cheese, beef, skins and hides, tec, heir production and handling will be covered.
Practicals will focus on vaccination, identification, dipping, spraying, drenching, castration, dehorning, age and weight determination, record keeping and pregnancy diagnosis. Students are expected to make visits to piggeries, sheep, goats and do critical analysis of various types of managerial practices.
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