The Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has a long history of coordinating isotope aided research projects for improving animal productivity in developing countries. These projects have focused on enhancing the efficiency of animal production through better use of locally available feed resources and those that do not compete with human food. As a part of these efforts, the Joint Division has been actively involved in developing and simplifying approaches for measuring microbial protein supply to ruminant livestock. The contribution of microbial protein in meeting the overall requirement for protein in ruminants is significant, but understanding the contribution of microbial protein to the nutrition of ruminant livestock has been hampered by the lack of simple and accurate methods for measuring microbial protein production in vivo. A Consultants' Meeting was held in 1995 in Vienna to explore the feasibility of using nuclear and related techniques to develop and validate new approaches for measuring microbial protein supply in ruminant animals. Based on the available information, the consultants considered that the purine derivative excretion method, which is non-invasive and both simple to use and inexpensive compared with other available methods, had the potential for use in developing countries. However, development of models for various animal species and breeds and their validation were required before this technique could be advocated for use.

'A vital, thorough and accessible history that everyone who cares about the past or the future should read.' Rosamund Young, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Cows ______________________________________ The story of the relationship between humankind and cattle, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Counting Sheep. To tell the story of the relationship between humankind and cattle is to tell the story of civilisation itself. Since the beginning, cattle have tilled our soils, borne our burdens, fed and clothed us and been our loyal and uncomplaining servants in the work of taming the wilderness and wresting a living from the land. There has never been a time when we have not depended on cattle. As human societies have migrated from the country to the city, the things they have needed from their cattle may have changed, but the fundamental human dependence remains. Blending personal experience, recollection, interviews with farmers, butchers and cattle breeders and studding the narrative with little-known nuggets of technical detail, Philip Walling entertainingly reveals the central importance of cattle to all our lives.

As Britain industrialized in the early nineteenth century, animal breeders faced the need to convert livestock into products while maintaining the distinctive character of their breeds. Thus they transformed cattle and sheep adapted to regional environments into bulky, quick-fattening beasts. Exploring the environmental and economic ramifications of imperial expansion on colonial environments and production practices, Rebecca J. H. Woods traces how global physiological and ecological diversity eroded under the technological, economic, and cultural system that grew up around the production of livestock by the British Empire. Attending to the relationship between type and place and what it means to call a particular breed of livestock ""native,"" Woods highlights the inherent tension between consumer expectations in the metropole and the ecological reality at the periphery. Based on extensive archival work in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia, this study illuminates the connections between the biological consequences and the politics of imperialism. In tracing both the national origins and imperial expansion of British breeds, Woods uncovers the processes that laid the foundation for our livestock industry today.

Animals are biological transformers of dietary matter and energy to produce high-quality foods and wools for human consumption and use. Mammals, birds, fish, and shrimp require nutrients to survive, grow, develop, and reproduce. As an interesting, dynamic, and challenging discipline in biological sciences, animal nutrition spans an immense range from chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology to reproduction, immunology, pathology, and cell biology. Thus, nutrition is a foundational subject in livestock, poultry and fish production, as well as the rearing and health of companion animals. This book entitled Principles of Animal Nutrition consists of 13 chapters. Recent advances in biochemistry, physiology and anatomy provide the foundation to understand how nutrients are utilized by ruminants and non-ruminants. The text begins with an overview of the physiological and biochemical bases of animal nutrition, followed by a detailed description of chemical properties of carbohydrates, lipids, protein, and amino acids. It advances to the coverage of the digestion, absorption, transport, and metabolism of macronutrients, energy, vitamins, and minerals in animals. To integrate the basic knowledge of nutrition with practical animal feeding, the book continues with discussion on nutritional requirements of animals for maintenance and production, as well as the regulation of food intake by animals. Finally, the book closes with feed additives, including those used to enhance animal growth and survival, improve feed efficiency for protein production, and replace feed antibiotics. While the classical and modern concepts of animal nutrition are emphasized throughout the book, every effort has been made to include the most recent progress in this ever-expanding field, so that readers in various biological disciplines can integrate biochemistry and physiology with nutrition, health, and disease in mammals, birds, and other animal species (e.g., fish and shrimp). All chapters clearly provide the essential literature related to the principles of animal nutrition, which should be useful for academic researchers, practitioners, beginners, and government policy makers. This book is an excellent reference for professionals and a comprehensive textbook for senior undergraduate and graduate students in animal science, biochemistry, biomedicine, biology, food science, nutrition, veterinary medicine, and related fields.

The revised fifth edition of Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine: An Introduction is an accessible guide to basic information for conducting animal research safely and responsibly. It includes a review of the unique anatomic and physiologic characteristics of laboratory animals, husbandry practices, and veterinary care of many animals frequently used in research, including rodents, rabbits, ferrets, zebrafish, nonhuman primates, and agricultural animals. The updated fifth edition adds two new chapters on zebrafish and large animals, new information on transgenic models and genetic editing, and expanded coverage of environmental enrichment and pain management. The book presents helpful tip boxes, images, and review questions to aid in comprehension and learning, and a companion website provides editable review questions and answers, instructional PowerPoints, and additional images not found in the book. This important text: - Provides a complete introduction to laboratory animal husbandry, diseases, and treatments - Offers a user-friendly format with helpful content that highlights important concepts - Contains new knowledge relating to technical methodologies, diseases, drug dosages, laws and regulations, and organizations - Covers information on regulations, facilities, equipment, housing, and research variables as well as veterinary care - Includes new chapters on zebrafish and cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs Written for veterinary technicians, veterinary students, practicing veterinarians, and research scientists, the fifth edition of Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine continues to offer an essential guide to the ethical treatment and anatomic and physiological characteristics of research animals.

Stimulating and thought-provoking, this important new text looks at the welfare problems and philosophical and ethical issues that are caused by changes made to an animal's telos, behaviour and physiology, both positive and negative, to make them more productive or adapted for human uses. These changes may involve selective breeding for production, appearance traits, or competitive advantage in sport, transgenic animals or the use of pharmaceuticals or hormones to enhance production or performance. Changes may impose duties to care for these animals further and more intensely, or they may make the animal more robust. The book considers a wide range of animals, including farm animals, companion animals and laboratory animals. It reviews the ethics and welfare issues of animals that have been adapted for sport, as companions, in work, as ornaments, food sources, guarding and a whole host of other human functions. This important new book sparks debate and is essential reading for all those involved in animal welfare and ethics, including veterinarians, animal scientists, animal welfare scientists and ethologists.

We often consider dogs to be our enduring sidekicks but the truth is domestic pigs have played a role in our lives for nearly as long. Pigs are highly social and smart. They like to play. They're inventive, crafty and belligerent - and incredibly singleminded. Ultimately, we have far more in common with these creatures than we like to admit. Here is a charming ode to one of the most common, yet surprisingly intelligent, animals populating our landscapes. In this gentle and illuminating study, Matt Whyman embarks on a journey to uncover the heart and soul of an animal brimming with more energy, intelligence and playfulness than he could ever have imagined. In his bid to understand what makes a pig tick, having climbed a steep learning curve as a keeper himself, Whyman meets a veterinary professor and expert in pig emotion, as well as a spirited hill farmer whose world revolves around hogs and sows. Packed with fascinating research and delightful anecdotes, this entertaining and informative celebration of all things porcine covers everything from evolution, behaviour and communication to friendship, loyalty and broken hearts - uncovering a surprising notion of family along the way.

How to raise rabbits for a steady source of meat and income Rabbits are one of the most sustainable, nutritious, and economic meat sources available. They can easily be raised in a variety of locations and climates, and require less space and infrastructure than many other species of livestock. Raising Rabbits for Meat is the how-to guide to help you succeed in starting and running a home rabbitry for a steady source of meat or income. Coverage includes: The history of the domestic rabbit Information on breeding, housing, and harvesting Tools to help you succeed with your program An emphasis on heritage breeds. Raising Rabbits for Meat provides a solid foundation for success in raising rabbits and is ideal for anyone interested in starting a small rabbitry for home use or to market rabbit meat as a business opportunity.

The Sheep and Goat Handbook includes presentations made at the International Stockmen's School, January 8-13, 1984.The faculty members of the School who authored this fourth volume of the Handbook, along with books on beef cattle, dairy cattle, and horses, are scholars, stockmen, and agribusiness leaders with national and international reputations. The papers are a mixture of technology and practice that present new concepts from the latest research results of experiments in all parts of the world. Relevant information and concepts from many related disciplines are included.

The Sheep and Goat Handbook includes presentations made at the International Stockrnen 's School, January 2-6, 1983. The faculty members of the School who authored this third volume of the Handbook, along with books on Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, and Horses, are scholars, stockrnen, and agribusiness leaders with national and international reputations. The papers are a mixture of tried and true technology and practices with new concepts from the latest research results of experiments in all parts of the world. Relevant information and concepts from many related disciplines are included.

"Within a day of receiving this book, I had consumed it... Absorbing, moving, and compulsively readable."-Lydia Davis In this affectionate, heart-warming chronicle, Rosamund Young distills a lifetime of organic farming wisdom, describing the surprising personalities of her cows and other animals At her famous Kite's Nest Farm in Worcestershire, England, the cows (as well as sheep, hens, and pigs) all roam free. They make their own choices about rearing, grazing, and housing. Left to be themselves, the cows exhibit temperaments and interests as diverse as our own. "Fat Hat" prefers men to women; "Chippy Minton" refuses to sleep with muddy legs and always reports to the barn for grooming before bed; "Jake" has a thing for sniffing the carbon monoxide fumes of the Land Rover exhaust pipe; and "Gemima" greets all humans with an angry shake of the head and is fiercely independent. An organic farmer for decades, Young has an unaffected and homely voice. Her prose brims with genuine devotion to the wellbeing of animals. Most of us never apprehend the various inner lives animals possess, least of all those that we might eat. But Young has spent countless hours observing how these creatures love, play games, and form life-long friendships. She imparts hard-won wisdom about the both moral and real-world benefits of organic farming. (If preserving the dignity of animals isn't a good enough reason for you, consider how badly factory farming stunts the growth of animals, producing unhealthy and tasteless food.) This gorgeously-illustrated book, which includes an original introduction by the legendary British playwright Alan Bennett, is the summation of a life's work, and a delightful and moving tribute to the deep richness of animal sentience.

The health and profitability of grass-based livestock begins with the food they eat. In Managing Pasture, author Dale Strickler guides farmers and ranchers through the practical and ideological considerations behind caring for the land as a key part of running a successful grass-based operation, from the profitability of replacing expensive grain feed with nutrient-rich native grasses to the benefits of ecologically-minded land management. In-depth examinations of the biology and benefits of grazing plants and different grazing strategies accompany detailed plans for paddock and fencing set-ups, livestock watering, and effective methods for dealing with common pasture problems throughout the seasons, from mud to drought. For readers invested in pasture improvement strategies that offer environmental benefits beyond better meat and dairy, including carbon sequestration, erosion prevention, increased pollinator resources and wildlife habitat, and improved water quality, Managing Pasture is an approachable, accessible guide to creating and caring for the grassland that feeds animals and future generations.

Originally published in 1905, this book presents a history of horses and equidae, especially with regard to their relationship with humans. Ridgeway includes photographs of modern-day horses, which he describes as 'the most important ... of all the animals domesticated by man', as well as photographs and drawings of ancient artefacts featuring images of horses or relating to them. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in horses and the history of the immensely profitable human-horse relationship.

This book identifies future scientific research priorities for developing emissions inventories, emissions abatement techniques and mitigation strategies in order to improve and sustain livestock production that is in line with climate change adaptation. Livestock production is a major source of atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gases, such as methane, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and ammonia, all of which directly contribute to global warming and climate change. Air pollutant emissions from agricultural practices have a negative environmental impact and are of relevant political importance, as highlighted in both the Kyoto and Gothenburg Protocols. This book provides solutions on how to abate these emissions by using effective abatement techniques such as additives, manure storage covers, aerobic and anaerobic treatments, and dietary manipulation. Each chapter in the book provides valuable, up-to-date information on abatement techniques, thus allowing the reader to better understand the issues involved. Recent advances and new perspectives in the field are also discussed.

"What sets this book apart is its provision of such a comprehensive review of developments in pig nutrition as well as breeding. To do this it brings together some of the world's leading experts in this field of research to produce an unbiased, accurate and accessible guide to a critical part of pig production." The Pig Site Pig meat is the most widely-consumed meat in the world. Previous growth in production has relied, in part, on more intensive systems. In meeting rising demand, these systems face challenges such as the ongoing threat of zoonotic diseases, the need to improve feed efficiency in the face of rising costs, the need to reduce the environmental impact of pig production and increasing concerns about animal welfare. These challenges are addressed in the three volumes of Achieving sustainable production of pig meat. Volume 2 looks at pig breeding and nutrition. Part 1 starts by reviewing advances and constraints in conventional breeding, the development and use of molecular breeding techniques, as well as factors affecting functional traits such as reproductive and feed efficiency. The second part of the book looks at current research on meeting pig nutritional requirements, including understanding and modelling pig nutritional requirements to optimise feeding, as well as the role of vitamins, exogenous enzymes, growth promoters, prebiotics and probiotics. With its distinguished editor and international team of expert authors, this will be a standard reference for researchers in swine science as well as producers, government and other organisations involved in supporting pig production. It is accompanied by two companion volumes which focus on safety, quality and sustainability as well as animal health and welfare.

The pig played a key role in the German Democratic Republic's attempts to create a modern, industrial food system built on communist principles. By the mid-1980s, East Germany produced more pork per capita than West Germany and the UK, while also suffering the unintended consequences of manure pollution, animal disease, and rolling food shortages. The pig is a highly adaptive animal, and Thomas Fleischman uncovers three types of pig that played roles in this history: the industrial pig, remade to suit the conditions of factory farming; the wild boar, whose overpopulation was a side effect of agricultural development; and the garden pig, reflective of the regime's growing acceptance of private farming within the planned economy. Fleischman chronicles East Germany's journey from family farms to factory farms, explaining how communist principles shaped the adoption of industrial agriculture practices. More broadly, Fleischman argues that agriculture under communism came to reflect the practices of capitalist agriculture, and that the pork industry provides a clear illustration of this convergence. His analysis sheds light on the causes of the country's environmental and political collapse in 1989 and offers a warning about the high cost of cheap food in the present and future. Communist Pigs was a finalist for the Turku Book Award, European Society for Environmental History.

A practical working handbook for both the beginner and the advanced aviculturist, Tarsnane draws on more than twenty years of experience to offer concise and informative data about all the water-fowl of the world. Describing modern management and breeding techniques, the book also surveys aspects of the natural history, ecology and conservation of several species. This impressive treatise is filled with spectacular colour photographs, often of rarely seen waterfowl. If you are just interested in finding out more about the common City Park Mallard or need to know the specifics about the nesting requirements of a Burmese Spotbill -- this is for you.

The best-selling animal advocate Temple Grandin offers the most exciting exploration of how animals feel since The Hidden Life of Dogs.
In her groundbreaking and best-selling book Animals in Translation, Temple Grandin drew on her own experience with autism as well as her distinguished career as an animal scientist to deliver extraordinary insights into how animals think, act, and feel. Now she builds on those insights to show us how to give our animals the best and happiest life--on their terms, not ours.
It's usually easy to pinpoint the cause of physical pain in animals, but to know what is causing them emotional distress is much harder. rawing on the latest research and her own work, Grandin identifies the core emotional needs of animals. Then she explains how to fulfill them for dogs and cats, horses, farm animals, and zoo animals.Whether it's how to make the healthiest environment for the dog you must leave alone most of the day, how to keep pigs from being bored, or how to know if the lion pacing in the zoo is miserable or just exercising, Grandin teaches us to challenge our assumptions about animal contentment and honor our bond with our fellow creatures.
Animals Make Us Human is the culmination of almost thirty years of research, experimentation, and experience.
This is essential reading for anyone who's ever owned, cared for, or simply cared about an animal.

Rabbits are versatile animals, farmed for their meat and fur, as laboratory animals, and also as pets. This well-established book continues to provide an overview of domesticated rabbit production, covering topics such as breeding, husbandry, feeding and health. Now in its fully updated tenth edition, it includes an expanded consideration of important issues such as animal welfare and sustainable methods of production. With chapters relating specifically to meat production, pet rabbits, rabbit shows, and angora wool production, this new edition: - Includes new information on the latest methods of artificial insemination, estrous synchronization, embryo transfer, cloning and molecular genetics; - Tackles globally prevalent health issues such as enteritis complex (EC) rabbit enterocolitis (REC), and viral hemorrhagic disease; - Reviews up-to-the-minute developments such as the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on food production, as well as new projects addressing poverty alleviation and food security. Providing updates on worldwide production trends, figures and new feed additive products, this book is an essential resource for anyone involved in rabbit production - from novice to experienced breeders, veterinarians and industry professionals.