Animal Science 511
A survey class to expose many of you to the
possible opportunities of veterinary medicine
you may not be familiar with. Food animals
make up the vast majority of animals in the
world. Major issues today are food safety
and HACCP - Vets are very involved.
Its been evolving for 16 years so far.
Charge to lecturers
Gestation Periods
Reproductive management/breeding cycles
Prevalent genetic disorders/diseases
Major anatomical differences if any
Special nutritional needs if any
Special housing needs if any
Special tempt, lighting, etc. if any
Important breeds
Number of animals in Michigan/USA
Economic value/importance of the industry
Important organizations / associations
Where the Vet fits into the industry
Agriculture is the oldest and largest industry
in the world, yet it is very recent.
Approximately 1/2 of the world’s people are
employed by agriculture.
Industrialized (developed):
3-5% work directly with agriculture
(plants and animals)
20% work indirectly - machinery, fertilizers,
processing, packaging, retailing, etc. etc.
Developing Countries: 60 to 70% work
directly with plants (crops) and animals.
Humanoids have been around for about a
million years.
Horticulture - 12 to 15 thousand years ago.
Domestication of Animals - 10 to 14
thousand years ago.
Spent 99.9% of our history as Nomads and
Hunters and Wanderers.
What happened and why???
Most is speculation, but:
1. World Population is increasing
2. Knowledge/evolution - New Stone Age,
Bronze Age, Iron Age
3. ~14,000 years ago, the continental ice
sheets start to melt,
11,000 years ago, end of the
PLEISTOCENE - Global climate warms
People gather in groups and settlements
form.
Domestication (different than taming a
wild animal) is a lengthy process
Take
a wild species and improve it through careful
selection, mating, and handling so that its
products or services become more useful to
Humans. Humans also control the breeding
of the animal.
This definition excludes animals in zoos and
circuses and many experimental animals.
Oldest evidences of domestication are in
Lebanon and Palestine and S.E. Asia - No
ice for the last 100,000 years, but it was cold.
First animal to be domesticated was the
DOG
Happened approx. 14,000 years ago.
Derived only from the WOLF
Identical Chromosomes and can freely
cross.
From fossils and archeologically excavated
graves, occurred independently at several
places around the world
China, North
Palestine and Idaho.
Sheep and Goats
Used primarily for food and skins tents and other shelter.
11,000 years ago.
Southwest Asia.
Pigs
S.W. Asia, 8500 years ago
Northern China, 6000 years ago
Egypt and parts of Europe
All appear independent of each other.
Cattle
7 - 8 thousand years ago.
1st were AUROCHS - wild cattle were religious figures see in cave art in S. W. Europe.
Cattle were worshipped.
Today, in many religions, cattle are sacred Not to be killed or eaten - reincarnation.
Hill People of Eastern India - Sacred Mitan
Primarily for sacrifice.
Donkeys
At least 5000 years ago.
S. W. Asia and N. E. Africa
primarily pack animals and riding.
Horses
4 - 6 thousand years ago
Transportation, pulling carts and food!
Chickens
5000 years ago in India - Jungle Fowl
Primarily for sport - COCKFIGHTING
moved north and west to Persia and
Greece.
Cockfighting is still big business!!!
Used as a symbol of power and virility.
Used as food - much later.
Cats
Are really docile wild animals that tolerate
humans and expect you to feed them.
3000 - 3500 years ago in EGYPT. From the
African Wild Cat ~ identical to domestic
“tabby”
Probably used to control rodents in grain
storage areas - pest control.
Lots of other animals:
Alpaca/Vicuna
Ducks - China
Geese - Greece and Italy
Turkey - North America and Mexico
Bees - old and new world
Fish - 3000 years ago
Historically, animal herding has been
indicative of superiority of one tribe over
another. Also, great livestock countries of
the world have supported the most
advanced civilizations and have been the
most powerful.
Why Superior???
Early uses of animals:
Food, Companionship, Clothing
Bones for Tools
Dung - fertilizer, fuel and entertainment
Transportation and Draft
Entertainment
Religious offerings (both satanic and deity)
Decorations
Modern uses of Animals and products:
Pharmaceuticals - insulin, heparin, renin,
hormones, etc.
Fuel - oils and dung, Fertilizer
Oils, fats, greases, fatty acids
Rubber
Explosives
Plasticizers
Paint, Varnish, Inks
Cosmetics
Pharmaceuticals
Industrial Oils
Gelatin,
Glue
Sutures and Gut
Hair brushes and Paint brushes
Footballs, baseballs, sports equipment
Leather Products
Animal Feed
Blood meal, feather meal, meat and
bone meal, dog and cat food
4 Acts of the Unites States Congress that
have played a big part in Animal Agriculture
1. 1862 - Morrill Act - established a land
grant school in each state to teach
agriculture (68 total)
2. 1887 - Hatch Act - established agriculture
experiment stations - usually at the land
grant school or agricultural research.
3. 1914 - Smith Lever Act - Provide funding
for the county agent system under the
direction of the land grant colleges. To get
research information to people on farms.
4. 1917 - Smith Hughs Act - Funding for
studies in Vocational Agriculture, Vocational
Home Economics and for education in trade
and industry (i.e. producing teachers).
Population Trends
Beginning to 0
1600
1830
1950
1987
2000
1/4 billion
1/2 billion
1 billion
2.5 billion
5 billion
> 6 billion
World has a 1.8% annual growth rate.
Population doubles every 42 years.
USA - 0.6%
Japan - 0.7%
Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, Gr. Britain
- 0.5%
Africa - 2.9% (24 years to double) (??? AIDS)
Latin America - 2.7 to 3.0 %
Underdeveloped countries are growing
fastest - have least food available.
> 40% of world population is
less than 15 years old.
What caused the increase in
Population growth???
#1 - Removal or reduction of diseases.
Malaria, Yellow Fever,
Smallpox, Cholera, etc.
People live longer –
Produce more offspring
What is the world’s #1 health problem?
Malnutrition
Approximately 20 million people
die per year of starvation.
World food production is inadequate to
provide a balanced diet to all people.
We can probably meet the caloric needs,
but adequate protein is the problem.
Protein is required for maintenance and
function of body tissues, growth, disease
recovery, pregnancy, lactation,
maturation, etc.
Supplies of protein are particularly scarce
and costly for most developing nations.
Many have poor production and poor
distribution systems, Politics.
“Crops”
84% of calories
65% of protein
Animals/fish 16% of calories
(milk, meat, eggs) 35% of protein
Developed countries derive 35 to 50 % of
their calories from animals and animal
products.
In the US, ruminants do not compete with
humans for food. Other countries (India),
yes they do compete.
Cattle consume forage, pasture and
roughage - a significant way to utilize
rough, hilly land where crop production is
impractical.
Ruminants utilize cellulose - humans cannot.
USA is the world’s largest exporter of
Agricultural products
~ 40% of crop production
~20% of animal products production
to 130 countries
40 Billion $$$ in Value.
Also, largest supplier of live animals for
export (dairy, beef, swine) for breeding animals/
genetic improvement of foreign stocks
Animals in the world
Chickens
Swine
Turkeys
Ducks
Horses
12 billion
875 million
400 million
700 million
60 million
Ruminants
Cattle
Sheep
Goats
Buffalo
Camels
Llamas
Yaks
1.29 billion
1.16 billion
610 million
150 million
20 million
13 million
13 million
20 + other species produce 6.5 Billion
pounds of edible protein per year.
Deer
Elk
Kangaroo
Rabbit
Guinea Pig – 5% of Peru meat product
Capybara
Fowl (goose, guinea fowl, pigeon)
Other wild game
Soviet Union produces over 110 million
pounds of Reindeer meat each year.
Meat is important as Food for 2 reasons:
The AMINO ACID makeup of the protein
very closely matches the needs of the
human body – much better than the amino
acid make up of plant proteins.
Vegetarians:
need to consume complimentary proteins
2nd reason: Vitamin B12 – needed for good
health – not available from any plant
sources, only from animal proteins and
some fermentation products (yeast).
Macrocytic anemia with megaloblastic
marrow
Neurological disturbances
Reduced Growth
Spectator sports
1. Horse Racing
79 million
2. Baseball
56.3 million
3. Auto Racing
52 million
7. Dog Racing
21 million – only legal in 10 states
Pro football, Hockey, Basketball, etc.