INTRODUCTION TO

ANIMAL SCIENCE
What is animal science?
• Animal husbandry is the art of working with farm animals.
• Animal science is the scientific study of farm animals.
• Biology is the study of life that seeks to provide an understanding of
the natural world.
What is considered Animal Science?
• Dairy Cattle • Bison
• Beef Cattle • Aquaculture
• Sheep • Llamas
• Swine • Rare Breeds
• Goats • Small Animals
• Horses
• Poultry
• Ostrich & Emu
• Deer
Field of Science Related to Animal Science
• Genetics • Parasitology • Law
• Embryology • Entomology • Engineering
• Zoology • Bacteriology • Microbiology
• Botany • Economics
• Agronomy • Computer Science
• Anatomy • Ethology
• Physiology • Ecology
• Chemistry • Communications
• Nutrition • Finance
• Pathology • Political Science
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
• Early Domestication
• Humans began domesticating animals more than 10,000 years ago
beginning with dogs.
• Ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) were the first food animals to be
domesticated followed by pigs, possibly to dispose of table scraps and
waste products.
• Horses and cattle were domesticated primarily for transportation and
draft work purposes.
• Early people found animals that form large herds or flocks and eat a
wide variety of feeds are easier to domesticate.
• Domestication involves more than simply taming. Animals are considered to
be domesticated when:
• they are kept for a distinct purpose
• humans control their breeding
• their survival depends on humans
• they develop traits that are not found in the wild
• Domestication allowed humans to
• Contain animals with the right temperament
• Have a steady food supply
• Use animals for companionship, religious purposes and draft work
• In return, the animals received protection and a constant food supply.
• Selective breeding occurred as humans got rid of animals with undesirable
traits, not allowing them to reproduce.
• Sheep: Domesticated 11,000-15,000 years ago
• Domesticated in the mountains of Southeast Europe and
Central/Southwest Asia. These areas include the countries of:
• Greece, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Hungary, Uzbekistan, Syria, Yugoslavia,
Turkmenistan, Iraq, Romania, Tajikistan, Bulgaria, Afghanistan and Iran
• Favorable because of their wool and meat for which they are still used
and bred today.
• Because of selective breeding for traits and other results of
domestication, sheep are the only species of livestock that would be
unable to return to the wild.
• Cattle: Domesticated 10,000-15,000 years ago

• Domesticated near the boundary of Europe and Asia and/or

Southwest Asia
• This area includes the countries of: Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Syria,
Moldavia, Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraq
• In the beginning, cattle were used mainly for meat, milk and labor but
eventually were replaced by horses in most of the draft work.
• Horses: Domesticated approx. 5,000 years ago
• Horses were domesticated in Eastern Europe and Western Asia. This
area includes the countries of Mongolia and Siberia.
• Originally, horses were used for meat and milk, but eventually
became useful as pack and draft animals.
• Pigs: Domesticated 5,000 - 9,000 years ago
• Pigs were first domesticated in the Middle East (Mesopotamia) in
countries such as Syria, Iraq and Turkey and then spread across Asia,
Europe and Africa.
• Pigs were utilized more in settled farming communities than in
nomadic groups because they are difficult to move for long distances.
• Goats
• The goat was among the earliest animals to be domesticated, around
6000 - 7000 B.C. in Western Asia.
• The goat could easily revert to its wild state.
• Chickens
• Chickens were known in China more than 3,400 years ago and also in
Southeast Asia (China, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines, Burma)
• Turkeys
• The turkey is the only North American domestic animal and was
domesticated in middle North America.
Historical
Perspective

Domestication across Globe

Near East (Fertile Crescent) 10,000
years ago
South China 8,500 years ago
North China – 7,700 years ago
Africa – 4,000 years ago
South Central Andes – 4,500 years
ago
Central Mexico – 4,700 years ago
Eastern United States – 4,500 years
ago
Historical
Perspective
Species When Where Why
Dog 14,000 Years Ago Old World Companionship
Sheep 10,700 Years Ago Old World Food, Milk and Clothing
Goat 9,000 Years Ago Old World Food, Clothing and Milk
Pig 9,000 Years Ago Old World Food & Sport
Cattle 6,500 Years Ago Old World Religious Reasons
Chicken 5,500 Years Ago India Food, Cockfights, Religion
Horse 5,000 Years Ago Old World Food & Transport
Historical
Perspective
8,000 BC Domestication
776 BC First Olympic Games
334 BC Alexander the Great used Calvary to conquer
1066 AD Stirrups invented
1598 AD Cattle brought into the US by Spanish
1867 AD Cattle Drives to Railroad
1884 AD USDA began
1905 AD DHIA was Established(Dairy Records)
1914 AD Extension Service
ANIMAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO
SOCIETY
Functions of
Livestock
• Contributions to Humans • Clothing
• Food • Wool
• Clothing • Leather
• Power • Hair
• Recreation • Fur
• Research • Power
• • Horse
• Food • Mules
• Meat • Donkeys, Burrows
• Milk • Oxen
• Eggs • Recreation
• Pleasure Horses
• Livestock Show Competition
• Rodeo
Animal Contributions to Society
• Clothing
• Wool, hair, hides (leather), and pelts have commonly been used for clothing.
• Even today, in more than 100 countries, ruminant fibers such as hair and
wool are used in the manufacture of clothing, bedding, housing and carpets.
• Shelter
• Hair and hides provide material for shelter. For example, hides are used in
teepees, while hair is used in plaster (horsehair plaster).
• Tools
• Early man relied on bones and hides for tools.
• Utensils
• Bladders, horns, catgut and dynamite are animal products that are
commonly used.
Animal Contributions to Society
• Personal Items
• Humans use animal products or by-products for jewelry and perfume.
• Power
• Animals have always been important throughout history for draft work,
packing and transporting humans. In the 1920s, more than 25 million horses
were used primarily for draft purposes.
• Today, in developing countries, animals provide as much as 99% of the power
used in agriculture while 20% of the world's populations depend on animals
for moving goods.
• India has more than 200 million cattle and buffalo, but because cattle are sacred in
India, they are not slaughtered for meat. These animals are used to provide power for
field work.
• War
• Animals were used in war for transportation and power
Animal Contributions to Society
• Religion
• Some societies worship animals.
• Recreation
• Companionship and hobbies or sports such as horseback riding
• Health
• Laboratory animals are commonly used for research.
• Miniature pigs have been used in laboratory research because they closely
resemble humans in their pulmonary, cardiac, dental and even pre-natal
brain development.
• Cattle and sheep have been used to test artificial organs before use in
humans.
• Humans also use animal products and by-products in pharmaceuticals.
ANIMAL SCIENCE TERMINOLOGY
Cattle Carabao Swine Goat Sheep Rabbit Horse Chicken
Bos
Scientific Bubalus Sus Oryctolagus Equus Gallus
Name indicus/taur Capra hircus Ovis aries
bubalis domesticus cuniculus caballus domesticus
us
Mature male Rooster/
Bull Carabull Boar Buck/Billy Ram Buck Stallion
Cock
Mature
Female Cow Caracow Sow Doe/Nanny Ewe Doe Mare Hen
Young/Baby Calf Caracalf Piglet Kid Lamb Kit Foal Chick
Immature
male Bull Calf Carabull calf Junior Boar Buckling Ram lamb Colt Cockerel
Immature
Female, not Heifer Caraheifer Gilt Doeling Ewe lamb Filly Pullet
given birth
Castrated Carastag/
Male Stag/Steer Barrow/Stag Wether Wether Geldling Capon
Carasteer
Meat from Cheval/
Beef Carabeef Pork Chevon Mutton Lapan Chicken
Caballo
Act of Giving Laying/
birth Calving Caracalving Farrowing Kidding Lambing Kindling Foaling
Hatching
Collective/ Herd/ Tribe/ Flock/ Colony/ Team/
Group of Herd/Drove Herd Drift/Drove Flock
Trip Herd/Drove Nest/Fluffle Herd/Harras
Sexual period of female animals during which they are
Estrus receptive to males for mating.
Gestation Pregnancy/Conception
Parturition General Term for the Act of Giving Birth
Lactation Period when a female produces milk after a birth
Culling Removing unproductive animals from a group
Weaning Remove a young animal from it’s mother
Docking Act of removing the tail of a young animal
Dehorning Act of removing the horns of a young animal
Molting Act of losing feathers on poultry animals
Surgical operation during which the sex organs (testes)
Castration from male animals are removed
Act of killing food animals in accordance with approved
Slaughtering meat inspection rules and regulation
Scientific Name Male Female Young
Mallard Duck Anas
Drakes Duck/hen Duckling
platyrynchos
Muscovy Duck Drakes Duck/hen Duckling
Cairina moschata
Goose Gander Goose/Dame Gosling
Anser anser
Turkey Meleagris
Gobbler/Tom Hen Poult
gallapavo
Guinea Fowl Numida
Guinea Cock Guinea Hen Keet
meleagris
Quail Coturnix coturnix
Cock Hen Chick/Cheeper
japonicum
Pheasant Phasianus
Rooster Hen Pheasling
colchicus
Ostrich Struthio camelus Cock/Rooster Hen Chick
Pigeon Cock Hen Squab
Columbia livia
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