Introduction to Animal Science Global, Biological, Social, and Industry Perspectives

Preface This book was written to provide a text for introductory courses in Animal Science. It is not a traditional text, but rather a text that is reflective if what Animal Science has come to be in the modern age. The major, traditional biological disciplines and how the science of each of these contributes to the whole of animal science are included. There is information on how to feed, manage, breed, and care for animals. However, the scope of the text is much broader because the scope of Animal Science is much broader. This book examines how animals fit into all of society and how animals contribute to the well being of humans from a worldwide perspective. The text takes a brief world tour to look at the various types of agriculture found around the world. It explores the uses that humans have found for our domesticated animals in addition to food and food uses. It individually considers the species of primary importance to humans. In addition, this text discusses the industries that have arisen around those species and their effects on our society and our economy. In the last 50 years or so, some profound changes have taken place in the animal industries. Traditional animal husbandry has been revolutionized. The animal industries have become less drive by tradition and more driven by business judgment and profound advances in science-based technology. Restructuring of each of the animal industries has occurred to accommodate such things as changes in the tastes and habits of consumers, the economic upheaval in the agricultural sector, and changes in the relative costs of animal products. These is also an attitude shift that recognizes the animal industries for what they aredynamic, integrated parts of a greater food-providing system that is increasingly reaching out to other countries and, conversely, being influenced by other countries. The world is an ever-shrinking place where action and reaction occur as easily half a world away as in our own backyard. This text also acknowledges humans' changing viewpoints toward the animals in our care. Profound societal changes have affected the animal industries and the people who work in them. Concerns over animal welfare, animal rights, food safety, ethical resource allocation, sustainability of agriculture as it uses the earth's resources, and other issues now affect the usage of animals in a very real way. These issues and others are dealt with in the text. There is another nontraditional aspect to this text. A more affluent population has reached for new animals and new uses for animals. Finding a lack of information available about these animals, people have turned to animal scientists and demanded information. This text provides information about species such as llamas, companion animals, and others that traditionally have not been provided in animal sciences. These species are now a part of animal science as surely as are the cow and pig. Many of these subjects would not have been considered in animal science classes just a few years ago. This text is written with sufficient flexibility to accommodate the three major approaches to animal sciencethe biological approach, the industry approach, or the species approach. Adding the world-view information from Part I and the societal issues from Part IV will round out the approaches. This third edition was written to accomplish several goals. First, that statistics have all been updated to retain the currency I feel is important. Second, many figures have been either added or improved. In addition, new information has been added to virtually all chapters, but not at the expense of making the text portion substantially longer. I wanted it better, not necessarily bigger. One important thing that did not change was the educational philosophy of the previous edition. Those who used earlier editions will quickly find all the things theyDamron, W. Stephen is the author of 'Introduction to Animal Science Global, Biological, Social, and Industry Perspectives', published 2005 under ISBN 9780131189324 and ISBN 0131189328.