ICSE Class 8 Biology Chapter 11 Food Production and Management II

Food Production And Management - II

Animals

Syllabus

Sericulture, apiculture, pisciculture, poultry farming, livestock farming - cattle for different uses, sheep - briefly. Protection of animals against diseases.

Visits to Sericulture farms, apiaries, poultry farms.

Films about these topics.

You have learnt so far that human beings have been utilising microorganisms and plants to get food and other useful items from them. In this chapter, you will learn that various animals have also been used by humans not only for food, but also for various other useful products, like leather, silk, honey, etc.

Domestic Animals

Breeding of wild animals for specific purposes is called domestication and such animals are called domestic animals. The first domesticated animal was perhaps dog which helped the human beings in hunting and guarding his cattle.

India is predominantly an agricultural country, therefore, domestic animals play an important role, specially in the economy of rural areas.

Animal husbandry. The branch of biology which deals with feeding, shelter, caring and breeding of domesticated animals is called animal husbandry.

Animals domesticated for home companionship are called pets, while those domesticated for food or work are called livestock.

Animals which provide food are of two types:

A. Milk-yielding or Milch animals, like cows, buffaloes and goats.

B. Meat and egg-yielding animals, like hen, sheep, goat, fish, pig, etc.

You can add a third category of animals too, which are used for doing heavy work (Draught animals). Such animals include bullocks, camels, elephants, horses, donkeys and mules.

Besides, some animals like sheep, goat, deer, silk worm and honey bee provide us wool, skin, horns, silk, honey, etc.

Milk-Yielding Or Milch Animals

Milk-producing animals of India are cows, buffaloes, goats and camels. The milk from goats is nutritious and is sometimes preferred to cow milk. But the production of goat milk is much less than that of cows and buffaloes. Cow milk is quite nourishing and easy to digest, but as compared to buffaloes, cows produce less quantity of milk. Buffaloes are the major source of milk in our country.

Breeds Of Cow

There are about thirty different breeds of cows in our country. Considering their males and females together, these are classified into three categories:

(i) draught, (ii) dual purpose and (iii) dairy.

(i) Draught breeds are those whose males are primarily used for drawing bullock carts, ploughing land and transporting material from one place to another. The females of this breed yield less milk.

(ii) Dual purpose breeds are quite good milk-yielders (cows), and their bullocks (castrated bulls) are good for draught purposes. The breeds Haryana (Fig. 11.1), Dangi and Tharparkar serve dual purpose. Their females are good milk-yielders, while their males are good for draught work.

(iii) Dairy breeds are high milk-yielders (cows) and their bullocks are poor for draught purposes.

In India, we have three types of breeds of dairy cows:

(a) Indigenous (Indian) breeds. For example, Red Sindhi, Sahiwal and Gir.

(b) Exotic (Foreign) breeds. For example, Jersey, Holstein-Friesian, and Brown Swiss.

(c) Cross breeds (developed by mating bulls of exotic breeds with the cows of the indigenous ones). For example, Karan-Fries and Frieswal.

The yield of milk from these improved varieties of cows has increased 2-3 times more than the indigenous ones.

Breeds Of Buffaloes

(i) Murrah: This is the original breed of Haryana and Punjab (Fig. 11.3). Its average annual yield of milk is 1800 to 2500 litres with the fat content up to seven percent.

(ii) Mehsana: This is a breed common in Gujarat. Its average milk yield is about 1200-2500 litres.

(iii) Surti: This breed is a native of Kaira and Vadodara districts of Gujarat. Its average milk-yield is 1600-1800 litres. The fat content of the milk is about 8-10 percent.

Shelter And Feeding (Management Of Milch Animals)

(A) Shelter: Animal shelters should be clean, well-lit and well-ventilated.

(1) Sheds. Cattle are kept under properly covered cattle sheds. Such sheds protect them from rain, heat and cold.

(2) The floor of the cattle shed should be made sloping to facilitate cleaning and keeping their sitting place dry.

(3) The animals should be provided with feeding troughs (naand).

(4) A good animal shelter should be spacious so as to allow enough space for each animal to stay comfortably, and avoid overcrowding.

(5) It should have arrangements for clean fresh drinking water.

(6) It should have proper arrangement for the disposal of the animal's urine and excreta.

(7) It should be well-protected from predators.

(8) Shelters should be located far away from the residential areas and waste disposal sites.

Teacher's Note

Just as we need a clean home with proper ventilation and sanitation, animals also require similar conditions to stay healthy and produce quality milk.

(B) Feeding: The animal food that contains essential components needed for the growth, development and general maintenance of the body is called feed.

The cattle feed consists of two types of substances: (a) Roughage and (b) Concentrates.

(a) Roughage: Roughage used in the cattle feed is a coarse and fibrous substance having low nutrient contents. The animals get roughage in their feed from substances like hay (straw of cereals), green fodder, silage, legumes like berseem, lucerne and cowpea.

(b) Concentrates: The concentrates are rich in nutrients with very little fibrous matter. They are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Concentrates are provided by:

(i) Grains and seeds of bajra, maize, rye, jowar and barley, which are rich in carbohydrates. Legume seeds are rich in proteins, while oil seeds (e.g. cotton seeds) are rich in fats.

(ii) Oil Cakes are formed from the remains of oil seeds after the extraction of oil. The common oil cakes are made from the seeds of cotton, mustard and groundnut.

(iii) Rice bran, gram chaff, wheat bran and molasses are also rich components of concentrates.

Diseases Of Cattle

Like human beings, animals also suffer from various diseases and need caring. Caring means prevention, control and cure of diseases to keep them fit and healthy. In the table given below (Table 1), some common diseases of cattle have been listed.

Besides the above diseases, the dairy animals may also suffer from a variety of worms infecting their intestines and other organs. Protection from several diseases is done by vaccination.

Teacher's Note

Regular health check-ups and timely vaccinations for animals are as important as they are for human beings.

Symptoms of sick cattle

The sick cattle show a different behaviour from the healthy ones. The common symptoms are:

They stop feeding.

Milk-yield is reduced.

Become inactive and looks tired.

Drooping of lips and ears.

Passing of loose dung and coloured urine.

Sometimes, they feel hot and sometimes, they shiver.

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