Animal husbandry

Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock. As such, it is a vital skill for farmers, and in many ways as much art as it is science. The science of animal husbandry, called animal science, is taught in many universities and colleges around the world. Students of animal science may pursue degrees in veterinary medicine following graduation, or go on to pursue master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and breeding, or reproductive physiology. Graduates of these programs may be found working in the veterinary and human pharmaceutical industries, the livestock and pet supply and feed industries, or in academia.

Ethical Implications of Animal Husbandry

Some techniques of animal husbandry such as factory farming have been attacked by animal welfare groups such as Compassion In World Farming and farmers who use more traditional or organic practices.

Related Topics:
Factory farming - Animal welfare - Compassion In World Farming - Organic

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The animal rights movement has been most vocal in its criticism of systems of animal agriculture. Many within the movement consider it as a violation of the rights of nonhuman individuals and therefore unethical. Proponents of animal rights philosophies tend to advocate a rejection of animal husbandry and instead promote veganism. They would argue the term 'animal husbandry' is a pejorative term which helps create a misleading, benevolent paradigm of human-animal interaction.

Related Topics:
Animal rights - Veganism - Paradigm

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The controversial ethical philosopher Peter Singer regards animal husbandry as unethical in its current form (especially in the western context of factory farming and the high avaliablity of nutrious plant foods), as it fails to take into account the interests of animals on an equal footing with human interests (speciesism), while causing immense suffering for trivial gains.

Related Topics:
Peter Singer - Speciesism

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Some domesticated species of animals, such as the vechur cow, are endangered, and are the subject of conservation efforts.

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