Animal Husbandary

Benefits Of Animal Husbandry:

1. Economic Benefits

1. Additional income: Animal husbandry provides an extra source of income through the sale of animal products like milk, meat, eggs, and fibre.
2. Employment opportunities: Animal husbandry creates jobs and employment opportunities in rural areas, helping to reduce poverty and migration.
3. Improved livelihoods: By providing a steady income and employment, animal husbandry helps improve the overall livelihoods of farmers and their families.

1. Food Security

1. Protein source: Animal husbandry provides a reliable source of protein-rich food, such as meat, eggs, and dairy products, improving food security and nutrition.
2. Diversified farming: Integrating animal husbandry with crop farming helps diversify farm income and reduces dependence on a single crop.
   

1. Environmental Benefits

1. Manure and fertilizer: Animal waste serves as a natural fertilizer, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and promoting sustainable agriculture.
2. Soil conservation: Grazing animals help maintain soil health and prevent erosion, reducing the risk of soil degradation.
3. Biodiversity: Animal husbandry promotes biodiversity by maintaining genetic diversity within animal populations and conserving rare breeds.

1. Social Benefits

1. Rural development: Animal husbandry contributes to rural development by providing infrastructure, such as veterinary services, feed mills, and markets.
2. Community engagement: Animal husbandry fosters community engagement and social cohesion among farmers, promoting knowledge sharing and cooperation.
3. Cultural preservation: Animal husbandry helps preserve traditional farming practices and cultural heritage, promoting rural identity and pride.

Cost of Production:

1. Measurement of cost of production:

The cost of production is considered as (i) fixed cost and (ii) variable costs. However, there definitions may change with the situation like employment of a labourer for performing regular activities of animal rearing on monthly payment or otherwise for longer period is fixed cost, while wages paid to workers employed intermittently for few days only is considered as a variable cost. Value of work done by family members are usually not included in the cost of production because such family members associated with animal rearing do not have alternate employment.

1. Methods used for the measurement of cost of production of different species of livestock and their products:
   1. Expenditure on purchase of item(s) required for the direct or indirect use of animals.
   2. Normal market values are considered for certain items for which cost
      

is less variable for longer period.

1. Current market values are usually used on the expenditure of consumables used from own sources like feeds produced by the farmers and not purchased from the market.
2. Expenditure on housing.
3. Expenditure on harnesses etc.
4. Expenditure on veterinary and other services.
5. Expenditure on other items.

All these values are added together for determination of cost of production of an animal to market age or cost of livestock products like milk, egg, etc. A tentative example of expenditure and return on the rearing of a dairy cow may be considered as follows:

1. Cost of purchase of cow.
2. Cost of feeds.
3. Cost of maintenance.
4. Rent of land or its value.
5. Value of labour.
6. Value of milk and return from the sale of milk and/or milk products.
7. Value of calf at weaning.
8. Value of manure produced during the period.
9. Value of dung cake for fuel
10. Depreciation on various fixed expenditure