Livestock production is the second most important agricultural practice for the production of food and non-food materials to man. Farm animals are kept for many reasons, particularly for food benefits.
1. Food Benefits of Farm Animal
1. Meat: This is the muscle tissue or flesh and the associated fat, connective tissue of slaughtered animals. Meat presents a source of high-quality protein in the human diet, which is essential for body building and repair.
2. Milk: This is a white, cream-colored secretion from the mammary glands of female farm animals, which is produced after parturition (birth of the young animal). It is also a very valuable source of high-quality protein. Food by-products of milk such as ghee, butter, and cheese are highly desired sources of protein in human diets.
3. Eggs: These are produced by poultry, and they serve as a very good source of protein in man’s diet.
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2. Farm Work
Farm animals serve as a good source of power, especially in rural communities where there are no motorable roads. Oxen (cows, bulls, bullocks) can be trained to draw ploughs, harrows, cultivators, and carts.
3. Transportation
Donkeys, horses, buffalo, bullocks, and mules are used to transport farm inputs, farm workers, and loads of farm produce to both farm settlements and markets.
6 Non-Food Benefits of Farm Animals
Livestock species have other uses derived from other products obtainable from them. These include;
1. Provision of skin and hides for industrial manufacture of leather;
2. Extractions from internal organs of farm animals such parts as liver, pancreas, intestine, gall bladder, etc. used in making drugs in pharmaceutical industries;
3. Provision of animal fats used in making soap, lubricating oil, and drugs;
4. Provision of hooves and horns used in industrial production of gelatin, glues, buttons, combs, and other kitchen household equipment;
5. Provision of manure (e.g. farmyard droppings, excrements) used as alternative fertilizer materials to inorganic fertilizers in crop farms; and
6. As a source of household income when livestock and livestock products are sold. In peri-urban areas and rural settings, livestock farmers keep animals primarily to meet their daily expenditures. Livestock keeping also offers huge employment opportunities. This also has important social benefits.
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