Scope
The livestock sector (cattle, sheep, goat, pig, poultry) is a pillar of the global food system and a contributor to poverty reduction, food security, and agricultural development. However, the livestock sector has a high environmental and economic impact on the sustainability of rural economies and the balance of many ecosystems.
This topic discusses principles of livestock management, including basic animal husbandry, animal nutrition, and farm management. Due to the growing demand of modern consumers for environmentally friendly production of animal products, the topic also proposes modern herd health management strategies. Herd health management plays a key role in the productivity of farms. In field conditions, veterinarians and animal professionals must develop and follow a herd health program that addresses issues of diagnosis, treatments, vaccinations, nutrition, and biosecurity. Herd health management is also important for producers to ensure the health status and productivity of the farm. Therefore, it is important to understand the fundamentals of herd health management strategies to monitor and review health issues, risk factors, and diagnostic tools that can be used to improve the health and productive parameters of animal farms.
This topic examines understanding problems and challenges in modern animal farming through the lens of the World Health Organization’s One Health initiative and proposes ways to fulfill the current demands for animal welfare and herd health management while optimizing health and productivity.
keywords
Herd Health Management Infectious Diseases Reproduction Animal Welfare Nutrition Epidemiology Biosecurity Zoonoses Organic Livestock Production Livestock Farming Environmental Risk Factors