Animal Science as Animal Science as AgricultureAgriculture

Science isScience is

n the study or theoretical the study or theoretical explanation of natural explanation of natural phenomena.phenomena.

n During this time of study During this time of study we are investigating the we are investigating the laws of nature, her laws of nature, her principles and reasons principles and reasons

AgricultureAgriculture

n Oldest and most Oldest and most important of all sciencesimportant of all sciences

Without an Without an understanding of understanding of

agriculture agriculture

n all humans would be all humans would be struggling for survivalstruggling for survival

Most of our comforts come Most of our comforts come as a direct result of as a direct result of

science.science.

n sheltersheltern foodfoodn clothingclothing

Early people ate fruits, Early people ate fruits, nuts and other seeds. nuts and other seeds.

n They were migratory They were migratory hunters hunters

n The idea of The idea of domestication came domestication came about and people began about and people began to settle downto settle down

People began to pay close People began to pay close attention to detailsattention to details

n and from these details and from these details n drew conclusions on drew conclusions on

where to locate and where to locate and harvest their food.harvest their food.

Progressive Progressive scientific researchscientific research n in the U.S. began in the in the U.S. began in the

mid 1800’s at universities.mid 1800’s at universities.n The universities were only The universities were only

teaching the “classics” teaching the “classics” such as Latin and Greek, such as Latin and Greek, History, Math and History, Math and PhilosophyPhilosophy

Soon they realizedSoon they realized

n that they should include that they should include more practical hands on more practical hands on subject areas in their subject areas in their curriculum.curriculum.

1862 Senator Morrill 1862 Senator Morrill from Vermontfrom Vermont

n pushed for a bill through pushed for a bill through the U.S. Congress that the U.S. Congress that would provide public land would provide public land and funds for colleges that and funds for colleges that would teach practical would teach practical methods of manufacturing methods of manufacturing and food productionand food production

The bill was signed The bill was signed by President Lincolnby President Lincoln

n and the Land Grant or and the Land Grant or Morrill Act was passed Morrill Act was passed into law.into law.

18621862

n A bill was passed which A bill was passed which started the USDA started the USDA

n United States United States Department of Department of AgricultureAgriculture

1872 - Hatch Act1872 - Hatch Act

n With the growing interest With the growing interest in agriculture, the in agriculture, the government decided to government decided to put the new ideas for put the new ideas for agricultural practices to agricultural practices to work.work.

Hatch ActHatch Act

n This act set up the This act set up the Experiment Stations run Experiment Stations run by the universitiesby the universities

1914 - Smith Lever1914 - Smith Lever

n Set up Cooperative Set up Cooperative Extension ServiceExtension Service

n (Extension Agent, 4-H)(Extension Agent, 4-H)

Land Grant SystemLand Grant System

n composed of universities, composed of universities, experiment stations, and experiment stations, and cooperative extension cooperative extension service.service.

Land Grant SystemLand Grant System

n Universities conduct the Universities conduct the research, methods tested research, methods tested at experiment stations, at experiment stations, brought to public by brought to public by extension.extension.

1917- Smith 1917- Smith HughesHughes

n established funding for established funding for vocational agriculture vocational agriculture education programs in education programs in high schools.high schools.

Scientific MethodScientific Methodn systematic method of systematic method of

gaining knowledge through gaining knowledge through experimentationexperimentation

n assures that results did not assures that results did not occur just by chance and occur just by chance and that something actually did that something actually did cause the change.cause the change.

The Scientific The Scientific MethodMethod

n Recognize a ProblemRecognize a Problemn Develop a HypothesisDevelop a Hypothesisn Do an experimentDo an experimentn Collect the DataCollect the Datan Analyze DataAnalyze Datan Draw a conclusionDraw a conclusion

andand

n make a recommendationmake a recommendation

Identify the problem to Identify the problem to be solvedbe solved

n an idea of the cause may an idea of the cause may already be presentalready be present

form a hypothesisform a hypothesis

n an educated guessan educated guessn this is a guess of what this is a guess of what

causes or might be causes or might be causing the problemcausing the problem

conduct the conduct the experimentexperiment

n experiment should test experiment should test the hypothesisthe hypothesis

Two groups to Two groups to every experimentevery experimentn control - is constant in control - is constant in

everything except the everything except the thing being testedthing being tested

experimentexperiment - -

n contains everything that contains everything that the control group does, the control group does, but also contains the but also contains the variable being testedvariable being tested

Two types of Two types of researchresearch

n basic - looks at why or basic - looks at why or how processes occur in how processes occur in animalsanimals

n applied - uses the applied - uses the discoveries made in discoveries made in basic research to help in basic research to help in a practical manner.a practical manner.

Where Search Has Where Search Has Led UsLed Us

n Agriculture, besides Agriculture, besides medicine, is the medicine, is the application of almost all application of almost all the research and the research and knowledge associated knowledge associated with plants and animalswith plants and animals

basic researchbasic research

n has benefited us the has benefited us the most by allowing us to most by allowing us to produce high quality produce high quality protein food very protein food very efficientlyefficiently

ResearchResearch

n Here is a list of Here is a list of achievements achievements accomplished since 1925accomplished since 1925better control of better control of parasites and diseases parasites and diseases and an end product and an end product that is higher is protein that is higher is protein

productivity and productivity and efficiencyefficiency

–of all species has of all species has increasedincreasedbroilers are ready for broilers are ready for market in 7.5 weeks market in 7.5 weeks after only 2lbs of feed after only 2lbs of feed and it used to take 4lbs and it used to take 4lbs of feed and 15 weeksof feed and 15 weeks

ResearchResearchWThe countries in North The countries in North

and Central America, and Central America, Europe, Australia and Europe, Australia and New Zealand have only New Zealand have only 29.9%of the worlds cattle 29.9%of the worlds cattle yet produce nearly 68% of yet produce nearly 68% of the worlds beef and vealthe worlds beef and veal

these are also the these are also the countries countries

n in which nearly all of the in which nearly all of the scientific knowledge scientific knowledge about the growing of about the growing of these animals has been these animals has been discovereddiscovered

Milestones Milestones n That Revolutionized AgricultureThat Revolutionized Agriculturen 1. Animal immunization1. Animal immunization

–late 1800’s disease began to late 1800’s disease began to devastate all types of animalsdevastate all types of animals

–Louis Pasteur developed first Louis Pasteur developed first method of vaccinating animals method of vaccinating animals to develop immunity (1870-to develop immunity (1870-80’s)80’s)

serum developed serum developed n to fight anthrax from to fight anthrax from the blood of sheep that the blood of sheep that had survived a bout had survived a bout with the disease with the disease

serum tested in serum tested in two groupstwo groups

n group 1 - infected with group 1 - infected with the serum and later the serum and later infected with anthraxinfected with anthrax

group 2:group 2:

n infected with just infected with just anthraxanthraxgroup 1 lived andgroup 1 lived and

n group 2 diedgroup 2 died

Vaccines for other Vaccines for other diseasesdiseases

nUsing Pasteurs Using Pasteurs guidelines other guidelines other scientists developed scientists developed vaccines for other vaccines for other diseasesdiseases

animals raised inanimals raised inn a disease free a disease free

environment can be environment can be raised more efficiently raised more efficiently and at a much lower costand at a much lower cost

2. Refrigeration2. Refrigeration

–there was a huge need there was a huge need for meat preservationfor meat preservation

–meat would spoil meat would spoil quicklyquicklynin the winter meat in the winter meat would freeze solid would freeze solid until the springuntil the spring

meat preservative meat preservative methodsmethods

n saltsaltn dryingdryingn keeping meat in a cool keeping meat in a cool

streamstream

ProblemsProblems–Problems with this was Problems with this was that meat was less that meat was less palatable and these palatable and these methods were very methods were very time consumingtime consuming

todaytodayn we have freezers and we have freezers and refrigerators which refrigerators which utilize chemicals and utilize chemicals and compressors to compressors to condition the air and condition the air and keep it coolkeep it cool

firstfirst attempt attemptn of meat cooling was of meat cooling was

done with huge blocks of done with huge blocks of ice being hung from the ice being hung from the ceilings of dark roomsceilings of dark rooms

Refrigerated box Refrigerated box carscars

nwere developed a few were developed a few years lateryears later

Artificial Artificial inseminationinsemination

–advancements in advancements in animals produced are animals produced are achieved through the achieved through the transfer of superior transfer of superior genes from parent to genes from parent to the offspringthe offspring

A.I. Was developedA.I. Was developed

n in the 1930’s and in the 1930’s and allowed for greater and allowed for greater and more controllable more controllable transfer of genes from transfer of genes from superior siressuperior sires

A.I. Is widely A.I. Is widely availableavailable

n this is most prevalent in this is most prevalent in dairy animalsdairy animals

4. Embryo transfer4. Embryo transfer

n allows for genes of allows for genes of superior dams to be superior dams to be more widely usedmore widely used

combining ET and combining ET and AI AI

n allows producers to make allows producers to make rapid gains in the quality rapid gains in the quality of their herds in short of their herds in short amounts of time at amounts of time at relatively low costrelatively low cost

5. Use of 5. Use of computerscomputers

–first computer was first computer was developed in the 1940’s and developed in the 1940’s and became an integral part of became an integral part of agriculture in the 1980’sagriculture in the 1980’s

–as research moves more as research moves more swiftly computers allow us swiftly computers allow us to analyze information in to analyze information in seconds instead of weeks seconds instead of weeks

AndAnd–allows us to do allows us to do simulated experiments simulated experiments plus numerous other plus numerous other thingsthings

–ag usesag usesnprogeny recordsprogeny recordsnproduction recordsproduction records

Ag UsesAg Usesn feed recordsfeed recordsnaccounting recordsaccounting recordsnmuch moremuch more

Animals Effect on Animals Effect on Everyday LifeEveryday Life

n lives of humans have been lives of humans have been greatly enhanced through greatly enhanced through pharmaceuticals developed pharmaceuticals developed from animal by-productsfrom animal by-products

n many routinely prescribed many routinely prescribed drugs are derived from drugs are derived from animalsanimals

cortisone: cortisone:

n was originally made from was originally made from the gall bladder of cows the gall bladder of cows and and

AndAnd

–can be made syntheticallycan be made synthetically–insulin: comes from the insulin: comes from the pancreas of pigs (best pancreas of pigs (best match) also now made match) also now made synthetically synthetically

–many hormones used in many hormones used in treating humanstreating humans

Effects on Everyday Effects on Everyday LifeLife

n animal parts can be used as animal parts can be used as replacements for humans replacements for humans

heart valves: heart valves:

n have been used for more have been used for more than twenty years from than twenty years from pigs in humanspigs in humans

pig skin pig skin

n is used in treating burn is used in treating burn patients (laid over the patients (laid over the burnt area until new skin burnt area until new skin grows naturallygrows naturally

Effects on Everyday Effects on Everyday LifeLife

n the rest of the world can the rest of the world can not come close to not come close to competing with the US competing with the US agricultureagriculture

our research our research ncombined with the free combined with the free enterprise system has enterprise system has made us #1 in the made us #1 in the world in agricultural world in agricultural productionproduction