Introduction:

• Animal husbandry is the branch of biological science which deals with the study of various breeds of livestock animals and poultry birds and their management for obtaining products and services from them.
• Or it may be defined as a science as well as an art of management including scientific feeding, breeding, housing and health care of common domestic animals aiming for maximum return.
• Animal husbandry derived from the word ‘husband’ which mean ‘one who take care’. When incorporate the study of proper utilization of economically important domestic animals it is called livestock management.

Utility of domestic animals:

             Domestic animals are categories into the following functional groups

1. Milk giving animals—– cattle, buffalo, goat sheep.
2. Draught animals———-Bullock. Horse, donkey, mule, camel etc.
3. Fiber hide and skin yielding animals— sheep, goat, buffalo camel etc.
4. Meat, egg yielding animals—- fowl, duck, goat, sheep, pig, buffalo.

• Animal Husbandry play a crucial role ensuring the welfare of rural population. Majority of the farmers depend on Animal Husbandry for their livelihood.
• Moreover, livestock sector provides supplementary employment and sustainable source of income to many small and marginal farmers.
• In addition, this sector provides milk, meat, eggs, besides draught power, raw materials like wool and hides for industries.
• Livestock is an integral part of the agricultural production system in Nepal providing almost all the draft power cultivation and dung as farm yard manure to enrich the fertility of soil.
• In the hills & mountain mules, asses, yak and even sheep & goats are important means of transportation. Whereas in the terai bullock and buffalo bulls are mainly used for pulling cart for transportation of human and other livestock commodities.
• Some horses are also used for transportation. Livestock only the source of high value source of animal protein in the form of milk, meat, eggs and generates cash income in rural households.
• Sale of livestock animals for slaughter, surplus livestock products and/or draft power accounts over 20% of the household cash income.

The main reason for livestock farming could be ranked under;

• Manure production
• Draft power production for ploughing & transportation
• Substituting protein rich food for household consumption and
• Obtaining cash income from selling surplus live animal and their products.