Cattle farming is a part of animal husbandry practices, which include the farming of entire animal livestock. Initially animal husbandry started only with cattle farming by rearing cows, goats, buffalo, sheep, etc. but later on it extended to other farming types such as fish, poultry, etc. Animals in general are reared to obtain things for basic needs like milk, eggs, meat etc. Cattle farming refers to the rearing and management of dairy and drought animals. The category of animals which are reared for milk are dairy cattle and that which are reared for labor works like ploughing and irrigation are drought cattle. The main aim of cattle farming is to improve the quality and quantity of milk that is produced. To achieve this aim high yielding varieties of cattle breeds are developed and reared. The ever increasing demand for dairy and other products from the cattle keeps the cattle farming industry successful. The local market itself is enough to bring good returns for cattle farmers, but care must be taken to keep the cattle healthy and manage the farm operations in a decent way.
Breeds in Cattle Farming
Cattle are generally distinguished by their origin and production methods. Depending on the effective production of milk and meat the cattle are classified into four breeds, they are a Milk breed (high milk producing cattle), Beef breed (specific to meat production), Dual breed (both the milk and meat type), Draft breed (used for labor works). Cattle breeds are also classified into three categories based on the origin, such as Desi breed (these include the local type), foreign breed (originating from different parts of the world), hybrid breed (produced from the artificial insemination of two different types of breeds).
