About Book

Livestock farming is a vital activity in the development of humanity and continues to occupy a prominent place among the primary activities of the world economy. It is the rearing of animals for food and for other human uses. It guarantees food supply, hides, skins, bones, milk and other animal products without going to the forest to hunt. Livestock farming includes the breeding of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry, rabbits, snails, fishes, and honeybees. Sustainable livestock production means making livestock systems economically more efficient and striking balance between meeting the growing demand of animal-origin products and reducing to the minimum the negative side effects and externalities from the livestock sector. Developments in breeding, nutrition and animal health will continue to contribute to increasing potential production and further efficiency and genetic gains. This book outlines the processes and applications of livestock production and management in detail. It unfolds the innovative aspects of animal rearing and farming practices which are closely related to livestock in an interesting manner. It focuses on alkaloids in livestock, ruminant livestock, lactic acid bacteria, digested livestock manure, livestock production optimization, ameliorative measures, organic livestock farms and manure management. It thoroughly talks about the various concepts of livestock production and management. Different approaches, evaluations, methodologies and advanced studies on livestock management have been included in this elaborate book. It is an important and an invaluable source of information for professionals and researchers in the field.

Preface............................................................................................................v

Chapter 1 Public Health Aspect of Manure Management in Urban and

Peri-Urban Livestock Farming in Developing Countries.................1

Abstract ..................................................................................................1

1. Introduction ..........................................................................................2

2. Exploration of animals-humans-environment interaction.............3

3. Cattle and manure management practices.......................................5

4. Pathogens in cattle, humans and the environment ......................8

5. Transmission of bacteria between cattle, humans and

environment.........................................................................................11

6. Conclusion............................................................................................17

7. Recommendations ..............................................................................17

Acknowledgements.............................................................................19

Chapter 2 GHG Emissions from Livestock: Challenges and Ameliorative Measures to Counter Adversity.............................................................22

Abstract ................................................................................................22

1. Introduction ........................................................................................23

2. GHG emissions from livestock .......................................................24

3. GHG emissions from manure management ................................32

4. Summary...............................................................................................37

Chapter 3 Automatic Identification and Interpretation of Animal Sounds, Application to Livestock Production Optimisation..........................41

1. Introduction ........................................................................................41

2. Interpretation of chicken embryo sounds .....................................43

3. Monitoring of vocalisations of chickens .......................................49

4. Pig cough identification for health monitoring............................49

5. Conclusion ...........................................................................................55

Acknowledgements ...........................................................................55

Chapter 4 Biomass Digestion to Produce Organic Fertilizers: A Case-Study

on Digested Livestock Manure.............................................................60

1. Introduction ........................................................................................60

2. Materials and methods......................................................................63

3. Results and discussion.......................................................................66

4. Conclusion............................................................................................77

Acknowledgement .............................................................................78

Chapter 5 Lactic Acid Bacteria and Mitigation of GHG Emission from

Ruminant Livestock..................................................................................82

1. Introduction..........................................................................................82

2. Possible control of indirect action of lactic acid bacteria as

probiotics on rumen methanogenesis.............................................85

3. Abatement of rumen methanogenesis by direct action of lactic

acid bacteria as prebiotics producer...............................................86

Chapter 6 Reducing Enteric Methane Losses from Ruminant Livestock – Its

Measurement, Prediction and the Influence of Diet.......................96

1. Introduction..........................................................................................96

2. Methods used to sample and measure methane production....98

3. Methane output measurements......................................................100

4. Methane output prediction equations...........................................101

5. Effect of diet on methane output..................................................104

6. Conclusions........................................................................................106

Acknowledgement.............................................................................107

Chapter 7 Air-Polluted with Particulate Matters from Livestock

Buildings...................................................................................................116

1. Introduction ......................................................................................116

2. Harmful effect of the dust on human and animal health ......117

3. Definition of the particle ................................................................119

4. Particles characterization ................................................................120

5. Sources of the dust inside the livestock buildings ...................121

6. Indoor dust concentration and emission rate in livestock

buildings ............................................................................................121

7. Quantifications of dust concentration .........................................122

8. Means for reduction of dust in/from animal houses ...............128

Chapter 8 Doppler Ultrasonography for Evaluating Vascular Responses to

Ergopeptine Alkaloids in Livestock .................................................147

1. Introduction ......................................................................................147

2. Vascular control of blood flow for regulating core body

temperature .......................................................................................149

3. Ergopeptnes and their effects on vascular circulation .............149

4. Color Doppler ultrasonography in measuring

vasoconstriction ................................................................................151

5. Summary ...........................................................................................165

Chapter 9 Do Organic Livestock Farms Differ from Low-Input Conventional

Ones? Insights Based on Beef Cattle in Southern Europe .........173

Abstract ..............................................................................................173

1. Introduction ......................................................................................174

2. Material and methods .....................................................................175

3. Results ................................................................................................177

4. Discussion .........................................................................................183

5. Conclusions and future perspectives ...........................................188

Acknowledgements .........................................................................189

Citation......................................................................................................195

Index...........................................................................................................197

About Author

Elijah Phillips obtained his Ph.D. Degree in Animal and Food Hygiene from Public Research University, Irkutsk. His interests lie in agricultural marketing, animal health economics, food safety economics and livestock production and management. He is serving as a Market Specialist III at Community College, Hokkaido. Phillips has authored and edited a number of academic periodicals, journal papers, articles and books in the field of crossbreeding, livestock production and management. He has also attended numerous agricultural conferences and symposiums and has presented 5 papers on livestock production and poultry domestication.