This textbook is intended as a comprehensive introduction to the biology, care, and production of domestic animals and freshwater sh raised to provide food, as well as pets kept for companionship and recreation. The authors teaching and research experiences in agriculture, animal and dairy sciences, and veterinary medicine provide the professional expertise that underpins the clearly written discussions of advances in animal sciences affecting humans globally. Coverage includes breeds and life cycles of livestock and poultry; nutritional contributions of animal products to humans; the principles of animal genetics, anatomy, and physiology including reproduction, lactation and growth; animal disease and public health; and insects and their biological control. Each chapter stands on its own. Instructors can assign higher priority to certain chapters and arrange topics for study in keeping with their preferred course outlines. The text has been classroom-tested for four decades in more than 100 colleges and universities at home and abroad. Additionally, it is pedagogically enhanced with glossary terms in boldface type, study questions at the end of each chapter, more than 350 illustrations, and historical and philosophical quotations. These useful features aid students in comprehending scientic concepts as well as enjoying the pleasures derived from learning more about food-producing animals, horses, and popular pets.

This textbook provides an integrated view of beef cattle production with a systems based approach, discussing the interrelationships of a broad range of aspects with the overall goal of optimising cattle production. This book provides the background to allow cattle producers to match their production environments with genetic, management, and marketing opportunities for sustainable beef production globally. This logic and resulting considerations can then be tailored to address specific regional challenges and opportunities worldwide. Considerations and examples for extreme situations will be provided, such as very small herds, very large herds, communal-group situations, and minimal artificial input systems.

"Livestock production systems will only be sustained in the long term if their products continue to meet the demand of consumers. The quality of ruminant carcasses, meat and meat products is of predominant importance in a competitive market where consumers tend to have a preconceived idea about the criteria that define meat quality such as flavour, tenderness, juiciness, smell, colour and texture. The carcass evaluation could be interesting as a precocious classification of the final quality of meat coming from each carcass. Today the quality characteristics of the meat must be different according to its utilisation (supermarket, butcher, catering, refectory, etc.) and so it is very important to choose very early the final destination of the carcass. Obviously, the carcass classification must correlate with meat quality characteristics required by final consumer. Other important factors that have to be taken into account in order to maintain a demand for ruminant meat are safety and traceability. This book reviews the historical and recent developments for carcass evaluation and grading for meat quality assessment in beef and sheep. It places special emphasis on new concepts and approaches to define carcass and meat quality and on the use of modern technologies for composition and quality evaluation. A range of technologies are presented such as ultrasounds and colour reflectance, X-ray computerised tomography, spectral and thermal imaging, image analysis and NIRS. The use of phenotypic markers such as the plasma hormones and genetic markers to predict carcass composition and meat quality are also presented."