Brief History of Animal Production

 Animal production perhaps began about 10,000 years ago, when man started domesticating animals from the wild for his immediate and continual needs. Man’s efforts in this regard deviated from killing and destruction of animals especially for their products. In man’s renewed attitude, captured animals were tendered through proper feeding, breeding and application of other management practices, which have led to favourable adaptation and multiplication within the confine of human environment. As man further realised the potentials of farm animals as sources of food, fibre, and income, greater attention and efforts began to evolve to improve production and productivity. Outstanding performance of measurable and quality characteristics started to manifest for identification and consideration for possible multiplication through selection, breeding and upgrading. Since then new advances began to unfold especially in the Western countries. The advances brought alongside; provision of proper housing, feeding selection and breeding methods resulting in the automation of various aspects of animal production and processing at the present time. The improvement in livestock production in the Western nations far outstrip the level of development in the sub-Saharan Africa, where over 90% of ruminant animals are still in the hands of peasants who use traditional production methods. Applications of modern production methods in Nigeria are largely restricted to institutional farms and a few commercial farms