Animal Husbandry and Veterinary

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Science
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science - Optional
of Part B - Main Examination of Civil Services Exam
 

                                                      PAPER – I

1.         Animal Nutrition:

1.1       Partitioning of food energy within the animal. Direct and indirect calorimetry. Carbon –
nitrogen balance and comparative slaughter methods. Systems for expressing energy value of
foods in ruminants, pigs and poultry. Energy requirements for maintenance, growth,
pregnancy, lactation, egg, wool, and meat production.

1.2       Latest advances in protein nutrition. Energy protein interrelationships. Evaluation of protein
quality. Use of NPN compounds in ruminant diets. Protein requirements  for maintenance,
growth, pregnancy, lactation, egg, wool and meat production.

1.3       Major and trace minerals - Their sources, physiological functions and deficiency symptoms.
Toxic minerals. Mineral interactions. Role of fat-soluble and water – soluble vitamins in the
body, their sources and deficiency symptoms.

1.4       Feed additives – methane inhibitors, probiotics, enzymes, antibiotics, hormones,

oligosaccharides, antioxidants, emulsifiers, mould inhibitors, buffers etc. Use and abuse of
growth promoters like hormones and antibiotics – latest concepts.

1.5       Conservation of fodders. Storage of feeds and feed ingredients. Recent advances in feed
technology and feed processing. Anti – nutritional and toxic factors present in livestock feeds.
Feed analysis and quality control.  Digestibility trials – direct, indirect and indicator methods.
Predicting feed intake in grazing animals.

1.6       Advances in ruminant nutrition. Nutrient requirements. Balanced rations. Feeding of calves,
pregnant, work animals and breeding bulls. Strategies for feeding milch animals during
different stages of lactation cycle. Effect of feeding on milk composition. Feeding of goats for
meat and milk production. Feeding of sheep for meat and wool production.

1.7       Swine Nutrition. Nutrient requirements. Creep, starter, grower and finisher rations. Feeding of
pigs for lean meat production. Low cost rations for swine.

1.8       Poultry nutrition. Special features of poultry nutrition. Nutrient requirements for meat and egg
production. Formulation of rations for different classes of layers and broilers.

2.         Animal Physiology:

2.1       Physiology of blood and its circulation, respiration; excretion. Endocrine glands in health and
disease.

2.2       Blood constituents.-Properties and functions-blood cell formation-Haemoglobin synthesis and

chemistry-plasma proteins production, classification and properties, coagulation of
blood;Haemorrhagic disorders-anticoagulants-blood groups-Blood volume-Plasma expanders-
Buffer systems in blood. Biochemical tests and their significance in disease diagnosis.

2.3       Circulation. - Physiology of heart, cardiac cycle, heart sounds, heart beat, electrocardiograms.
Work and efficiency of heart-effect of ions on heart function-metabolism of cardiac muscle,
nervous and chemical regulation of heart, effect of temperature and stress on heart, blood
pressure and hypertension, osmotic regulation, arterial pulse, vasomotor regulation of
circulation, shock. Coronary and pulmonary circulation, Blood-Brain barrier- Cerebrospinal
fluid- circulation in birds.
2.4       Respiration. - Mechanism of respiration, Transport and exchange  of gases –neural control of
respiration-chemo-receptors-hypoxia-respiration in birds.

2.5       Excretion-Structure and function of kidney-formation of urine-methods of studying renal

function-renal regulation of acid-base balance: physiological constituents of urine-renal failure-
passive venous congestion-Urinary secretion in chicken-Sweat glands and their function. Bio-
chemical test for urinary dysfunction.

2.6       Endocrine glands. -Functional disorders their symptoms and diagnosis. Synthesis of hormones,
mechanism and control of secretion- hormonal receptors-classification and function.

2.7       Growth and Animal Production- Prenatal and postnatal growth, maturation, growth curves, 
measures of growth, factors affecting growth, conformation, body composition, meat quality.

2.8       Physiology of Milk Production,  Reproduction and Digestion- Current status of hormonal control
of mammary development, milk secretion and milk ejection, Male and Female reproductive
organs, their components and functions. Digestive organs and their functions.

2.9       Environmental Physiology- Physiological relations and their regulation; mechanisms of

adaptation, environmental factors and regulatory mechanisms involved in animal behaviour,
climatology – various parameters and their importance. Animal ecology.  Physiology of
behaviour. Effect of stress on health and production.

3.         Animal Reproduction:

         Semen quality- Preservation and Artificial Insemination- Components of semen, composition of
spermatozoa, chemical and physical properties of ejaculated semen, factors affecting semen in
vivo and in vitro. Factors affecting semen production and quality, preservation, composition of
diluents, sperm concentration, transport of diluted semen. Deep freezing techniques in cows,
sheep, goats, swine and poultry. Detection of oestrus and time of insemination for better
conception. Anoestrus and repeat breeding.

4.         Livestock Production and Management:

4.1       Commercial  Dairy Farming- Comparison of dairy farming in India with advanced countries.
Dairying under mixed farming and as  specialized farming, economic dairy farming. Starting of
a dairy farm, Capital and land requirement, organization of the dairy farm. Opportunities in
dairy farming, factors determining the efficiency of dairy animal. Herd recording, budgeting,
cost of milk production, pricing policy; Personnel Management. Developing Practical and
Economic rations for dairy cattle; supply of greens throughout the year, feed and fodder
requirements of Dairy Farm. Feeding regimes for  young stock and bulls, heifers and breeding
animals; new trends in feeding young and adult stock; Feeding records.

4.2       Commercial meat, egg and wool production- Development of practical and economic rations for
sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits and poultry. Supply of greens, fodder, feeding regimes for young
and mature stock. New trends in enhancing production and management. Capital and land
requirements and socio- economic concept.

4.3       Feeding and management of animals under drought, flood and other natural calamities.

5.         Genetics and Animal Breeding:

         History of animal genetics. Mitosis and Meiosis: Mendelian inheritance; deviations to Mendelian
genetics; Expression of genes; Linkage and crossing over; Sex determination, sex influenced
and sex limited characters; Blood groups and polymorphism; Chromosome aberrations;
 Cytoplasmic inheritance. Gene and its structure; DNA as a genetic material; Genetic code and
protein synthesis; Recombinant DNA technology. Mutations, types of mutations, methods for
detecting mutations and mutation rate. Transgenesis.

5.1       Population Genetics applied to Animal Breeding- Quantitative Vs. qualitative traits; Hardy
Weinberg Law; Population Vs. individual; Gene and genotypic frequency; Forces changing gene
frequency; Random drift and small populations; Theory of path coefficient; Inbreeding,
methods of estimating inbreeding coefficient, systems of inbreeding,  Effective population size;
Breeding value, estimation of breeding value, dominance and epistatic deviation; Partitioning of
variation; Genotype X environment correlation and genotype X environment interaction; role of
multiple measurements; Resemblance between relatives.

5.2       Breeding Systems- Breeds of livestsock and Poultry. Heritability, repeatability and genetic and
phenotypic correlations, their methods of estimation and precision of estimates; Aids to
selection and their relative merits; Individual, pedigree, family and within family selection;
Progeny testing; Methods of selection; Construction of selection indices and their uses;
Comparative evaluation of genetic gains through various selection methods; Indirect selection
and correlated response; Inbreeding, out breeding, upgrading, cross-breeding and synthesis of
breeds; Crossing of inbred lines for commercial production; Selection for general and specific
combining ability; Breeding for threshold characters. Sire index.

6.         Extension:

Basic philosophy, objectives, concept and principles of extension. Different Methods adopted to
educate farmers under rural conditions. Generation of technology, its transfer and feedback.
Problems and constraints in transfer of technology. Animal husbandry programmes for rural
development.

PAPER – II
1.         Anatomy, Pharmacology and Hygiene:

1.1       Histology and Histological    Techniques: Paraffin embedding technique of tissue processing
and H.E. staining - Freezing microtomy- Microscopy-Bright field microscope and electron
microscope. Cytology-structure of cell, organells and inclusions; cell division-cell types- Tissues
and their classification-embryonic and adult tissues-Comparative histology of organs-Vascular.
Nervous, digestive, respiratory, musculo- skeletal and urogenital systems- Endocrine glands
-Integuments-sense organs.

1.2       Embryology – Embryology of vertebrates with special reference to aves and domestic
mammals gametogenesis-fertilization-germ layers- foetal membranes and placentation-types
of placenta in domestic mammals-Teratology-twins and twinning- organogenesis -germ layer
derivatives- endodermal, mesodermal and ectodermal derivates.

1.3       Bovine Anatomy- Regional Anatomy: Paranasal sinuses of OX- surface anatomy of salivary
glands. Regional anatomy of infraorbital, maxillary, mandibuloalveolar,mental and cornual
nerve block. Regional anatomy of paravertebral nerves, pudendal nerve, median ulnar and
radial nerves-tibial,fibular and digital nerves-Cranial nerves-structures involved in epidural
anaesthesia-superficial lymph nodes-surface anatomy of visceral organs of thoracic, abdominal
and pelvic cavities-comparative features of locomotor apparatus and their application in the
biomechanics of mammalian body.

1.4       Anatomy of Fowl- Musculo-skeletal system-functional anatomy in relation to respiration and

flying, digestion and egg production.

1.5       Pharmacology and therapeutic drugs - Cellular level of pharmacodynamics and

pharmacokinetics. Drugs acting on fluids and electrolyte balance. Drugs acting on Autonomic
nervous system. Modern concepts of anaesthesia and dissociative anaesthetics. Autacoids.
Antimicrobials and principles of chemotherapy in microbial infections. Use of hormones in
therapeutics- chemotherapy of parasitic infections. Drug and economic concerns in the Edible
 tissues of animals- chemotherapy of Neoplastic diseases. Toxicity due to insecticides, plants,
metals, non-metals, zootoxins and mycotoxins.

1.6       Veterinary Hygiene with reference to water, air and habitation - Assessment of pollution of
water, air and soil- Importance of climate in animal health- effect of environment on animal
function and performance-relationship between industrialization and animal agriculture- animal
housing requirements for specific categories of domestic animals viz. pregnant cows and sows,
milking cows, broiler birds- stress, strain and productivity in relation to animal habitation.

2.         Animal Diseases:

2.1       Etiology, epidemiology pathogenesis, symptoms, postmortem lesions, diagnosis, and control of
infectious diseases of cattle, sheep and goat, horses, pigs and poultry.

2.2       Etiology, epidemiology, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment of production diseases of cattle,

horse, pig and poultry.

2.3       Deficiency diseases of domestic animals and birds.

2.4       Diagnosis and treatment of non-specific conditions like impaction, Bloat, Diarrhoea,
Indigestion, dehydration, stroke, poisoning.

2.5       Diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders.

2.6       Principles and methods of immunization of animals against specific diseases- herd immunity-
disease free zones- ‘zero’ disease concept- chemoprophylaxis.

2.7       Anaesthesia- local, regional and general-preanesthetic medication. Symptoms and surgical
interference in fractures and dislocation. Hernia, choking abomasal displacement- Caesarian
operations. Rumenotomy-Castrations.

2.8       Disease investigation techniques.- Materials for laboratory investigation- Establishment of 
Animal Health Centers- Disease free zone-

3.   Veterinary Public Health:

3.1       Zoonoses. - Classification, definition, role of animals and birds in prevalence and transmission
of zoonotic diseases- occupational zoonotic diseases.

3.2       Epidemiology- Principle, definition of epidemiological terms, application of epidemiological

measures in the study of diseases and disease control. Epidemiological features of air, water
and food borne infections. OIE regulations, WTO, sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

3.3       Veterinary Jurisprudence- Rules and Regulations for improvement of animal quality and
prevention of animal diseases - State and central  rules for prevention of animal and animal
product borne diseases- S P C A- Veterolegal cases-   Certificates -Materials and Methods of
collection of samples for veterolegal investigation.

4.         Milk and Milk Products Technology:

4.1       Market Milk: Quality, testing and grading of raw milk. Processing, packaging, storing,
distribution, marketing, defects and their control. Preparation of the following milks:
Pasteurized, standardized, toned, double toned, sterilized, homogenized, reconstituted,
recombined and  flavoured milks. Preparation of cultured milks, cultures and their
management, yoghurt, Dahi, Lassi and Srikhand. Preparation of flavoured and sterilized milks.
Legal standards. Sanitation requirement for clean and safe milk and for the milk plant
equipment.

4.2       Milk Products Technology.- Selection of raw materials, processing, storing , distributing and
marketing milk products such as  Cream, Butter, Ghee, Khoa, Channa, Cheese, condensed,
evaporated, dried milk and baby food, Ice cream and Kulfi; by-products, whey products, butter
 milk, lactose and casein. Testing, grading, judging milk products- BIS and Agmark
specifications, legal standards, quality control and nutritive properties. Packaging, processing
and operational control. Costing of dairy products.

5.         Meat Hygiene and Technology:

5.1       Meat Hygiene.

5.1.1    Ante mortem care and management of food animals, stunning, slaughter and dressing
operations; abattoir requirements and designs; Meat inspection procedures and judgment of
carcass meat cuts- grading of carcass meat cuts- duties and functions of Veterinarians in
wholesome meat production.

5.1.2    Hygienic methods of handling production of meat- Spoilage of meat and control measures-
Post - slaughter physicochemical changes in meat and factors that influence them- Quality
improvement methods – Adulteration of meat and detection - Regulatory provisions in Meat
trade and Industry.

5.2       Meat Technology.

5.2.1    Physical and chemical characteristics of meat- Meat emulsions- Methods of preservation of
meat- Curing, canning, irradiation, packaging of meat and meat products, processing and
formulations.

5.3       By- products- Slaughter house by- products and their utilization- Edible and inedible by
products- Social and economic implications of proper utilization of slaughter house by-
products- Organ products for food and pharmaceuticals.

5.4       Poultry Products Technology- Chemical composition and nutritive value of poultry meat, pre -
slaughter care and management. Slaughtering techniques, inspection, preservation of poultry
meat and products. Legal and BIS standards.

Structure, composition and nutritive value of eggs. Microbial spoilage. Preservation and
maintenance. Marketing of poultry meat, eggs and products. Value added meat products.

5.5       Rabbit/Fur Animal farming - Rabbit meat production. Disposal and utilization of fur and wool
and recycling of waste by products. Grading of wool. 

llabuses

Compulsory c ore courses

Animal disease (Current concepts) [Course code 667 0001]

This course will enable the student to appreciate the external and internal components of health,
agents of disease and how animals respond to them, at an individual and population level.
Subject areas: immunology; parasitology; microbiology; introduction to veterinary
epidemiology; principles of veterinary pathology.

Developing and monitoring of livestock production systems [Course code 667 0003]
This course will adopt a farming systems approach to permit the student to place livestock
production within the context of the utilisation of resources. This will allow a critical
consideration of appropriate husbandry for different animals in diverse environmental and socio-
economic conditions. Subject areas: An introduction to farming systems; Details of major
livestock production systems; Developing and monitoring of functioning livestock systems with
farmers, including organic farming; Environmental, welfare and breeding issues in sustainable
livestock husbandry.

Principles of livestock production [Course code 667 0002]

This course will enable the student to understand how feeding, breeding, management and
interaction with the environment influence animal production and disease. Subject areas: general
principles of nutrition; specialised areas of nutrition (students will select three of the following
options which must include at least one ruminant and one non-ruminant choice: feeding dairy
cows; feeding dual-purpose, beef and draught cattle; feeding sheep and goats; pig nutrition;
poultry nutrition; nutrition of horses, camelids and rabbits. In all the above cases, consideration
will be given to the different resources available in temperate and tropical/subtropical regions);
environmental studies, including climatic effects and housing; genetics; the physiology of growth
and lactation; the relevance of reproduction to livestock production.

Optional courses

Animal welfare [Course code 667 0016]

This course will provide a comprehensive appreciation of welfare and ethical issues connected
with farm animal practice, animal breeding, transport and slaughter, companion animals,
laboratory animals, animals used in competition and wildlife. Subject areas: An introduction to
veterinary ethics; the physiology of pain, distress, fear and anxiety; the effects of genetics on
animal welfare; welfare issues in animal husbandry systems; transport and slaughter; and specific
welfare issues in companion, farmed, laboratory, wild and competitive animals.

Epidemiology and animal health economics [Course code 667 0004]

This course will enable students to understand the role of epidemiology and economics in the
design and delivery of effective veterinary services aimed at improved animal health and
productivity. Subject areas: introduction to statistics; introduction to veterinary epidemiology –
basic principles, descriptive epidemiology, study design, sampling, quantitative aspects of
diagnostic testing; animal health economics – principles, partial budgets, decision tree analysis,
cost-benefit ratio, economics and project planning.

Economics for livestock development and policy [Course code 667 0011]
The objectives of this course are to stimulate awareness of the socio-economic, political and
environmental issues that will affect future livestock development and to provide the tools to
analyse the issues confronting producers, their advisers, planners and policy makers. Subject
areas: Basic concepts of the economics of livestock production; Extensive, medium intensity and
intensive systems of livestock production; Marketing and policy; Further economics for the
analysis of livestock development; Tools for livestock economists.

Management of infectious disease outbreaks in animal populations

[Course code 667 0017]
This course is designed to teach both the theoretical and practical information required for the
management of a major infectious disease outbreak of farm animals. Topics will include
epidemiology of infectious viral diseases, risk and cost-benefit analysis, surveillance, diagnosis
and vaccination strategies before and during an outbreak, contingency planning and case studies
to illustrate how disease outbreaks could be better managed.

Reproduction and fertility — a species approach [Course code 667 0009]

This course will enable students to gain a comprehensive insight into the physiology of
reproduction and the management and manipulation of fertility to optimise animal productivity.
Subject areas: general principles of reproduction; introduction to reproductive anatomy and
physiology; control of breeding; fertilisation, conception and pregnancy; reproductive disorders
and disease; embryo transfer and assisted reproduction; reproduction management. Students will
be required to specialise in three of the following: cattle; small ruminants; pigs; camelids, rabbits
and poultry; equids.

Research design, management and grant application writing

[Course code 667 0014]
This course will enable students to undertake a research project, with an appropriate study design
to validate a hypothesis and analyse the data, including the presentation of results and writing a
grant application. Subject areas: introduction to scientific research and how to formulate a
hypothesis; literature search, critical analysis of papers and writing a scientific review;
experimental and statistical design in project planning; project management; preparing data for
analysis – qualitative data, quantitative data; statistical analysis and analysing the validity of
findings; report writing, presentation of data and writing a scientific paper; introduction to grant
application writing, planning the project and budget; guidelines to writing a good grant proposal.

Sustainable livestock farming in the environment [Course code 667 0020]

This new course aims to provide an understanding of the threats presented by changes in the
environment on livestock production and wildlife population, and explains the ways in which
global and regional environmental change can impact on sustainability of farming systems,
conservation of ecosystems and animal health. It will outline approaches that can used to
minimize unwanted environmental impacts of modern farming and land use systems, as well as
consider the values academics, researchers, veterinarians and livestock specialists attach to the
environment and to conservation issues. The course will also guide students in the approach they
take in future when considering animal–environment interactions.

Veterinary public health [Course code 667 0006]

The course will examine the role of veterinarians and other related professionals in the protection
of human health through the safe production of foods of animal origin, control of zoonotic
disease and environmental contamination. Subject areas: disease surveillance and risk analysis;
zoonoses and their control; disseminating information on veterinary public health; quality and
safety assurance in food production (meat, milk and eggs); development of disease control
programmes.

Research project in livestock health and production [Course code 667 0200]
The research project is an optional component and it is strongly recommended that you complete
the optional course Research design, management and grant application writing before
undertaking a research project as part of your MSc. In choosing to carry out a research project
you take the opportunity to conduct an investigation on a subject of your own choice, within the
topics of the MSc. This option will provide an important, qualitatively different addition to your
academic experience as a postgraduate student.

The overall objectives of the project are:

 to introduce you to methods of scientific investigation

 to train you in the critical evaluation of the scientific literature
 to enable you to acquire experience in the preparation of a scientific report.

Please email DLP@rvc.ac.uk if you have any specific enquiries with regard to this optional
course.