👷 Animal scientist

An animal scientist is a specialist in keeping and breeding farm animals. On a dairy farm, they make sure the cows are well fed, healthy and give a lot of milk.

Their main task is the ration, the set of feeds for a day. The specialist works out how much hay, silage, grain and mineral supplements a cow needs to get enough energy and protein. A cow is a ruminant: it eats mostly grass and other bulky feeds. The specialist also keeps records of milk yields, watches the animals' weight and condition, and the conditions in the barn. They plan breeding and choose the sires.

Scientists in this field are called animal scientists in English. They study heredity, nutrition, reproduction and growth of animals. They look for better ways to produce milk, meat and eggs and advise farmers on how to keep livestock. A scientific approach to livestock breeding began to take shape in the 18th century. The Englishman Robert Bakewell was one of the first to select the best animals for breeding in a systematic way. Today, artificial insemination helps these specialists. The modern Holstein dairy cow, for example, was developed through this kind of selection.