Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science

Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Strategy for UPSC

Paper I Strategy

Animal Nutrition

• For this section, you should refer to the Principles of Animal Nutrition by DV Reddy.

• The important topics in this section are energy-protein relationship, use of NPN compounds, feed additives, conservation of fodders, storage and anti-nutritional factors associated with them, and poultry nutrition.

Example questions:

Q) Differentiate between the following:

Protein efficiency ratio and Net protein utilization (4 marks, 2018)

Q) Differentiate between the following:

Net protein utilization and Net protein value (4 marks, 2017)

Q) Discuss in brief about the various systems of expressing the energy value of feeds and energy requirements in swine. (10 marks, 2017)

Animal Physiology

• For the topics Endocrine and Cardiovascular Systems, you should use the Textbook of Medical Physiology by Guyton and Hall.

• Under the endocrine system, the biochemistry part can be covered from Biochemistry by U Satyanarayana (especially for the subtopics buffers, and acid-base balance). Growth curves, mammary development and digestive organs are important subtopics here.

• For the chapters blood, respiration and excretion, you should read Dukes’ Physiology of Domestic Animals.

• Under excretion, make sure to read the part about birds. Make notes for this section as it is vast and very difficult to revise at the last moment.

• You should practice diagrams for blood cells, cardiac cycle, pulmonary circulation, kidney and its structures, cerebrospinal fluid circulation and air sacs in birds.

Example questions:

Q) Give diagrammatic representation of kidney and narrate its functions. (10 marks, 2018)
Q) Mention digestive organs and their role in food digestion in monogastric animals. (10 marks, 2018)
Q) Write the general functions of blood in the animal body. (10 marks, 2017)
Q) Discuss the role of endocrine glands along with their secretory hormones for cell growth. (15 marks, 2017)

Animal Reproduction

• A good source for studying this section is the online source TANUVAS.

• Another source is Perspectives in Animal Ecology and Reproduction by Verma and Gupta.

• Important topics here are gametogenesis, spermatogenesis and oogenesis, qualitative and quantitative characteristics of semen, and methods of detection of estrus.

Example questions:

Q) Write the physicochemical properties of ejaculated semen in domestic animals. (10 marks, 2018)
Q) Explain, how will you ameliorate the problem of infertility in cattle and buffaloes under field conditions. (10 marks, 2017)

Livestock Production and Management

• You can refer to Principles of Dairy Management by P Venkateshwara Rao for this section.

• For feeding during draughts, floods and other natural calamities, you can use Pashudhan Magazine. This subsection is very important as the UPSC always asks questions from here.

Example questions:

Q) Write in detail the factors affecting water requirements of animals. (10 marks, 2018)
Q) Write a brief on – Feeding schedule of calves from birth to 3 months age. (5 marks, 2017)

Genetics and Animal Breeding

• For population genetics, you can read Cell Biology by Agarwal and Agarwal.

• You can also refer to Principles of Genetics by Gardner, Population Genetics by DC Falconer and Population Genetics by SS Tomar.

• The important topics here are qualitative and quantitative traits, HW equilibrium and factors affecting the equilibrium (migration, mutation and selection), the partition of variation, and breeding value and its estimation.

• Derivation of H-W law and the heritability derivations are not that important.

• For Breeding Systems, you should refer to Animal breeding by SS Tomar and Introduction to Practical Animal Breeding by Dalton.

Example questions:

Q) Discuss modified Mendelian ratio in monohybrid cross with examples. (10 marks, 2018)
Q) Importance of gene mutations in farm animals. (10 marks, 2017)
Q) How will you assess that a quantitative trait is affected by additive or non-additive gene action or both? Discuss the methods of selection for simultaneous improvement of multi-traits. (20 marks, 2017)

Extension

• For this section, you can read the textbook of Animal Husbandry and Livestock Extension by P. Mathialagan.

• You should also be aware of the latest government schemes related to animal husbandry.

• This is a scoring section and makes sure to study learning methodology, transfer of technology and government schemes as these topics are frequently asked.

Example questions:

Q) Discuss in detail about different animal husbandry programmes for rural development in India. (15 marks, 2018)
Q) Write in detail about the components of variance. (15 marks, 2018)
Q) Discuss the cattle and sheep developmental programme for improving the economic status of farmers. (15 marks, 2017)

Paper-II Strategy

Anatomy, Pharmacology and Hygiene

• The important topics in Histology are staining, freezing microtome and microscopy.

• For this section, you should use a textbook of Histology Including the Microscopic Technique by Philipp Stoehr.

• The important topics under embryology are gametogenesis, fertilization, germ layers, foetal membranes, placentation, teratology and germ layers derivatives.

• You don’t have to study organogenesis in detail.

• Please remember that questions are rarely asked from anatomy.

• For veterinary hygiene, you should read A Textbook of Animal Husbandry by GC Banerjee. Practice diagrams of housing pattern.

Example questions:

Q) Discuss the following: Anatomical and Physiological classification of neurons. (10 marks, 2018)
Q) Discuss the following: Classification of the placenta in domestic animals. (10 marks, 2017)

Animal Diseases

• Important diseases are brucellosis, rabies, rinderpest and PPR, anthrax, pasteurellosis, swine fever, glanders, strangles, leptospirosis and clostridia group.

• Important topics in immunisation are herd immunity, zero disease concept, and chemoprophylaxis.

• Metabolic diseases is a very important section.

• You can refer to Prevention and Treatment of Diseases of the Domestic Animals Including Etiology and Symptoms by Kenelm Winslow

Veterinary Public Health

• Under zoonoses, the role of animals and birds in the transmission is important.

• You can read Zoonoses: Bacterial Diseases by Sudhi Ranjan Garg and Veterinary Ethics and Jurisprudence by Kirti Dua.

• You should also study the Textbook of Elements of Veterinary Public Health by Bachhil and Thapliyal (ICAR).

Milk and Milk Products Technology

• This is the most important section of Paper-II.

• Practice flow diagrams of product manufacture.

• You can use Outlines of Dairy: Technology by Sukumar De.

Example questions:

Q) Legal standards for whole milk powder and skim milk powder. (10 marks, 2018)
Q) Describe the method of manufacturing, packaging and storage of butter. (15 marks, 2017)
Q) Classify dairy industry by-products and explain the general method of preparing acid-casein. (15 marks, 2017)

Meat Hygiene and Technology

• For this section, you can refer to Meat and Meat Products Technology by BD Sharma.

Animal husbandry and veterinary science books for IAS

• Principles of Animal Nutrition by DV Reddy

•Textbook of Medical Physiology by Guyton and Hall

• Biochemistry by U Satyanarayana

• Dukes’ Physiology of Domestic Animals

• Perspectives in Animal Ecology and Reproduction by Verma and Gupta

• Pashudhan magazines

• Cell Biology by Agarwal and Agarwal

• Principles of Genetics by Gardner

• Population Genetics by DS Falconer