Cattle breeding

Cattle breeding has been one of the leading sectors of Hungarian animal husbandry in all ages, past and present, and has played an important role not only in the food supply of the population, but also in foreign trade for centuries. Nowadays, cattle breeding has become a multi-purpose activity, in addition to the direct production of animal products, it is important in the preservation of the environment and landscape, in the employment policy, and in increasing the population retention capacity of the Hungarian countryside. The recent change in cattle breeding is characterized by the introduction of new selection methods, the use of genomics in the selection of breeders, and the introduction of new methods in the feeding of cattle. In the field of housing technology, technical solutions to counteract the unfavorable effects of animal protection, animal welfare and climate change are receiving more and more attention, and milking robots are also appearing in Hungary. As a result, of course, the professional knowledge required for the cultivation of competitive cattle breeding is also changing and expanding. In this book, the authors summarize the most important information about the breeding, feeding, keeping, rearing and fattening of cattle, new methods and technological solutions in an understandable way, based on theoretical foundations. The book, intended for university students, also provides useful knowledge for cattle breeders working in practice.