ANIMAL SCIENCES

Animal Sciences is a program within the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources that includes the study of meat sciences, nutrition, physiology, reproduction, animal breeding, and genetics.  Each of these topics is crucial in understanding animal growth and development, disease progression, and production of livestock species such as beef and dairy cattle, pigs, sheep, poultry, and horses.  An Animal Science curriculum generally provides students with both a strong science background and hands-on experience with livestock species. 

            One of the hot topics in Animal Sciences is increasing livestock reproduction efficiency. The global population is expected to reach over nine billion inhabitants by the year 2050, meaning an increase in the food supply will be required. Research in livestock reproduction allows animal scientists to better understand the complications that can occur with reproductive failures and how to improve the chances for healthy pregnancies and offspring.  Researchers are currently looking into how nutrition in sheep negatively impacts reproduction and how providing additional nutrients that alter the number of blood vessels can increase the health of lambs being born. At our booth we will discuss why a horse’s hooves are important for its well-being, how cows digest their food, why pigs have so many piglets, and much more! 

Head to the Department of Animal Science's NDSU webpage here to learn more!