Animal Science

Animal Science

Animal Science

Livestock production, growth, and management are the primary concerns of collections in this subject category. Both the scientific and commercial aspects of raising animals for food or fur are represented, with themes ranging from breeding and nutrition to herd management and ranching enterprises.

The papers of three faculty members highlight the research role of the University of California at Davis in the field of animal science. Max Kleiber, who came to Davis in 1929 to spearhead studies in energy metabolism and nutrient use in cattle, left a collection rich in personal correspondence, diaries, and interest files, as well as workbooks, notes, and reprints relating to his work in bioenergetics. Tracy Storer, Professor of Zoology, Emeritus, and founder of the Zoology Department, left correspondence, manuscripts and proofs of articles and books relating to wildlife, mammology, and natural history. A small group of speeches, certificates, awards, and clippings from George Hart, Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Emeritus, attest to his stellar work in the field of animal husbandry.

Three collections focus specifically on commercial livestock enterprises in California. The Maillard Archives depict a California sheep ranching enterprise and its breeding experiments using the imported Merino strain. The early cattle and sheep ranching partnership of Miller and Lux, Inc., is detailed in their company archives through livestock records, land patents and leases, bank statements, and equipment inventories. The archives of the Poultry Producers of Central California contain information on the organizational structure, marketing tools, and membership constituency of an early agricultural cooperative. Other manuscript and ephemeral material relating to the history of cattle breeding can be found in the Allred, Wagnon, and True collections.

Collections in this category comprise approximately 80 linear feet of materials dating from 1850 to the present There is an emphasis on the California livestock industry, but some collections focus on Central and South American concerns. Related material can be found under the subject headings of California History, Entomology, Food Processing and Manufacture, and Natural Resources, as well as in the archives of the Animal Science Department and the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital.

Animal Science Manuscripts