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Beef Show 1920 - 1930s. Special Collections.

Beef Show. 1920s-1930s. Virginia Extension.

VPI 1950s laboratory. Special Collections.

VPI laboratory circa 1950s.

Beef Cattle in pasture. June 1953. Virginia Extension. Special Collections.

Beef cattle in pasture at VPI. June 1953.

Cadets on a hike near V.P.I.. Spring 1934. Special Collections.

College Barn at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute. 1899-1900. Special Collections.

College Barn at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute. 1899-1900. Special Collections.

Accomock County., VA, turkeys on range. No date given. Virginia Extension. Special Collections.

Accomock County., VA, turkeys on range. No date given. Virginia Extension. Special Collections.

Pigs on pasture. Virginia Extension. September 1945.

Pigs on pasture. Virginia Extension. September 1945. Special Collections

A pet milk goat takes over two little motherless pigs in Bedford County, Virginia. Virginia Extension. 1950. Special Collections.

A pet milk goat takes over two little motherless pigs in Bedford County, Virginia. Virginia Extension. 1950. Special Collections.

VPI Poultry Department Old House and Yard. From Special Collections. No date given.

VPI Poultry Department Old House and Yard. From Special Collections. No date given.

Early VPI campus. No date given. Special Collections.

Early VPI campus. No date given. Special Collections.

VPI hay rack on experiment station farm circa 1946. Special Collections.

VPI hay rack on experiment station farm circa 1946. Special Collections.

VPI Blacksburg, VA. Flock of sheep on pasture. August 1950. Special Collections.

VPI Blacksburg, VA. Flock of sheep on pasture. August 1950. Special Collections.

VPI Barns circa 1920s. Photo by Henry Flippen Turner. Special Collections.

VPI Barns circa 1920s. Photo by Henry Flippen Turner. Special Collections.

Females laboratory students making Newcastle serum in lab at VPI. 1950s. Special Collections.

Female laboratory workers making Newcastle serum in lab at VPI. 1950s. Special Collections.

The beginning of milk transport at VT. No date given. From Dr. Carl Polan's collection.

The beginning of milk transport at VT. No date given. From Dr. Carl Polan's collection.

Southern Seminary girl at VPI Horse Show. May 14, 1932. Special Collections.

Southern Seminary girl at VPI Horse Show. May 14, 1932. Special Collections.

Southdown lambs won 1st place at Eastern National. November 1953. Virginia Extension. Special Collections.

Southdown lambs won 1st place at Eastern National. November 1953. Virginia Extension. Special Collections.

Shade is needed in pastures. Virginia Extension. August 1953. Special Collections.

Shade is needed in pastures. Virginia Extension. August 1953. Special Collections.

Portable livestock scales at VPI circa 1956. Special Collections.

Portable livestock scales at VPI circa 1956. Special Collections.

Men with horse-drawn wagon. A little boy sitting on top. No date given. Special Collections.

Men with horse-drawn wagon. A little boy sitting on top. No date given. Special Collections.

​ Interior of the Creamery circa 1900. Harry Downing Temple Photograph Collection Special Collections.

​ Interior of the Creamery circa 1900. Harry Downing Temple Photograph Collection Special Collections.

Horse examination. Blacksburg, VPI&SU. No date given. Special Collections.

Horse examination. Blacksburg, VPI&SU. No date given. Special Collections.

Herd of cattle grazing at VPI. Black and White, no date given. Special Collections.

Herd of cattle grazing at VPI. Black and White, no date given. Special Collections.

Henry W. McLaughlin with his blue ribbon baby beef, Daisy. VPI, circa 1932. Special Collections.

Henry W. McLaughlin with his blue ribbon baby beef, Daisy. VPI, circa 1932. Special Collections.

Jersey Calves at VPI circa 1895. In the background: the cannery and Faculty Row. Special Collections.

Jersey Calves at VPI circa 1895. In the background: the cannery and Faculty Row. Special Collections/Harry Downing Temple Photograph Collection.

Harrisonburg, Rockingham Co., VA, candling and sorting eggs circa 1950s. Eggs are packed into case lots after transfer from the baskets and pails cracked by producers. The cartons are probably cracked eggs for local sale. Special Collections.

Harrisonburg, Rockingham Co., VA, candling and sorting eggs circa 1950s. Eggs are packed into case lots after transfer from the baskets and pails cracked by producers. The cartons are probably cracked eggs for local sale. Special Collections.

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The School of Animal Sciences is the culmination of the work of the poultry, dairy, livestock, and animal sciences and husbandries since the inception of the university. Each of the departments that have come together to form the school have long been recognized as leaders in delivering high quality and balanced teaching, research, and Extension programs for their students, the livestock, dairy, and poultry industries, and the professions that they serve.

1851
Preston and Olin Institute opened in Blacksburg, Virginia as a Methodist academy for boys.

Preston and Olin Institute circa 1870. Special Collections.
Preston and Olin Institute circa 1870. Special Collections.

1862
Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land-Grant Act.

1872
The academy was reorganized into the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College under the Morrill Land-Grant Act.

Courses pertaining to both animal husbandry and dairying were offered from the very beginning.

First Academic Building circa 1876. First Academic Building of VAMC which was begun in 1874. Harry Downing Temple Photograph Collection.
First Academic Building circa 1876. First Academic Building of VAMC which was begun in 1874. Harry Downing Temple Photograph Collection.

1896
VAMC was renamed the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute.

1899
The first mention of poultry in the archives. E.P. Niles, DVM, staff veterinarian at the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station "began to breed chickens on a small scale simply for pastime and recreation after office hours."  He penned an article discussing points on breeding, husbandry, nutrtion, behavior, product taste, and artifical incubation. Read the full article here.

Screenshot of the first page for the 1899 Poultry article by E.P. Niles, DVM.

1904, 1906
The Department of Animal Husbandry (1904) and the Department of Dairying (1906) were two of the first departments established.

1909
The two departments were combined in 1909 to form the Department of Dairy and Animal Husbandry.

1917
Foundation of the poultry extension youth programs: Boys' and Girls' Poultry Clubs.  Clubs were established in 30 Virginia counties with 2110 children enrolled.

1919
Up until this point, poultry had been primarily an Extension endeavor.  For the first time, poultry was listed as part of two courses:

  • Animal Husbandry 291 - Breeds and Types of Farm Animals
  • Animal Husbandry 293 - Stock Judging

1939
The poultry B.S. degree program was initiated.  The first graduate was David B. Alexander in 1942.

1920s
"The first poultry buildings were constructed to house birds and provide for instruction in poultry husbandry."  

1921
The Department of Poultry Husbandry was established as a stand-alone entity.

1923
The Department of Dairy and Animal Husbandry split into the Animal Husbandry Department and the Department of Dairy Husbandry. During the next 40 years, strong teaching and Extension programs were established in the areas of animal, dairy, and poultry production.

In the 1950's and early 1960's, the departments developed strong research programs in genetics, physiology, and nutrition and appropriately changed their names to better reflect those research efforts.

VPI 1950s laboratory. Special Collections.
VPI 1950s laboratory. Special Collections.

Early photo of Forage Testing Lab. No date given. Photo from Dr. Carl Polan's collection.

Early photo of Forage Testing Lab. No date given. Photo from Dr. Carl Polan's collection.
Early photo of Forage Testing Lab. No date given. Photo from Dr. Carl Polan's collection.

Females laboratory students making Newcastle serum in lab at VPI. 1950s. Special Collections.

Females laboratory students making Newcastle serum in lab at VPI. 1950s. Special Collections.
Females laboratory students making Newcastle serum in lab at VPI. 1950s. Special Collections.

1955
The Department of Dairy Science

1963
The Department of Animal Science

1963
The Department of Poultry Science

Over the next 30 years, the three departments conducted balanced teaching, research, and Extension programs that gained national and international stature.

mid-1970's
A new science approach was initiated with Poulty 4-H groups. "The Egg-Citing Egg" and the "Incubation and Embryo" projects were introducted to high school science teachers and county extension staff as an excellent way to stimulate the science education of youth.  As a result, the decline in enrollments from the 1960's and early 1970's was stemmed and poultry 4-H youth enrollment dramatically increased:

  • 1977: 7,897;
  • 1978: 9,616;
  • 1979: 16,170;
  • 1980: 18,438;
  • 1982: ~27,000;
  • 1983: ~26,000;
  • 1985: ~28,000;
  • 1987: >28,000; 
  • 1988: >36,742;
  • 1990: 33,130*;
  • 1991: ~33,130*; and
  • 1992: 21,959*
 
"Poultry projects...provide youth with an excellent opportunity to gain scientific knowledge and communicative skills while using a commercially significant biological organism (the chicken)."
 

1993
The Department of Animal Science and the Department of Poultry Science merged into the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences. The Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences went on to become one of the largest, most productive, and best respected academic programs at Virginia Tech.

The Department of Dairy Science established itself as a leader in dairy teaching, research and Extension. Small, but mighty--and very well-respected--the department helped lead the industry while maintaining one of the best teaching and advising programs on campus along with an active, supported, and enormously engaged Extension contingent. Dairy Science graduates boasted 99.99% job placement upon graduation and overwhelmingly rated their learning experience 3.85 out of 4.0.

1997, 2002
Animal and Poultry Sciences
named University Exemplary Department
 

2022
The School of Animal Sciences is created from the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences and the Department of Dairy Science.  Read more about it below.