raising an animal oneself; keeping an animal by oneself
Refers to personally raising or keeping an animal, as opposed to having someone else do it. Often used in contexts like pet care or livestock.
手飼いの犬はとても人懐っこい。
A dog raised by oneself is very friendly.
彼は手飼いの鶏から卵を集
He collects eggs from the chickens he raises himself.
Compound of 手 (te, 'hand; oneself') and 飼い (kai, 'raising, keeping'), literally 'hand-raising'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word transparently means raising an animal by one's own hand.