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Subject: Livestock Production and Management × Author: KISHORE, K × End date: 2009 × Start date: 2005 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    A STUDY ON BUFFALO HUSBANDRY PRACTICES IN KHAMMAM DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH
    (SRI VENKATESWARA VETERINARY UNIVERSITY TIRUPATI - 517 502. (A.P.) INDIA, 2009-06) KISHORE, K; MAHENDER, M(MAJOR); RAGHUNANDAN, T; THAMMI RAJU, D
    ABSTRACT : A study was carried out to find out various buffalo husbandry practices adopted by the farmers in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh. About 120 farmers from two mandals were selected for the study randomly. Farmers from representative villages were interviewed and collected available information. The population in the selected mandals possessed 99,236 number of breedable buffaloes, in which they had non descript (83.74 %), graded Murrah (14.81 %), Murrah buffaloes (0.01%). Agriculture was the main occupation among 84.5 per cent of the farmers and secondary occupation is 15.50 per cent farmers whereas dairying was the main occupation and agriculture was secondary under subsidiary occupation. More than half of the farmers under survey (58%) were able to provide insemination or natural service to their animals in heat at right time while 42 per cent of farmers were unable to inseminate their animals in time due to various reasons. Only 16.66 per cent farmers were utilizing the facility of artificial insemination, while 37.51 per cent farmers opting for natural service. About 85.85 percent farmers were feeding green and roughage fodder in combination and providing clean drinking water to their animals but none of the farmer was practicing silage making or other treatments like chaffing, soaking or urea treated paddy straw. Most of the farmers were collecting fodder from the fields. Only 3.0 per cent farmers were feeding additional concentrates to pregnant animals and rest were not feeding. As a part of heat/summer management, 51.00 per cent farmers were allowing their buffaloes to wallow in the village tanks during hotter parts of the day and 49.16 per cent farmers were washing their animals by splashing water manually. Washing of animals and udder before milking has been practiced by 15.68 and 98.40 per cent farmers, respectively. Most of the farmers (95.00 %) were not cutting the naval cord after birth while 17.92 per cent farmers were not removing mucous from the nostrils and all over the body and not weaning the calves from the mother (97.92 %) at the right age Deworming of the calves to control internal parasites has been taken up regularly by 39.16 per cent and irregularly by 60.83 per cent. Among the reproductive problems, still births, abortions, retention of placenta, anoestrus, and repeat breeding were seen in 2.5, 10.00, 8.30, 67.00 and 12.5 percent, respectively. Veterinary hospital facility was available to 76 per cent farmers and none of the farmer was maintaining records pertaining to their buffaloes. Major breeding problems reported were low (24.32 %) conception rate with artificial insemination Major feeding constraints faced by the farmers in the present study were costly feed ingredients and dry fodders, lack of chaff cutters, shortage of fodder during summer, lack of knowledge in scientific feeding and non-supplementing of mineral mixture. Majority of the farmers, 68.80 and 77.92 per cent had problems of costly concentrates and shortage of greens and dry fodder, respectively during summer. The effect of division, herd size and breed was highly significant (P<0.01) on age at first heat. The overall least square mean age at first heat was found to be 44.86 ± 0.26 months and ranged from 42.75 ± 0.31 to 46.97 ± 0.36 months. The non-descript buffaloes had significantly (P<0.01) higher age at first heat when compared to other groups. Age at first calving was significantly effected by division, herd size and breed. The dry period had significant effect due to division and breed only. The overall least square mean calving interval was found to be 432.51 ± 2.66 days over the two divisions surveyed. The calving interval was significantly (P<0.01) high on division, breed and housing. The overall least square mean service period was found to be 97.33 ± 1.41 days. The mean total lactation milk yield was 511.42 ± 22.99, 922.49 ± 17.52 and 1504.61 ± 22.96 liters for non descript, graded Murrah, and Murrah buffaloes, respectively and found to significant on breed. The mean average milk yield per day was 1.70 ± 0.06, 3.10 ± 0.05, and 5.09 ± 0.06 liters for non descript, graded Murrah, and Murrah buffaloes, respectively. The present study concludes that the management practices had a significant role on the reproductive and productive performance of buffaloes in the divisions of Khammam district under study. The non descript buffaloes were more predominant in this region and majority of the farmers were poor in certain aspects of scientific feeding, breeding, housing, milking and health care practices and need to be educated. Artificial insemination should be made available to all the farmers, which in turn results in up gradation of local buffaloes and improve the performance.