Analysis of farming systems involving kangayam breed of cattle
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Date
1995
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Department of Livestock Production Management, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy
Abstract
The study ‘Analysis of farming system involving kangayam breed of cattle’, was conducted at two different locations, in their home tract in Tamil Nadu and adjoining Palakkad region of Kerala. Information on different aspects of management and utilization pattern were collected by means of a schedule. Investigations into the work performance of the bullocks in the two regions were conducted. Body measurements and morphological characteristics of Kangayam bullocks and cows were also documented.
Majority of the bullock – rearing farmers (56.36%) in the Kangayam tract possessed more than 4 ha of land while in adjoining Palakkad region majority of such farmers (47.27%) possessed less than 2 ha of land. The average land holding in Kangayam tract was 4.24 + 0.35 ha compared to 2.95 + 0.54 ha in the Palakkad region. All the farmers in the Kangayam tract and most of the farmers (94.55%) in Palakkad region possessed indigenous ploughs. Majority of the farmers in both the regions possessed indigenous carts. More number of the farmers in both the regions opted to keep the bullocks throughout the year. Farmers procured their bullocks mostly from cattle fairs/markets. The mean age at purchase of bullocks in their home tract was 4.609 + 0.337 years and in adjoining Palakkad region 5.173 + 1.076 years. Maximum number of the farmers in Kangayam tract procured their bullocks around 2.5 years of age, whereas in Palakkad region around 6 years of age.
Most of the farmers in both the regions purchased trained bullocks. Majority of the farmers in Kangayam tract (61.82%) and in Palakkad region (76.36%) considered physical appearance and whirling pattern of hair as main body attributes in selection. Larger proportion of the farmers in both the regions procured castrated bullocks.
The bullocks in both the regions received locally available feed materials while sorghum straw was the major roughage item fed to the bullocks in Kangayam tract, paddy straw formed the major roughage ingredient in the Palakkad region. In both the regions rice bran formed the major concentrate feed item followed by cotton seed and groundnut cake. During work days, majority of the farmers in both the regions provided water three times a day.
Majority of the farmers in both the region provided independent ‘kutcha’ type of houses. In the home tract some farmers did not provide any housing to their bullocks except a wind screen.
In Kangayam and Palakkad regions, majority of the farmers shoed their bullocks at an interval of 31 to 60 days. Most of them also got their bullocks vaccinated against diseases like foot and Mouth, Rinderpest, Haemorrhagic Septicaemia and Black Quarter.
The total hours of utilization of bullocks in their home tract and in adjoining Palakkad region were 1129. 90 + 59.45 hours spread over 175.29 + 9.18 days in a year and 988.56 + 46.41 hours spread over 155.34 + 8.53 days respectively.
Investigation into work performance of bullocks revealed that the mean initial speed of walking of bullocks was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in Kangayam tract when compared to Palakkad area. Mean overall speed of bullocks ploughing dry land was 1.114 + 0.028 m/sec in Kangayam tract, while it was 1.052 + 0.130 m/sec in Palakkad region. The mean stride length of bullocks in Kangayam tract and adjoining Palakkad was 0.88 + 0.02 m and 0.80 + 0.01 m respectively which did not differ significantly.
The respiratory rate, pulse rate and rectal temperature increased significantly (P < 0.05) in both the regions as a result of 4 hours of dry – land ploughing. In the home tract of Kangayam, the mean horse power generated by a pair of bullocks was 0.73 + 0.06 and in the adjoining Palakkad region 0.66 + 0.03. However, these did not vary significantly at 5 per cent level.
All the animals in both the regions had short, straight and glossy hair coat. Majority of the animals had a grey coat with a black patch on their knees and in front of the fetlocks. Greater proportion of them had horns with inward pointing tips. All the Kangayam cows studied had a bowl shaped udder with cylindrical teats.
Some differences in the size and morphological characteristics of the Kangayam animals in the two regions under investigation were found. Horn size, in the Palakkad region was larger in early stages. However as the bullocks matured the trend was reversed with the bullocks in the Kangayam region having larger horns.
The face of mature bullocks in the Palakkad area was longer than that of bullocks in the Kangayam tract. The height at withers of the bullocks from the Palakkad region showed a trend of higher values compared to that of Kangayam tract. The Kangayam tract bullocks, eventhough shorter in early stages, overtook their counter – parts in the Palakkad region to measure longer beyond 5 years of age. Above 5 years of age, chest girth had practically little difference between the two groups.
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170736