IMPACT OF ENRICHMENT OF GRAZING MEADOW WITH AUTOMATED WATER TROUGH ON THE WELFARE OF CROSSBRED CATTLE
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Date
2021-11-02
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, MANNUTHY, THRISSUR , KERALA VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY
Abstract
Grazing practices of cattle in meadows enriched with automatic drinking water facility was evaluated. The improvement in animal welfare was studied. Lactating cows and heifers (18 each) were selected for the period of study during the summer months of February and March 2021 at Base Farm, Kolahalamedu, Idukki, Kerala. Animals were divided into three groups and each group comprised of six lactating cows and six heifers. In group T1 animals were allowed to a grazing meadow enriched with an automatic drinking water trough and in T2 animals were allowed to a meadow without provision for water. Animals in the T3 group were kept stallfed throughout the study period. Body temperature and respiration rates were higher in the grazing groups (T1 and T2) compared to the stallfed group. At the end of the study period, the lactating cows of T1 showed significantly reduced levels of serum cortisol. The total grazing activity of lactating cows provided with drinking water was significantly lower than lactating cows without the provision of water. Moreover, these animals showed significantly higher rumination activity than T2 at 12:00 noon. Lactating cows and heifers in the T1 group consumed 78.26± 3.86 and 26.98 ± 2.81 liters of water respectively and the frequency of visits to the water trough was 9.20 ± 0.67 and 8.46 ± 0.64 respectively. The blood parasites and endoparasites infestations among all the experimental animals at the end of the experiment showed no significant difference. In general, as the ambient temperature increased, grazing activities in animals of both T1 and T2 started to reduce by 11:00 a.m. The heat load index was more in the meadows than in the shed which necessitates the regulation of grazing duration and time. It could be concluded that grazing of animals in meadows enriched with automated water trough significantly reduced the serum cortisol level and animals exhibited relatively increased comfort level while grazing.