Study on buffalo management practices followed in urban, peri-urban and exterior area of national capital region In haryana
Abstract
This investigation was undertaken to determine the potential of urban, peri-urban and rural buffalo husbandry ion the selected areas of the ‘National Capital Region’ of Haryana. The dairy household in urban areas of the district head-quarters of district (Rohtak, Sonepat and Panipat) were chosen and a comparison of these were made with households laying in a cluster of three villages, both in peri-urban and deep rural pockets of all of these three districts. Sixty four per cent of respondents being below 45 years of age in the entire sample and average rate of illiteracy of the respondents (18.5%) is far below the average of illiteracy in Haryana and 85.12 per cent of the respondents falling in ‘small to medium family sizes’ with bardy 1.5 per cent of the respondents having land-holdings of more than 7.5 acres and about two third of the sample being general or unreserved category, with about half of the total respondents (51.9%) being agricultural labourers. The category or location of the respondents had significant (<P0.01) association with the location of shed and type of walls of the shed. More than 70 out of 108 respondents did not fed mineral mixtures and similarly did not follow special feeding during advance stage of pregnancy. About 50 per cent respondents reported period of first service after calving more than 180 days and 37.96 per cent prefered mounting of the animal in heat over other methods of heat detection, 46.60 per cent utilized the services of breeding bull of private owners. ‘Milking was practiced at the same place in 41, 52 and 92 respondents in rural. Peri-urban and urban areas, respectively. 59.26 per cent of the respondents cleansed their buffalo at udder and teat’ and 69.44 per cent cleansed their milk pails with plain water and 30.56 per cent used ash and water.
Overall, 57.71 and 33.02 per cent of respondents ‘who attended calving were husbands and wives, respectively in their individual capacity and 66.05 per cent used cutting and disinfection of naval card’ method of attending newly born calf. Feeding colostrums to newly born calves was obtained among 50.62 per cent of respondents. The category or location of the respondents have significant (P<0.01) association with vaccination of animals and deworming adult animals. Twelve different activities studied to estimate the effect of these on gender participation indicated that the gender involvement was found to be significantly (P<0.01) affecting activities like; bringing fodder from the field, chaffing the fodder, preparation of feed for animals, offering feed to animals, offering water to animals, making ghee/other milk products and natural service/or A.I. Results also indicated that lower levels of powers of decision making in all issues of dairy enterprises were found in the hands of wives and husband dominated in most of the times.
Results also indicated that age and caste of respondents influenced choice of ‘methods’ of purchase of animals by respondents. Highest mean adoption score (1.20) was accorded by the respondents to keeping watch on oestrous cycle heat symptoms of buffaloes. Similarly, highest mean adoption score was accorded by the respondents to Feeding Colostrums to newborn calf within 1-1.5 hours of birth. Keeping buffalo in ventilated house to the tune of 1.40 and 1.62 in different categories of adoption of dairy husbandry practices. Studies pertaining to preferences of respondents in selecting the different levels of constraints in terms of performance of four practices, viz; breeding, feeding, management and health care indicated that these practices were perceived as a serious constraint to the levels of 49.07, 53.70, 55.60 and 52.80 per cent, respectively by rural respondents. For overall constraints, responses of the respondents does show a similar trend indicated that all these four practices requiring serious ‘policy corrective measures’ notwithstanding where these people are residing. Therefore, the study should be considered as a preliminary step towards understanding weaknesses and threats of various kinds of dairy entrepreneurs prevailed in the NCR and warrants the ardent need of strengthening the present scenario of extension system to bridge the gap of technology transfer from the livestock researchers to livestock owners.