Existing management practices followed by the cattle keepers in Churu district of Rajasthan*

Abstract

The study was conducted in Churu district of Rajasthan to acquire first hand information on existing breeding, feeding and housing management practices for dairy cattle. It was observed that 86.00% of the respondents resorted to natural service, 61.75% inseminate their cows at an early heat stage. Significantly more (82.00%) respondents believed in quacks treatment for anoestrous/repeaters animals and only 4.25% cattle keepers followed pregnancy diagnosis. Regarding feeding practices, majority of the farmers followed group feeding (68.75%) and grazed in fallow/harvested field (65.25%). Home prepared concentrate mixture (60.50%) with soaking (78.50%) was prevalent in the area. Only 17.25 and 32.25% of the respondents incorporated mineral mixture and common salt in concentrate mixture, respectively. All the cattle keepers had kutcha floor in shed and 58.50% kept their cattle near dwelling house. Thatched (70.50%) and single slope roof (45.50%) was observed in study area. None of the respondents followed grooming practice. The results indicated that knuckling (81.75%) was the main method of milking. All the respondents, clean udder and teats and wash hand before milking. None of the cattle keepers did dry hand milking and sealing of teat canal at the end of lactation. More than half (53.50) of the respondents fed colostrum to newly born calf within 2 h. All the respondents attended the calf at the time of calving and 96.25% cattle keepers cut and disinfected the naval cord of calf. Only few respondents dehorned and castrated the calf. Regarding sick animal treatment, 82.00% cattle keepers preferred first quacks then vety. doctor/stock man. Only 14.25% of the respondent followed vaccination and deworming practice. Majority (65.50%) of the cattle keepers isolated their sick animals from healthy animals. Water trough and manger was cleaned at weekly interval by 78.00% respondents, while animal shed was cleaned daily by 91.50% cattle keepers.