Livestock Production and Management Notes

Significance of Livestock and Poultry in Indian Economy

  • Livestock farming is integral to crop farming, enhancing household nutrition, security, and income.

  • Dairying and mixed farming on small/medium holdings are highly sustainable.

  • Livestock aids balanced rural economic development, improving the financial status of poor livestock keepers.

  • Indian agriculture is a crop and livestock symbiosis rooted in cattle.

  • Dairy animals convert crop residues into milk; livestock provides food, fiber, fuel, fertilizer, skin, and traction.

  • Livestock acts as a 'living bank,' offering financial flexibility and insurance against crop failure.

  • Animal husbandry supports agriculture; bullocks are vital to Indian agriculture.

  • 70% of livestock is owned by 67% of small and marginal farmers; 76% of milk is from weaker sections.

  • India contains a significant portion of the world's livestock: 57% of buffalo, 16% of cattle, 20% of goats, and 5% of sheep.

Livestock and Poultry Population in India and Tamil Nadu

  • Cattle: 209.08 million (India) & 9.10 million (Tamil Nadu)

  • Buffaloes: 92.19 million & 2.93 million

  • Goat: 120.60 million & 5.87 million

  • Sheep: 56.47 million & 5.61 million

  • Pig: 15.42 million & 0.60 million

  • Poultry: 3430 million & 240 million

Production Parameters

  • Milk: 81 million tonnes (2000-2001) – India contributes 14% of world milk production.

  • Eggs: 32.4 billion – India ranks 5th globally.

  • Wool: 47.6 million kgs.

  • Meat: 4.7 million tonnes.

  • Per capita milk availability: 221 gms/day (requirement: 280 gms/day).

  • Per capita egg availability: 33 eggs/year (requirement: 180 eggs).

  • Per capita poultry meat availability: 700 gms/annum (requirement: 10 kgs/annum).

  • Livestock sector employs approximately 18 million people.

  • Finished leather accounts for 50% (Rs. 1745 crore) and meat products for 42% (Rs. 1457 crore) of livestock exports (2000-01).

  • Livestock sector contributed 5.9% to GDP in 2000-01, 27% of total agricultural output.

  • Low milk production per lactation: 987 kgs (vs. world average of 2038 kgs).

Reasons for Low Production

  • Abundant nondescript cows.

  • Feed and fodder shortage.

  • Poor nutritive value of feed.

  • Low fertility rates.

  • Grazing land destruction.

  • Competition for feed between humans and animals.

Strategies to Improve Livestock Production

  • Reduce unproductive animals.

  • Utilize non-conventional feedstuffs (horticultural and agricultural by-products).

  • Efficiently utilize agriculture/horticulture waste to produce meat, milk, wool, eggs, etc.

  • Apply organic fertilizers to crops.

  • Use draught animal power for ploughing.

Nutrient Content of Animal and Poultry Manure (mg g dry weight-1)

  • The following values are in mg/g dry weight:

  • Cattle: Nitrogen 25-40, Phosphorus 4-10, Potassium 7-25, Calcium 5-8, Magnesium 5-8, Sulphur 3-4

  • Sheep: Nitrogen 20-45, Phosphorus 4-11, Potassium 20-29, Calcium 8-19, Magnesium 3-6, Sulphur 2-3

  • Pig: Nitrogen 20-45, Phosphorus 6-12, Potassium 15-48, Calcium 3-20, Magnesium 2-3, Sulphur 3-5

  • Horse: Nitrogen 17-30, Phosphorus 3-7, Potassium 15-18, Calcium 7-29, Magnesium 3-5, Sulphur 1-3

  • Poultry: Nitrogen 28-62, Phosphorus 9-29, Potassium 8-29, Calcium 17-69, Magnesium 3-8, Sulphur 4-7

Biogas Production from Manure

  • 32 kg of cow dung, 20 kg of pig faeces, or 12 kg of poultry droppings can produce 1 m3 of biogas.

  • Calorific value of biogas: 500−700 BTU/cft500 - 700 \, BTU/cft compared to natural gas at 850 BTU/cft850 \, BTU/cft.

  • 1 m3 of slurry produces 0.15−0.20 m30.15 - 0.20 \, m^3 of biogas daily.

  • A 2 m32 \, m^3 biogas plant can replace monthly: 26 kgs LPG, 37 litres kerosene, 88 kgs charcoal, 210 kgs fuel wood, or 740 kgs animal dung.

Draught Animal Power

  • India has ~83 million draught animals.

  • Power generated equals ~30,000 million watts of electric power.

  • Animals cultivate 0.33 ha of land.

  • Power rating of a pure Indian draught breed bullock: 0.70 HP0.70 \, HP (average 0.5 Hp0.5 \, Hp).

  • A 35 Hp35 \, Hp tractor can plough ~2.5 ha in an 8-hour shift, consuming ~5 litres diesel/hr.

  • Animal power is also utilized for transport.

  • 25,000 million tonnes km of freight per year, saving 6 million tonnes of diesel/petrol worth Rs. 4000 crores.

Animal Equivalence

  • Cow = 1.0 (basal unit)

  • Bullock = 1.2

  • Young stock = 0.6

  • Buffalo = 1.2

  • Sheep and goat = 0.2

Importance of Livestock in Indian Economy

  • India owns ~23% of the world's livestock population.

  • Livestock provides sustainable income for farmers.

  • It serves as an alternative when crop husbandry fails.

Animal Husbandry

  • Important steps: Breeding, Feeding, Weeding, and Heeding.

Importance of Livestock in Agriculture

  • Contributes ~10% of total national income and ~50% of agricultural sector income.

  • Effective utilization of family labour.

  • Maintains soil fertility through organic manure.

  • Converts farm biomass into edible products (milk, meat, eggs).

  • Utilizes agri-industrial by-products like bran, oil cakes, and molasses.

  • Improves standard of living.

  • Man, animal, and plant interrelation is interdependent.

Objectives of Livestock Census

  • Assess the growth rate of livestock.

  • Assess/improve quality/production performance.

  • Reduce uneconomical livestock by culling.

Systems of Livestock Production

  • Extensive, Semi-intensive, Intensive, Mixed.

Extensive

  • Oldest method, requires extensive land.

  • Grazing, dry-housed at night.

  • Fodder availability varies with season.

  • Feeding cost is nil or negligible.

  • Reasons for decline: Reduction in grazing land, pressure on cultivable land, unsuitability for high-yielding animals.

Semi-Intensive

  • Few months of grazing.

  • Daily or every-other-day grazing.

  • Confined during cropping season.

  • Provides exercise.

  • Lower feed cost than intensive systems.

  • Disadvantage: Not suitable for high yielding animals duenImproperly maintained disease outbreak – severe – Economical loss – high.

Intensive

  • Total confinement to shed throughout the year.

  • Restricted movement to conserve energy.

  • Easy management, direct supervision.

  • Requires less space.

  • Demerits: Overgrown hoof, lack of exercise, leg problems, severe disease outbreaks.

Mixed Farming

  • Combines crop husbandry with livestock or poultry.

  • Utilizes farm produce and by-products.

  • Enhances soil fertility through Farm Yard Manure.

  • Brings constant income, enhancing the standard of living.

  • Drawbacks: Lack of planning, scientific approach, correlation between land and animal numbers.

Integrated Farming System (IFS)

  • Overcomes defects of mixed farming through planning, monitoring, and execution based on farm size, resources, and climate.

  • Focuses on interdependent and interrelated systems.

  • Selects livestock/poultry based on availability of feed, fodder, and water.

  • Goals: Maximizing yield, steady income, ecological equilibrium, pest control, and reduced chemical use.

Advantages of IFS

  • Productivity, profitability, sustainability.

  • Balanced food.

  • Pollution-free environment, recycling.

  • Adoption of new technology.

  • Solve energy crisis.

  • Employment generation.

  • Improves living standard and literacy.

Different Farming Systems

  • Lowland, irrigated upland, and upland farming.

Lowland Farming

  • Cropping + poultry + duck + pigeon + fishery + mushroom (in combinations).

  • Recycling reduces cost.

Irrigated Upland Farming

  • Crop + Dairy + Biogas + Spawn + Mushroom.

Other Combinations

  • Crop + piggery + fish + mushroom.

  • Mulberry leaves after worm feed – and faecal matter of worms good biogas input

  • Rabbit farming

Upland Farming

  • Integrating farms and biomass build up.

  • Dry Land With Goat+ Fodder Crops + Perennial Grasses

Specialized Farm

  • Sole income derived from one species.

Breed Definition

  • Established group of animals with similar body shape, color, structure, and characteristics, producing offspring with same characteristics.

Cattle Breeds

  • Indigenous: Classified by utility (Milch, Dual, Draught).

  • Exotic: Jersey, Holstein Friesian.

Exotic Cattle

Red Sindhi

  • Originated in Sind, Pakistan; hardy and heat-resistant.

  • Milk yield averages over 1700 kg but can reach over 3400 kg per lactation.

Jersey

  • Originated on the Island of Jersey.

  • Adaptable to various climates, excellent grazers.

  • Produces more pounds of milk per pound of body weight, averaging over 13 times bodyweight in milk.

Holstein

  • Originated in Europe, specifically the Netherlands.

  • Known for distinctive color markings and outstanding milk production.

  • Average production of 17,408 pounds of milk, 632 pounds of butterfat and 550 pounds of protein per year (1987).

Indigenous Cattle

Kangayam

  • Conforms to Southern Indian Mysore type.

  • Strong, active with compact bodies, prized draft animals.

  • Cows are generally poor milkers.

Buffalo Breeds

Murrah

  • From Haryana; massive body, tightly curled horns.

  • Average milk production: 1,500 to 2,500 kgs per lactation.

Surti

  • From Gujarat; medium-sized, wedge-shaped body, sickle-shaped horns.

  • Milk yield ranges from 900 – 1300 Kgs.

  • High fat percentage in milk (8 to 12%).

Cross Breeding in Cattle

  • Mating of animals from different established breeds to improve production and disease resistance.

  • Example: Jersey x Kangayam.

  • Ideal composition: 62.5% exotic blood & 37.5% local blood

Economic Traits in Cattle

  • Age at 1st calving.

  • Lactation Length (305 days).

  • Lactation Yield.

  • Dry period.

  • Inter calving period.

  • Peak yield.

  • Average Fat%.

  • Service period.

  • Breeding efficiency.

Breeding Methods

  • Inbreeding: Mating of closely related animals.

  • Out breeding: Mating of unrelated animals in same breed.

  • Grading: Using bulls of a distinct breed on non-descript cows to transform the local variety.

Oestrus Cycle

  • Proestrum (2 days): Growth of graffian follicle, secretion of oestrogen causing changes in uterus.

  • Oestrum (1 day): Female is ready to receive male.

  • Metoestrum (4 days): Implantation of embryo takes place.

  • Diestrum (14 days): Development of uterus takes place.

Symptoms of Heat

  • Off feed, drop in milk yield, restlessness, bellowing, oedema of genitalia, frequent urination, mucous discharge.

  • Optimum time for crossing: 12-18 hours after onset of heat.

Artificial Insemination (AI)

  • Deposition of male reproductive cells (sperm) in the female tract by mechanical means.

Advantages of AI

  • Increases usefulness of superior sires.

  • Semen can be quickly and easily transported.

  • Spreading of diseases is minimized.

  • Increases the rate of Conception.

Disadvantages of AI

  • Inferior bull semen can cause extensive damage.

  • Requires well-trained technical personnel and special equipment.

Housing Management

  • Essential for health, comfort, and protection to get maximum production.

Selection of Site

  • Topography and Drainage, Soil Type, Water Supply, Accessibility, Labour, Marketing, Electricity, Ventilation, Theromo neutral zone, etc.

Floor Space Requirement per Animal

*Values are in square meters:

  • Cow: Covered area: 3.5, Open area: 7

  • Buffalo: Covered area: 4, Open area: 8

  • Young stock (Upto 3M): Covered area: 1, Open area: 1.5

  • Young stock upto 3-6M: Covered area: 1, Open area: 2.5

  • Young stock Greater than 6M: Covered area:2, Open area: 4

  • Pregnant Cow: Covered area: 4, Open area: 8

  • Bull: Covered area: 12, Open area: 120

Systems of Housing

  • Single row: Less than 15 animals.

  • Double row: More than 15 animals (Tail to tail or Head to head).

Care of the Newborn Calf

  • Remove mucus from nose and mouth.

  • Disinfect the navel cord with tincture of iodine.

  • Feed Colostrum within 15 minutes (1/10th of body weight for calves, 1/15th for buffalo calves).

  • Ensure muconium voiding; give mild enema if necessary.

  • Weaning is practiced 4 days after calving, then further ration has to be fed as per the schedule described

Care of Heifers

  • Rear indoors or outdoors (9-12 months).

  • Provide protection from adverse climatic conditions.

  • Small breeds bred at 15 months, large breeds at 18 months.

  • Age at first calving 25-28 months.

  • Vaccination schedule: Brucella Strain 19, Foot and Mouth disease, Rinderpest, Haemorraghic Septicaemia, Anthrax, Black Quarters.

Care of Pregnant Animals

  • Identify pregnancy after A.I. Provide gentle treatment.

  • Provide concentrate feed 3.5 kg per day.

  • Provide 25 – 35 Kg. Greed fodder per day and 5 Kg. Paddy straw.

  • Ensure a minimum of 45 – 60 days of dry period.

Care of Lactating Animals

  • Protection against inclement weather.

  • Hygiene; supplement ‘ca’.

  • Administer periodical vaccination.

Care of Work Bullocks

  • Protect from rain.

  • Shoe properly.

  • Groom to avoid ecto-parasites.

  • Provide feeding based on work type.

Milk Definition

  • Lacteal secretion of mammary glands obtained generally from the cow or the buffalo, excluding that obtained 15 days before or 5 days after calving.

Average Composition of Milk from Different Mammals (in Percent)

  • Values listed as Water, Fat, Protein, Total solids, SNF , Lactose, and Ash respectively.

  • Cow: 86.61, 4.14, 3.58, 13.19, 9.25, 4.96, 0.71

  • Buffalo: 82.76, 7.38, 3.60, 17.24, 9.86, 5.48, 0.78

  • Human: 87.43, 3.75, 1.63, 12.57, 8.82, 6.98, 0.21

Preservation of Raw Milk

  • Bulk cooling, Lactoperoxidase/thiocynate/hydrogen peroxide system.

Adulterants in Milk

  • Addition of water, removal of fat, addition of starch, milk powder, carbonate and bicarbonate.

  • Detection of water using the following equation: Percentage added water = 0.55−xt0.55\frac{0.55-xt}{0.55}x 100 where x is freezing point depression.

Testing for Adulterants

  • Detect water, neutralizers, starch, gelatin, cane sugar, saccharin, glucose, sodium chloride, urea, formalin, hydrogen peroxide.

Clean Milk Production

  • Milk should: complete milking of healthy milch animals contain the prescribed % of Fat and SNF. protect the health of calves, and consumers especially infants, growing children and aged people.

Mechanical Milking

*Function is done by the inflation tube, pulsator and vacuum pump.

  • Facilitates the expulsion of milk from the canal.

  • Easy method of extracting milk, does not require skill.

  • Keeps milk high quality .

Processing of Milk

  • Heat treatment: Pasteurization at LTLT (63°C for 30 minutes), HTST (72°C for 15-20 seconds).

  • Thermization: Heating milk below pasteurization temperature to temporarily inhibit bacterial growth. The milk is heated to 63-65oC for 15 seconds and rapidly chilled to 4oC

  • Ultra-pasteurization: Heating milk to 115-130°C for 2-4 seconds.

  • Ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment: Heating to 135-150°C for 1-6 seconds.

  • Sterilization: Heating to 115-120°C for 20-30 minutes.

Thermal Processing

  • Is an integral part of all operations/processes of milk and milk products manufacturing units.

  • Kills common pathogenic organisms likely to occur in milk by relatively mild heat treatment

Bacteriological standard milk raw milk

  • SPC - Not Exceeding 2 lacs - Very Good

  • 2 – 10 lacs. – Good

  • 10-50 lacs Fair

  • > 50 lacs Poor

Treatment of Milk - Heat treatment, Holding process ,Flash process

  • Louis Pasteur found heating the wine to 1400F (60oC) greatly improved keeping quality by destroying most of the bacteria.

  • The objective of treatment of milk is to increase the keeping quality

Nutrition Definitions

  • Nutrition: Involves chemical reactions and physiological processes that transform food into body tissue.

  • Lavoiser is the referred Science of Nutrition. There are two aspects in Animal Nutrition - The Science of Nutrition and the art of feeding of animals

  • Ration: The feed allowed for a particular animal during a day.

  • Balanced Ration: Provides essential nutrients to animals in appropriate proportions.

Desirable Characteristics of a Ration

  • Liberal feeding, individual feeding, proper balance of concentrate and roughage palatable a, Variety, sound quality of feed and Bulky food
    1

Importance of Green Fodder

  • Is A cheap source of vitamin’A’ and minerals , Crude protein, Total digestible nutrients and dry matter

  • source of minerals ,Crude protein, Total digestible nutrients and dry matter and unidentified factors.
    *Is a primary source for carotene for precursor
    *Feed should be available to cows at least 20 hours / day.
    *First calf Heifers with spend 10to15 % more time eating time when compared to old cows Water

Systems of Fodder Production

*Depend on area, farmer input seeds, fertilizer and irrigation An ideal fodder system which the max unit area /livestock product time Fodder production for intensive Livestock farming requires uniform quantity throughout year

  • N Fertilizers help for the cropping of grasses

Tree Fodder

  • Shrubs and leguminous trees are good source of digestible crude protein (DCP) for supplementary feeding to farm animals

  • Also should be resistant to local pests and diseases to ensure production levels are safe

The system of fodder production

  • It depend on a variety of factos which namely seeds, fertilizers, irrigation is needed and topography

Strategies For Improvement

  • Allocating more land for their production could not narrow the existing fodder deficiency. Alternatively the Animal Nutritionists globally are searching for Unconventional New Feed Resources (NFRs) like Agro-industrial by products, cellulose wastes livestock wastes, Top feed resources etc.

Strategies

  • For allocating more land , Animal Nutritionists globally are searching for Unconventional New Feed Resources
    *For instance agro -tree leaves ,cellulose waste and top feed are now encouraged.
    Nutrient content of some fodder
    Nutrient

    • Agathi18.3 mg / 100 dry matter

    • Lucerne 15.6 mg / 100 dry matter Guinea grass-14.2 mg / 100 dry matter
      *Also it’s important to know what is good grazing capacity
      Nutrient Requirement

    • Fibre for rumen health Forage dry matter consumption should be near 2%of the body weight AT least 19-21% acid detergent fibre should be in the total ration The grazing capacity has high volume is needed for weight control

  • The trees need maintenance in an to provide necessary light reception to ground flora

Understanding Pasture and Stocking Rate

  • Carrying Capacity: Maximum stocking rate while maintaining resource improvement.

  • Stocking Rate: Number of animals grazing a unit of land for a time period.

Disease Control Methods

  • Provide Ventilation

  • Provide diet with nutritious balanced food.

  • Adhere to routine ‘vaccination’ schedule.
    *Follow up on scientific and management practices.

Classification

  • Bacterial

  • Viral

  • Myotic

  • Metabolic

Common Diseases

  • Brucell Strain 19

  • Foot and Mouth disease

Viral Diseases

Foot and Mouth Disease

  • Highly communicable, affects cloven-footed animals.

  • Vaccination – polyvalent – once – 4months or varies with type of vaccine

Black Quarter

  • Acute, infectious, affects young stock, inflammation of muscle.

  • Annual vaccination A live spore vaccine prepared from a virulent uncapsulated strain of B.Anthracis dose 1ml. Infected animals - segregated

Haemorrhagic Septicemia

  • Acute bacterial disease, high temperaturedischarge from nostrils. watery faeces .dehydration

  • Once a year vaccination with proper sanitation

Mastitis

  • Inflammation affecting the mammary gland with many economic losses.
    Effective sanitation techniques and early detection necessary.

Metabolic Diseases

  • Milk fever: Hypocalcemia.

  • Acetonaemia: hypoglycemia, Ketosis.

  • Tympany: results in sudden death before rendering any aid to the affected animal, or it might exhibit uncoordinated movements
    Followed by A quick Collapse
    Administer oral with well mixed solution , or powdered mixing

Zoonotic Diseases - prevention and control

Tuberculosis

  • Bovis affecting cattle,

  • can be avoided thorough sanitation - Regular screening of workers and avoid using low quality milk and meat
    zoonotic infections the agents of which are naturally tranmitted among other vertebrate animals and man, also included are a number of infections, which are shared but not naturally transmitted.

Sheep Breeds

  • are classified in 4 main classes Wool potential : 3.5 - 5 kg - exotic breeds and 1 - 2 kg - Indian breeds 1. High adaptability to climatic conditions

Northern temperate Region- Fine wool

  • And Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu High adaptability to climatic conditions
    *North West arid Region - Carpet wool

Main Small Ruminant Types

  • Species: Ovine and Caprine

  • Sheep Group : flock and Goat : Herd

  • Lamb Weighing and identification essential

Importance Of Goat Farming

*adapted to different climatic condition and is Un fastidious by nature

  1. Important in arid and semi- arid area for marginal sub-marginal holdings.

  • Manue from livestock that is well adapted in climate (21% in the summer)

System of Production

  • Nomad, permanent , Teathering ,extensive ,semi intensive, and Intensive.
    *The semi intensive is improved by Timely vaccination and deworming.

  • the mixed methods has labour-efficient
    *Also provides excellent litter control

  • So should be confined from young age onwards. to ensure good litter control as well as reduce the effect of external parsites.
    *Proper ventilation is important and needed.
    Adequate spaceProper ventilationGood drainagePlenty of light and also protection

  • Space allowance should be considered - Female ratio is 15 to 20sq tf