Karnataka ranks second, next only to Rajstahan in India, in terms of total geographical area prone to drought. Among its 27 districts, 18 are drought prone. During the years, 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 it faced consecutive droughts. A study was conducted in 2004 to assess the consequences of 2002-03 drought in Karnataka with special emphasis on livestock and fodder components. Three districts of Karnataka (Chamrajnagar, Gadag and Gulbarga) each belonging to severely, moderately and less drought affected categories and representing three agro climatic regions were selected through multistage random sampling method. Data collected from 271 households was analysed. The annual income of the households reduced to half in drought year. The reduction was more in case of crops (61.42%) followed by livestock (30%) and labour (20%). There was significant difference in the number of farmers purchasing fodder during normal (50.92%) and drought years (81.18%). Similarly significant difference was noticed for the average quantity of fodder purchased in normal (22.83q) and drought years (38.80q); per ton fodder value (Rs.2199 in normal and Rs.4166 in drought years); average distance traveled to purchase fodder (4.25 km in normal and 44.07 km in drought years). In drought year, 17.34 percent households resorted to distress selling of livestock and the average herd size reduced from 4.15 ACU to 3.85 ACU. While majority (70.84 %) purchased fodder to mitigate drought effect, 32.10 percent of them fed less to the livestock than the usual quantity. The negative effects of drought on fodder and livestock would be reduced by enabling them to access fodder in a radius of 10 km of their habitation through fodder banks. This saves considerably their exorbitant expenditure towards transportation of fodder.
One hundred and twenty day old commercial broiler chicks were randomly allotted to 4 dietary groups, with 6 replicates of 5 birds in each and reared for 42 days under uniform management conditions to study the effect of organic zinc (zinc glycinate; Zn-gly) supplemented at lower levels (30, 20 and 10 ppm) on antioxidant status and immune response in comparison to NRC (1994) recommended levels (40 ppm) of Zn supplemented from inorganic source (ZnSO4). The dietary treatments were corn soybean meal basal diet supplemented with 40 ppm Zn from ZnSO4 (inorganic) (control) and 30, 20 and 10 ppm Zn from Zn-gly (organic). Antioxidant enzyme levels and antibody titres against New castle disease (ND) vaccine (humoral immunity) were estimated on 35th d and oxidative stress markers from liver on 42nd d. On 40th d, the cell mediated immunity (CMI) was assessed as cutaneous basophilic hypertrophy to phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P). The lipid peroxidation in haemolysate (P<0.05) lowered in birds with 30 ppm Zn supplemented as Zn-gly compared to 20 and 10 ppm Zn from Zn-gly and 40 ppm Zn from ZnSO4. The Glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity was higher (P<0.05) with 30 ppm Zn as Zn-gly compared to control. The CMI was sgnificantly (P<0.05) high at 30 ppm Zn supplemented as Zn-gly compared to 40 ppm Zn as ZnSO4 and other organic Zn groups. The SOD activity, humoral and cell mediated immune resonse when fed 20 ppm Zn as Zn-gly was comparable to those on 40 ppm Zn as ZnSO4. The results of the study indicated that reducing the level of Zn from inorganic source (40 ppm) to 50 % (20 ppm) supplementation from Zn-gly can result in comparable immune and antioxidant status in broiler chicks.
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