Breeding and calf rearing management practices followed inVaranasi district of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

A study on breeding and calf rearing management practices of Varanasi district in Uttar Pradesh was carried on by collecting data from 250 dairy farmers of 5 different block viz. Sewapuri, Kashi Vidyapeeth, Arajiline, Rohaniya and Chiriagoan of Varanasi district. The study revealed that almost all the respondents relayed only on symptoms of estrus and particularly mucus discharge alone (33.6%) or in combination of other symptoms of estrus like bellowing (45.2%) and restlessness (21.2%) for heat detection in their animals. Respondents were breeding their animals by AI (26.8%), natural service (26.8%) and by both (46.4%). Mostly (73.2%) respondents mate their animals after 18 hrs of heat detection, while maximum (41.6%) number of respondents bred their animals between 3-5 months after calving. In case of calf rearing management practices, study revealed that 70% of respondents attended their animals during calving, while only 30.4% of respondents practiced ligation, cutting and disinfection of navel cord. Only 32% respondents fed their calves colostrum within 2 hrs of birth. 66.4% of respondents weaned their calves at 3 months of age, rest never weaned their calves. Majority 57.6% of farmers provided calf starter to their calves, while 42.4% didn’t provided calf starter and 68.4% of respondents fed fodder to their calves around 2 months of age. Only 38% respondents were dehorning their calves and 33.2% castrating their male calves in the study area.

Existing Breeding Management Practices by the Farmers of Kanpur Nagar, Uttar Pradesh

“…The present findings were in close agreement with reported by Sekhar et al, (2017), Yadav et al, (2016). Some of the contradicted by Chakravarthi et al, (2017), Godara et al, (2018b found that most of the farmers used A.I.…”

“…Heat detection was observed that by the farmers 42.50, 27.50, 20.00, and 10.00 per cent through mucus discharge + bellowing, mucus discharge, mucus discharge + bellowing + mounting and off feed + urine discharge as the main sign of estrous. This finding is well comparable with finding of Khadda et al, (2017), Kumar et al, (2019a), Kumar et al, (2020), Singh (2018), Viswkarma et al, (2018), Yadav et al, (2016) farmers used mucus and bellowing together for heat detection in animals. Mucus discharge and bellowing is the main sign and farmers assure that buffalo in heat.…”

“…It was observed that 61.00 per cent buffaloes successive breeding done 3-6 months after calving followed that 39.00 per cent breeding done after 6 months of calving. Similar findings were reported by Kumar et al, (2020), Malsawmdawngliana and Rahman (2016), Singh (2018), Singh et al, (2019a), Yadav et al, (2016, Sekhar et al, (2017).…”

Adoption of Breeding and Calf Rearing Practices in Modern Dairy Farms of Gujarat

“…It was statistically similar for both the regions. This practice was higher than that reported by Yadav et al (2016). This result indicated that dairy farmers of both regions were aware of the importance of ligation/ cutting of navel cord.…”

Production and reproduction performance of buffalo, crossbred and indigenous cows in different agro-climatic zones of Uttar Pradesh

“…Singh et al (2016) also reported medium sustainability level for rearing of indigenous cattle in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Prasad, (2013) and Yadav et al (2016) in their study in Eastern region of Uttar Pradesh observed poor knowledge and awareness among the farmers about improved dairy farming practices. Similarly in Bundelkhand, a drought prone region, dairy farmers also experience several constraints to cope up with drought condition like lack of knowledge about feeding practices for animals, lack of market access, high cost of feed and fodder, low water table of the area, inadequate and poor pasture land, lack of access to weather information, inadequate and irregular extension services and lack of awareness about government schemes (Singh, 2014).…”