How reproductive management can increase animal productivity and farmers’ income
Prasanna Pal Ph.D. Scholar, Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana- 132001, India
Introduction:
India is an agricultural country and livestock sector is an integral part of its economy. It contributes 4.11% of national GDP and 25.6% of agricultural GDP. It also generates employment of a large number of people throughout the country. Nearly 20.5 million people depend upon livestock for their livelihood. Especially in rural areas, two-third of the population are dependent on the livestock sector. In short, the animal husbandry sector plays a very crucial role in the economy of our country. The rapid increase in human population and increasing demand for the livestock product are going to strengthen the economic condition of the people associated with the livestock sector. In one hand this sector can ensure the nutritional security of the country, on other hand, it can also create great job opportunities in both rural and urban areas. In the present time, the poultry sector can be considered as one of the rapid growing industries in our country. Unfortunately, other livestock sectors have not witnessed such upliftment. The major challenges that we are facing are scarcity of food and the incidence of several diseases. In a country like India, fodder production for the animals has not been given importance as compared to developed countries. Among the several diseases and infections, problems associated with the reproduction have affected the productivity most. Female animals are generally reared by the livestock farmers and it is of little value if it is reproductively unfit. If an animal is not conceived, it can’t produce offspring as well as the door of milk production is also shut. The major productive problems are anestrus, repeat breeding, delayed estrus, infection in the reproductive tract etc. It has been found that more than two-thirds of the animal population is suffering from reproductive problems. As a result, the animal husbandry sector is suffering a loss of billions of rupees every year. Global Warming and associated climate change have worsened the situation. In this condition, it is very much necessary to make aware the livestock farmers about this problem and its possible solution. Proper reproductive management of the animals starting from birth is utmost important to fight the situation. In this article, we have discussed the major reproductive problems of the domestic animals and the use of proper management and practices and available technologies to solve it.
Major reproductive challenges:
It is well known that rhythmic changes occur in the reproductive system of the female animals from one estrus to another estrus, called estrus cycle. The duration of the estrus cycle varies from animal to animal. In the case of the cow, sow and mare it is 21 days; in case of ewe 17 days and in case of goat 20 days. Depending upon the species, the animals may show one or more estrous cycle in a year. When the animal is in estrus phase, it shows the signs of heat. Anestrus is a problem when the animal does not show the heat syndromes. It is seen in both heifers and cows. It can be caused by physiological as well as pathological reasons. Many times congenital abnormalities like ovarian aplasia, ovarian hypoplasia, freemartin etc can make the animal infertile (Kumar et al., 2014). In the case of cows, postpartum anestrus is a very common problem in the field condition. Other problems include repeat breeding, metritis, abortion, retained placenta, dystocia, prolapse etc. The bacterial and viral disease associated with these problems are brucellosis (Bang’s disease); leptospirosis; infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD) complexes; vibriosis; trichomoniasis etc. Repeat breeding is a condition when the animal maintains normal cyclicity but fails to conceive following two or more successive inseminations. It is the second most important problem after anestrus. Metritis is the inflammation of the uterus. Endometritis is one of the common problems in postpartum cattle. The major reasons include retention of placenta, distocia or any infection. Abortion can be defined as the premature expulsion of the fetus from the animal. Retained placenta is a condition when the animal fails to expel the fetal membrane within 12 hours of parturition. Generally, the placenta is expelled within 3-8 hours of parturition. Distocia is a condition when parturition is difficult. It can be caused by malposition of the calf, malformation in structure, shortening or lengthening of gestation etc. In the case of prolapse, uterus comes out through the vulva with or without the vagina and cervix. All these problems reduce the productivity of the animals and can cause death to mother and offspring. Eventually, it results in a huge economic loss for the livestock farmers.
Nutritional management:
Nutrition is one of the important factors responsible for the growth and reproduction of animals. It is well known that cattle need to attain 55 to 60% of its mature body weight to reach the puberty. So nutritional management is very important starting from birth to ensure maximum growth. A balanced diet should be feed to the animal depending upon its physiological status. The nutritional requirement for pregnant cattle is completely different from a lactating one. Just after parturition, the animal produces milk and it reaches the peak at 6-8 weeks of age. Often, the animals go into negative energy balance in this time and return to estrus is delayed. Proper supplementation of mineral mixtures is also important. Deficiency of several micronutrients can result in anestrus, delayed estrus and other problems. Minerals should be supplemented in optimum quantity and use of area-specific mineral mixture is recommended.
It has been observed that one of the major reason behind any anestrus is problems associated with the hormones. To correct this condition Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and Prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2-α) are commonly used in field condition. There are several protocols which can induce and also synchronize the estrus. The most popular among these is Ov-Sync protocol. In this protocol, the animal is treated with GnRH on day 0; then PGF2-alpha on day 7 and again GnRH on day 9. The animal comes into estrus on day 10 and subsequently inseminated. Beside using hormones, the animal can be induced to estrus by feeding plant-derived estrus inducers, mineral supplementation, uterine and ovarian massage, intra-uterine application of Lugol’s iodine etc. All these methods have been described in details in a chapter by the author (Pal and Dar, 2019).
Artificial Insemination (AI):
Artificial insemination is a technique in which semen is collected from the male animal and deposited in the uterus of female animal artificial. The animal should be inseminated when it is in the estrus phase or heat. The common symptoms of heat in cattle are secretion of transparent mucus from the vulva, redness of the vulva, decrease in feed intake, frequent bellowing, mounting over other animals and allowing others to mount, restlessness etc. In cattle, generally, artificial insemination is performed 12 hours after the end of estrus. If the animal comes into heat in the morning it should be inseminated in the evening; if it comes into heat at evening or night, it should be inseminated next morning. The materials required for the artificial insemination are AI gun, long plastic gloves, sheaths, thaw unit, tweezer, thermometer, water thermos, straw cutter, semen tank and semen straw. AI has a great advantage over natural insemination. There is no need to rear a bull by the farmers. The frozen semen can be taken to any remote places. As the semen is diluted, so thousands of cows can be inseminated using the semen of one bull. Sexually transmitted diseases are also prevented. The crossbreeding programme can be implemented successfully at the field level. AI is very easy and economic technology. A trained person with good knowledge of the reproductive tract can perform it with the help of necessary equipment. Still, many farmers prefer natural insemination over the AI. There is a need to aware the livestock farmers about its advantages and economic benefits.
Prevention of diseases:
To prevent diseases, producers should practice good management technique. When they buy a new animal it should be isolated for some days. Vaccination is another way to prevent several life-threatening infections. The animals should be vaccinated in the proper time. It has been observed that several parasitic infestations affect the productive and reproductive performance of the animals. In these cases, treatment with anti-parasitic drugs is required. Animal as well as the farm premises should be cleaned in a regular interval. Proper biosecurity arrangement is utmost necessary. If the animal is ill, a Veterinary doctor should be concerned immediately. We all know that prevention is better than cure. So, taking preventive measures can help to reduce diseases and infections.
Conclusion:
The livestock sector is the backbone of the agriculture-based economy of our country. Millions of people of India are associated with this sector for their livelihood. The income of these people can only be enhanced if the productivity of animals is increased. Problems associated with reproduction are one of the major reasons behind decreasing productivity. Addressing these issues with proper care can solve a lot of problems. Nutritional management, induction of estrus, use of artificial insemination and control of disease are the steps that need to be followed. It will ensure not only good productivity from the animal but also improve the financial condition of the livestock farmers of our country.
References
Kumar, P. R., Singh, S. K., Kharche, S. D., Govindaraju, C. S., Behera, B. K., Shukla, S. N., … & Agarwal, S. K. (2014). Anestrus in cattle and buffalo: Indian perspective. Adv. Anim. Vet. Sci, 2(3), 124-138.
Pal, P., & Dar, M. R. (2020). Induction and Synchronization of Estrus. In Animal Reproduction in Veterinary Medicine. IntechOpen.
