Care and management of livestock during pre and post-monsoon
Dr Pranav Chauhan1, Shital D. Nagargoje2, Dr. Prabhat Kumar Mandal3
1. Veterinary Surgeon
Department of animal husbandry and dairying, Haryana
2. MVSc Scholar, Division of Physiology &
Climatology, ICAR-IVRI, Izatnagar
3. Professor, Department of Livestock Products Technology
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research
Kurumbapet, Pondicherry, India
Introduction:
India is an agrarian country of which livestock is the backbone of our Indian rural economy. Livestock is mostly owned by the marginal, small, and semi medium farmers as a supportive source of income along with agriculture for their livelihood. As per demographic dependence on agriculture is approximately 50% of the Indian population. The livestock sector employs nearly 8 per cent of the total Indian workforce. India is in terms of total livestock population, total milk production; total bovine, and total buffalo population are at the top position. So the importance of livestock in our day to day life cannot be neglected as a major source of animal protein in the form of milk and meat which is essential to make our population healthy and be sound of mind to contribute to the development of the country. There is a need to care and management based on priority as per season and environment condition of livestock, especially in pre and post-monsoon.
Why the pre and post-monsoon care of livestock are so essential?:
As there is great seasonal variation in the Indian subcontinent which is primarily due to the geographical location of our country and monsoon. Variations in weather and season expose our livestock to different conditions that need to be addressed properly. Before monsoon livestock during late summer, the heat waves are responsible for serious production losses as huge heat stress to animals. In heavy rain, there is flood most commonly in the low-line areas so animals which are most vulnerable for many diseases, mortality, malnutrition, and stress. So need to be taken care of before monsoon and post-monsoon.
Environmental conditions
Extreme environmental conditions, malnutrition, work stress of the rice field, and long-distance transport generally occurs in the rainy season. Under warm, humid conditions growth of the various bacteria and fungus, and its production of spores is strongly influenced by climate and environmental factors, fungal infested straw feeding of rice straw in post-monsoon leads to many fungal diseases to animals. On both pasture and grassland fungal growth rapidly and produces spores and toxins cause mycotoxicosis. On-field observation in the outbreak area all sick animals were having hyperemic moist eczematous skin lesions all over the body, and on the tail, thigh, legs, udder, testicle with normal temperature, and appetite. So for all above conditions can be taken care of by sound management of breeding, feeding and nutrition, housing, and health care of livestock.
Nutrition care:
1. Proper management of dry forage during rainy season carried out it can minimize the loss of nutritional profile.
2. Concentrated feed must be stored in moisture-proof stores to avoid contamination, especially with aflatoxins.
3. As green fodder not available always in pre-monsoon so farmers should go for unconventional fodder like trees leaf, grasses, and other byproducts of the feed industry to feed livestock.
4. Unconventional fodders are much high in many anti-nutritional factors so they need to processed properly using urea molasses or alkaline treatments so reduce adverse effects on animal health and production.
5. Need to proper preservations of green fodder through Hay and silages techniques to feed in scarcity in monsoon.
6. Provision of mineral and vitamin-fortified feed block in rainy and flood condition.
Health care:
1. In the rainy season, infected animals can contaminate the soil and water which increases disease transmission to other animals.
2. Injury, wounds, lesions should be dressed with hygienic practice regularly.
3. Particularly the maggot wound cases increase as breeding of fly in rainy seasons so the use of camphor or turpentine oil along with manual removal of maggot with regular dressing is necessary.
4. Vaccinations of livestock before the arrival of monsoon for a few diseases are very important.
5. Large animals like cattle and buffalo should be vaccinated for Hemorrhagic septicemia (H.S), Black-quarter (B.Q).
6. Small animals like sheep, the goat should vaccinate for Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) before rainy seasons.
7. As most of the fatal parasitic diseases like Trypanosomiasis, Theileriosis, Babesiosis in large animals like cattle and buffalo, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiasis in canines transmitted through the vector insects like the fly, mosquito, ticks, and mites, etc. as its occurrence increases in field conditions.
8. External and Internal parasite cases increase in rainy season so take care of it with consulting the veterinary doctor.
Preventive care and management for all the above disease pre and post-monsoon are important. :
Housing management:
1. The shelter is one of the most important requirements for livestock in various environmental conditions, so it needs to careful in the rainy season.
2. If there is water leakage in the animal shelter then it will affect the comfort of your animals.
3. If the animal shed is not clean enough with adequate drainage system then water-logging leads to the production of chemicals like ammonia that affects the eyes of the livestock if its concentration increases inside the shed.
4. Coccidiosis can also take place due to leakage of water from unclean shades.
5. Livestock farmer needs to keep their hooves away from water to avoid hoof rotting disease in the rainy season.
6. Improve ventilation was needed which can be met through exhaust fans, draft fans, or other outlet ventilators system.
7. Protection from wind and rain would give animals more strength to resist the disease.
8. Most of the parasitic diseases transmitted through the vector insects like the fly, mosquito, ticks, mites, etc as the population of these insects’ increases in rainy reasons.
9. Eliminate the standing water and all mosquito habitats to control mosquitoes.
10. Spray insecticides at regular intervals, especially during monsoon as the rainy season is most favourable to breeding and growth of insects so it also called fly seasons.
11. Cleaning, sanitization and drying were critical during the rainy season, regularly disinfect the livestock shed and premises with 1-2 % phenyl, or Quick lime or Sodium hypochlorite, 2.5-4% Sodium carbonate.
General cares to prevent the diseases in the rainy season:
1. Identification and isolation of infected and contact animals, treatment of affected one.
2. Disposal of dead animals either by burning or deep burial with the use of lime and salt.
3. Proper disposal of contaminated feed and water, don’t allow animals to drink water from ponds, the river as highly contaminated through its catchment areas sewage and derbies as a good source of diseases for both parasitic and infectious.
4. The regular spray of insecticides to control the external parasites.
5. Pre and post monsoons deworming of animals are very much necessary to control internal parasites.
6. Don’t allow to grazing animals in the affected area with sewages and fungal infested grassland.
7. Give enough exercise to animals and care of udder is needed as udder disease is common in the rainy season which affects production.
8. Provide adequate ventilation with clean dry housing.
9. Provide animal-specific nutrition as a need for maintenance, pregnancy, and production with ample clean water.
10. Do follow the prophylactic measure of pre-monsoon vaccination of H.S, BQ, PPR, and other diseases.
11. Avoid stress associated with long-distance transport, under-nutrition, and environmental stress.
12. Always be aware and alert and consult with the local registered veterinary doctor for any technical suggestion.
