By_ Dr Parvinder kaur Lubana
Care and management of livestock in rainy season
The livestock have now become an integral part of agricultural sector. Almost every farmer in the country rears livestock including Cattle, Buffalo, Sheep, Goat, Horse and Swine. Livestock rearing requires protecting the animals from inclement weather which maintains the level of production obtained from farm animals. Animals need a shelter from heavy rain, winds or hail. Some of the common problems faced by the livestock owners during rainy season and their preventive solutions are as follows:
Common problems in a livestock farm during rainy season :-
(i) Leaking shed roofs :-
Water leaking in the animal shed affects the comfort of the animals. If shade is not clean enough, water leads to the production of chemicals such as ammonia which affects eyes of the animal if its concentration increases inside the shed. Coccidiosis can also occur due to leakage of water from dirty shades. For goats, livestock owner needs to keep their hooves away from water to prevent hoof rotting disease.
(ii) Feeding :-
Grass, which sprouts during rainy season contain lots of water and fiber. The water fills up the stomach and hence, it is virtually useless. This causes animals to pass watery dung during wet seasons.
(iii) Moisture :-
Moisture present on ground produces a lot of bacteria that can cause diseases. Worms are mostly seen in rainy season.
(iv) The tick problem :-
Ticks spread faster in rainy season. They can suck cows dry and eventually lead to death due to a disease called east coast fever that is spread by them. Flies are also found in increased numbers in wet season out of which few flies are deadly like tse tse flies. These flies spread Nagana disease in cows, which leads to cows’ death if left untreated.
(v) Udder diseases :-
Diseases of udder become prevalent in this season. Dirty sheds during rainy season can cause mastitis in which fibrosis of udder takes place and milk ejection is either stopped or there are flakes found in milk.
(vi) Mouldy feeds :-
If the feeds become wet due to leakage of rain water from damaged roof, then they develop moulds. If this mouldy feed is fed to the animals then these can cause cancer.
(vii) Slippery floor and floor with pebbles must be checked as the pebbles get lodged between the hooves of the animals.
Preventive measures required during rainy season:-
(i) Make the roof of livestock sheds leak-proof and clean.
(ii) Livestock owners must cut some of the young grass of rainy season and before feeding, dry it up in sunshine. It will reduce water in grass and it will turn into a good feed.
(iii) Deworming must be done in the beginning of the rainy season and throughout the season because worms multiply at a greater rate during this period.
(iv) Farmers should spray their animals regularly for removal of ectoparasites and cut all bushes near their sheds.
(v) Farm should be disinfected using a disinfectant regularly.
(vi) It must be made sure that feeds are stored in a dry place.
Protection of farm animals from inclement weather conditions of rainy season is of utmost importance as it will provide economic benefits to the farmers through maintenance of production of farm and will lead to the well-being of the animals. Hence, the aforementioned problems occurring during rainy season and their preventive measures must kept in mind by the livestock owner to prevent the animals from being stressed due to the inclement weather conditions, thus proving a boon for the prosperity of the farm.
