Medical brain notes 33

  Livestock and Management   The well being of human population is directly linked to the natural resources of a country. Natural resources are of various kinds. They are plants, animals, land, water and minerals. Animal husbandry and dairying have been mainly rural-based, generating employment and revenue among the rural people. Extensive studies have been undertaken by ICAR (Indian Council for Agricultural Research), State Agricultural Universities, and non-governmental research organizations, etc, to improve the livestock and its management. Intensive crossbreeding programme in cattle has led to the evolution of high-yielding milch animals.   Dairy   Dairy operation consists of proper maintenance of cattle, the collection of milk, processing the milk, and its by products. Dairying is the production and marketing of milk and its products.   Dairy technology made rapid growth in the later half of the 19 th  century. New methods and equipments are available...

  Important cattle breeds and their characteristics   Among mammals, cattles belong to the genus Bos (ruminant quadrupeds), and the species being divided into  Bos indicus (humped cattle),  Bos taurus  (without any hump),  Bos bubalis  (the buffalo).   In India at present there are twenty six well defined breeds of cattle and six breeds of buffaloes found spread all over the country. Cattles are classified under three groups based on the purpose they serve to man. They are  Dairy breeds, Dual purpose breeds  and Draught breeds . A  breed  is a group of animals of a species which has for a long period been bred among themselves. The members of the breed have closely resembling characters and these characters are hereditarily transmissible to young ones.   I.  Milch breeds (or) Dairy breeds   The cows of this group are high milk yielders with extended lactation periods. The bullocks are of poor draught qualities. T...

  Milch breeds (or) Dairy breeds   The cows of this group are high milk yielders with extended lactation periods. The bullocks are of poor draught qualities. These cattle are well built with strong limbs. e.g Deoni, Gir, Sindhi and Sahiwal. The cows in do-mestic usage for milk are non-descriptive types.   1. Sindhi  (Red Sindhi, Red Karachi) : Origin and distribution  : The home of this breed is Karachi and Hyderabad.   Distinguishing characters :  Medium size and compact body. Thick horns   emerging laterally and ending in blunt points. They have intelligent facial expression. Deep dark red colour. Bulls are darker than the cow. They have hump and the udder is large with medium sized teats. The animals are docile and quiet. Bullocks are steady workers, suited for road and field work.   Sindhi cows are hardy and have high degree of resistant to heat and ticks. These are the most economical milk producers among the dairy breeds of India. ...

  Dual purpose breeds  :  This breed of cattle are meant for both milk   yield and draught works. The cows are fairly good milkers and the bullocks are sturdy and are useful in draught works like ploughing the field, transport, cart pulling etc. Important examples are Hariana and Ongole.   1. Ongole :  Nellore   Origin and distribution :-  Ongole tract of Andra Pradesh, Guntur,   Narasaraopet, Venukonda, Kandukur taluks of Nellore. Distinguishing characteristics :  This breed is a larger form. The matured   male weighs about 700Kg and female weighs about 400 Kg. Ongole breed is usually white in colour with grey marking. Males are dark grey at extremities. Hump is well developed and erect. The horns are stumpy and they grow outwards and inwards. Bullocks are powerful and suitable for cart and road work but are not fast.   Productions :  Cows are good yielders, yielding from 1700 kg to 3500kg   per lactation. Exotic bre...

  Draught breeds  :  These breeds are exclusively meant for pulling   carts, ploughing fields etc. They are well-built and the skin is well stretched. The bulls are used for draught works. The cows are poor milkers. Important Indian draught breeds are Amrithamahal, Kangayam, Malvi, Hallikar etc.   1. Kangayam ( Kanganad, Kongu)  :-   Origin and distribution :  It originated from Kangayam divisions of   Dharapuram taluk of Coimbatore district in Tamilnadu. The breed is also found in Udumalapet, Palladam, Pollachi and in other parts of South India.   Distinguishing characters :  The cattle of this breed are of moderate size   and the colour of the body is white or grey with black markings. The horns are strong and are curved upwards and outwards. The head is short with prominent forehead. Neck is shorter and thick and the ears are smaller and pointed. They have moderate sized hump, wide muzzle, strong limbs, fine skin and a fine ...

  Common diseases and control  :  Cattle are subjected to a large   number of diseases. Cattle in normal health appear bright, alert and active in their movements with a shiny coat. They also enjoy normal appetite and sleep. Cattle in ill health appear dull, restless and change posture frequently with a drop in milk yield.   Contagious diseases   : The diseases which spread easily by various modes   are called contagious diseases. These diseases are of bacterial or viral ori-gin. The bacterial diseases are  anthrax ,  haemorrhagic septicemia ,  mas-titis  and  tuberculosis . The  viral dieases  are  cow pox ,  foot and mouth disease  and  rinderpest .   1. Anthrax  :  Anthrax, a bacterial disease is due to   b   anthracis which causes   sudden death in cattle.   Symptoms :  High temperature (41-41.5 0 c), swelling of the neck, thorax,   flanks and lumbar...