Animal Management in summer

Special attention needs to be paid to the management of animals in summer. In north-west India, summers are hot and long. Here the atmospheric temperature in summer exceeds 45 degrees. In such weather animals come under pressure. This stress condition has an adverse effect on the digestive system and milk production capacity of the animals. Even a slight carelessness adopted in the care of newborn animals in this season can have a permanent adverse effect on their future physical growth, health, disease resistance and production capacity. If you do not pay attention while doing animal husbandry in summer, the amount of dry fodder eaten by the animal can decrease by 10 to 30 percent and milk production capacity by 10 percent. At the same time, due to the oxidative stress caused by excessive heat, the internal ability of animals to fight against diseases is adversely affected and they become victims of various diseases in the coming rainy season. Due to which their production and reproductive capacity decline.

1. 1. There should be a clean and well-ventilated animal house for the accommodation of animals, whose floor should be firm and non-slippery and there should be a slope for the drainage of urine and water. The roof of the cattle shed should be a poor conductor of heat so that it does not get overheated in summer. Asbestos seat can be used for this. In hot summer days, 4 to 6 inches thick layer of straw or thatch should be put on the roof. This layer acts as a heat barrier due to which the temperature inside the cattle shed remains low. It has also been found beneficial to paint white or apply shiny aluminum sheets on the roof of the cattle shed to reflect sunlight. The height of the roof of the cattle shed should be at least 10 feet so that proper circulation of air can take place in the cattle shed and animals can be saved from the heat of the roof. Water should be sprinkled on the windows and doors of the cattle shed and other open places from where strong hot air comes by hanging gunny bags or gunny bags. It is also beneficial to have wings in the cattle shed. Therefore, if possible, arrangements should be made for that too. There should not be overcrowding in the animal house. Provide enough space for each animal according to its needs. An adult cow or buffalo requires 40 to 50 square feet of space. Cows and buffaloes should be provided with 35 and 40 square meters of covered space and 7 and 8 square meters of open space respectively per animal in the open house system. For early calving animals, covered area of 12 square meters and the same area should be provided as open area. For breeding bull, the covered area should be 12 square meters and the open area should be 120 square meters, so that the bull gets enough exercise. which is essential for maintaining its fertility.
   2. Sprinkle cold water on the body of animals three or four times a day when the atmospheric temperature is high. If possible, take buffaloes to ponds and johads. Experiments have proved that sprinkling cold water on animals in the afternoon helps in increasing their production and fertility.
   3. Animals reduce grazing in summer. In summer, when the water-atmospheric temperature exceeds the body temperature of the animals, then the animals reduce the intake of dry fodder because the body produces more heat while digesting the dry fodder. Therefore, fodder should be made available to the animals in the morning or evening only and as far as possible keep more quantity of green fodder in the diet of the animals. Providing more quantity of green fodder to the animals during animal husbandry in summer has two benefits, one, the animal fulfills its stomach by eating tasty and nutritious fodder with more gusto, and the second green fodder contains up to 70-90 percent water content. , which supplies water from time to time. If the animals are taken to the pasture, then they should graze in the morning and evening only when the atmospheric temperature is low. Animal rearers should sow moong, maize, cowpea, barbati etc. in the month of March, April for green fodder in the summer season. Give so that green fodder can be available to the animals in the summer season. Such animal husbandry, which does not have irrigated land, should be prepared ahead of time by cutting green grass and drying it. This grass is protein rich, light and nutritious.

1. In the summer season animals feel less hungry and thirstier. That is why animals should be given sufficient amount of water at least thrice a day. Which helps in controlling the body temperature. Apart from this, a small amount of salt and flour should be mixed in water and given to the animal. Cold water should be made available for drinking. For this there should be arrangement of shade on the water tank. Water pipes should not pass through the open sun and as far as possible they should be laid underground so that the water can be saved from heating up during the day. Pot water can also be used to give cold water to the animals.
2. It is essential to have shady trees around the cattle shed. These trees not only provide shade to the animals but also protect them from the heat.

Dr. Ravi Prakash Mishra

Asso. Prof./ Head

School of Agriculture