VET Helpline (India).Com - Farmers Corner

Selected Posted Questions From Subscribers (Answers prepared by VET Helpline (India) team lead by Dr.P.A.Deore)

Q. (1) Is de-worming in a dairy herd necessary? What is the benefit of de-worming?

Dairy animals, either grazing or stall-fed need de-worming at certain interval with broad-spectrum anthelmintics. It is known that herbivorous animals do have subclinical worm infestation, (in such infestation you do not get any symptom and animal appears healthy, though actually it is not perfectly healthy). This subclinical worm infestation lowers productivity of animals. It also lowers immunity (Ability to fight diseases).

The practical suggestion for medication would be to de-worm pregnant animal twice (between 7th. to 9th. month of pregnancy in cows and 8th. to 10th. month of pregnancy in buffalo and once after calving. De-worm young calves before and after monsoon with broad-spectrum anthelmintic. Some Veterinarians do suggest for de-worming of animals a week before vaccination to get beneficial results. In case of any specific worm infestation, identified from symptoms and fecal sample examination (especially for animals grazing on the banks of canal, ponds, rivers) specific de-worm drugs needs to be used as per the advice of the Veterinarian in appropriate doses. Regular monitoring through fecal examination and timely de-worming, is helpful and is reflected in getting more milk, better conception and better disease resistance.

Q. (2) Why there is drop of Milk production during summer? How can I prevent such drop in production?

The ideal temperature for optimum milk production from buffaloes and crossbreeds is between 25 to 28O C or little less. In tropical climate conditions like ours, the atmospheric temperature in summer rises up to 42-44 O (Average 36-41 O C). This is more than the body temperature of the normal buffalo (Which is 38 O C) or a cross bred (38.5 O C) cow.
Metabolic heat is produced within an animal during milk production. With atmospheric temperature, more than body temperature it becomes difficult for the animals to eliminate body's heat. More energy is used to keep the body cool. Following are some useful points to be practiced from preventing drop in milk production:

1. Keep animals in shed. The roof should be 5 to 6 ft above the animal body. It should have good ventilation with cross air currents (Open from North & South)

2. Give cool water to drink (18 to 20 O C)

3. Feed dry grass at night (19 hr. to 23 hr.)

4. Give concentrated energy. Observe animals for abnormal behaviour and attend to it immediately.

5. Give little more Vit A and potassium in the diet it increases heat tolerance.

Q. (3) What are the precautions that one must take during administration of common antibiotics?

We advice you to take help of Veterinarians or experienced trained persons whenever you are administering antibiotics to animals. For use of any antibiotic in animals following principles needs to be observed:

1. Use from lower antibiotics. Do not use higher antibiotics in the first instant.

2. Know the range of organism on which the antibiotic acts. There is specific range identified for each antibiotic.

3. Give appropriate dose as per the manufacturers instructions and repeat it as per pharmacological instruction (only a Vet can give you this information). Minimum five days course is necessary.

4. If desired result were not obtained in 24 to 36 hr. after giving appropriate dose, shift to higher antibiotic.

5. Every antibiotic has its side effect, know them, and give supporting therapy.

6. For each herd or group of animals if you know (from your experience) which antibiotic is effective, try it first.

7. Giving antibiotics orally (by mouth) in ruminants is always with side effects. Try to avoid it.

Q. (4) Is feeding of mineral mixture in the diet essential? How can one judge the quality of a mineral mixture?

In every animal, certain amount of mineral mixture is necessary to be given. This is particularly so in milking animals, pregnant as well as in growing animals.

The major minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium needs to be supplied to every animal. Since most of the minerals are given back in milk, they need to be replaced.

Trace minerals such as Zinc, Selenium, and Manganese are essential for reproduction and building immunity. They are needed in very small quantities.

Commercial mineral mixtures are the combination of major and trace minerals in approved proportions. Their elemental values, whether supplied in the mixture in correct proportion or not needs to be observed. Ask the visiting company professionals to furnish you a detail profile of mineral mixtures marketed by them.
Any good quality of mineral mixture you use should show good effect (in production and reproduction) in a period of fortnight. Bad effect can be seen in a week time. This is probably the best way to judge the quality.

People do argue on the fact that, when manufacturer and marketer of a concerned mineral mixture is the same company, chances of getting improved quality on same priced product is more. Such argument however, is not acceptable always. Do also check the credential of the company manufacturing / marketing the product.

Another point to note is that, vitamin A in mineral mixture does not remain active in the presence of other ingredients and thus such vitamin is not available to the body.

Q. (5) Is there any chance of getting diseases from farm animals? How can one give protection to farm labours?

Diseases that communicate from animals to human are known as zoonotic diseases. Anthrax, Brucellosis, Tuberculosis, and certain allergies are some of the important zoonotic disease. Protection to labours from such diseases is difficult to achieve because by the time the disease is confirmed in animals, the person working in the farm may already get the infection. However, incidence of all the diseases are rare and if contacted can be cured with treatment. The best way is to go for periodic preventive medical check up of employees working in the farm.

Q. ( 6 ) I have heard that, injections of hormone for milk production is harmful for the animal in long learn. However, one easily gets tempted to this practice owing to immediate gain. Can you enlighten us on this topic?

There is no medicine or injection, which can increase milk production. It is observed that some dairy owners give Pitutrin (Oxytocin) injection to those animals which do not let down at a given time of milking. Giving such injections on a regular basis if practiced is harmful to the animal from its breeding activity point of view. Questions are also raised on effect of such practices on public health. Oxytocin is a protein and is having very short life (8 -10 min). It is generally destroyed during pasteurisation or on boiling.

Q. (7) I have observed that, cases of abortion in buffalo's are generally high in summer. Why it is so? Can I prevent it?

In summer because of high atmospheric temperature, pregnant unprotected (From extreme atmospheric temperature) animals usually abort (3-5 month gestation). Buffaloes need more cooling facilities such as wallowing / sprinklers or forgers, besides availability of cool drinking water. In case of abortion in well-protected animals, one should get serum of the animals tested for presence of infection like Brucella, vibrio etc. Usually dairy farmers use to purchase pregnant animal from the market during summer so that, it will calve within the summer season (peak production season) itself. There is an increase of animal movement during summer resulting in spread of infection. Some of such infection may also result in to abortion.

Q (8) I have learned that, there is a liquid preparation, which is used to dip the teats before milking. What is this? Is it beneficial?

There are many liquid preparations, which can be used as teat dip. Many of them contain formalin, Phenolic, Glutaraldehyde or idophor iodine compounds. We would like suggesting you to use a combination of Benzalkonium chloride and 1-6-D Hexane (Commercially available in brand like " Instaclean"). This compound is relatively safe with long residual life and 1-2% solution can be effectively used as teat dip twice a day.

Q. (9) My Vet is not in favour of the practice of feeding of Jaggary (Molasses) with Rai oil for increased milk production. We are doing this practice traditionally and I do not see any wrong in it. How scientific is the Vet's suggestion?

Jaggery and Rai oil feeding, if gives good results to you (Economically, production wise, with no side effects) you can continue the practice. However, from the nutrition point of view, both of them give energy, which can also be supplied through other means. Experience is better than tradition and science and technology is the best way to achieve the goal.

Q. (10) One of my recently brought buffalo developed a swelling in one of the teat within few days of purchase. The visiting Vet conducted a small operation in the swelling area. He also prescribed a course of antibiotics. However, currently the affected teat is non- functional and I presume there is no chance of recovery. I have recorded reduction in production also. Can you give an insight in to the probable causes? Is there any fault in my part? How can I prevent occurrence of such things in future?

It is difficult to understand the type of operation performed. If the wound was an abscess, your Vets treatment approach was on right direction. You should note that, postoperative care is very important in such cases. However, following are some of the information, which can be of help in future.
The swelling on one of the teat or teats is an indication of infection within the teat. Once there is infection (mostly due to bacteria), the specialized cells that secrete the milk get damaged resulting in to stoppage of milk the infection may get in to the teat through small wound on the teat. However, in most cases the entry of infection is through the teat opening. This is because of improper hygiene of the udder at the time of milking. It is necessary to wash the udder with disinfectants (clean water with few crystals of Potassium permanganate - amount sufficient to change the colour of the water) and there after drying of the teat from tip of the teat upwards. Milking is to be done by full hand. Practice of teat dipping (after milking) in disinfectant solution is helpful. Such solutions should be effective against microbes, viruses, algae, and fungus with long residual effect. As on today we can suggest you to use INSTACLEAN solution (available in the market) -1percentage in water. Each teat is to be dipped after every milking. This practice is likely to bring down the teat infection rate. Whenever there is swelling in teat, ensure that the affected teat is milked as frequently as possible to eliminate infection from the teat. Your vet may prescribe antibiotic tube.

Q. (11) Few animals in my herd of buffalo's suffer from fever at a regular interval. Administration of antibiotics seldom shows any improvement. How can I prevent this?

Whenever animal shows fever, it is necessary to take help of diagnostic laboratories in preparing blood smears from the suffering animals at the height of temperature and check them for any protozoan (A disease causing organism) infection. Differential count (A kind of laboratory examination) will give some clue to the doctor of the type of infection (viral or microbial) and accordingly he / she will treat the animal. A case of high fever is usually treated symptomatically (based on the symptoms shown by the animal). One needs to carefully observe the suffering animal (s) for discharge (if any), breathing, consistency of stool, urine colour etc.
It can be a case of ethritrichiosis which, needs treatment with long acting tetracycline (a course of three injection (once every day) with 20% dextrose (500 ml.) However, your Vet is the right person to plan the line of treatment based on his / her observation and findings.

Q. (12) How can I control fly menace in my farm?

Flies suck blood, spread diseases and causes nuisance and irritations. Fly menace can be effectively controlled if the manure pit is at least eighty feet away from the animal shed. There should be adequate cleanliness in the byre. You can use NUVON @ 0.25 percentage (25 ml in 10 lit of water) - a proprietary preparation available in the market and spray it once a day on animal's body (after feeding and watering of animals, quantity of chemical for each animal is 50 ml). Cost for such practice can be calculated at Rs.13.50 per 200 animals or 7 paisa per animal per day)

Q. (13) Most buffaloes do not show even silent heat during summer (March -April). I feel that, coming to heat and conception during this period is beneficial for a farmer. Can I do anything to get desired heat during that period?

During summer, buffaloes usually do not show estrous for various reasons. One of the important reasons is deficiency e.g. deficiency of energy, trace minerals and could be vit A. Scientist are trying to overcome this difficulty.

It is possible to synchronize the estrous cycle by the use of certain devices and hormonal injection. Animals which are cyclical (which come in estrous but do not conceive) can be synchronized so that they come in estrous and can be bred by artificial insemination at one time, thus all the selected animals in the herd can be made to calve in a particular chosen period. This helps farmers in his or her marketing adjustments.
To detect heat, farmers can also use new devices like " estrous detectors." Such devices are now available in the market. Though costlier, they are found useful in Indian condition.

A general advice to achieve your goal is to provide your animals adequate green fodder (20 -25 kg / day, leguminous fodder) in summer with minerals. Keep ample facility for cooling e.g. Wallowing pond, sprinklers etc.

Q. (14) I am facing a problem of inconsistent production from my herd. Some time it goes down to such an extent affecting regular marketing adjustments. How can I tackle such fluctuations in production?

Fluctuation of milk production in a herd may be due to:

1. Animals are not spread for calving throughout the year. Most of them calve in a particular period. Design your breeding policy so that there is calving through out the year.

2. For individual animal, fluctuation is due to inadequate energy or minerals. Minerals need to be supplied regularly besides adequate energy in relation to production.
Other management factors could be inadequate supply of water, improper milking, or sub clinical mastitis (a disease) on a large scale.