Labour requirements for animal management and fodder production in an organised dairy farm

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to assess the labour requirements for the management of various categories of Ongole cattle and the Super Napier fodder production in Livestock Research Station, Mahanandi, Nandyal district, Andhra Pradesh. It was found that milking operations were the most time-consuming activities for milch animals and took 24.02 ± 0.58 manminutes per animal per day. The management of milch animals, 7 days to 3 months old calves, 3 to 6 months old calves, above 6 months old calves, dry animals, pregnant animals and teaser bull took 37.31, 1.69, 2.77, 7.64, 46.41, 3.98 and 0.20 per cent of total labour input on animal management in a day. Milking operations, grazing, feeding, cleaning of sheds, washing of animals and other management activities took 17.96, 50.17, 1.32, 26.76, 0.88 and 2.91 per cent of total labour input on animal management in a day. Land preparation, sowing, irrigation, application of fertilizer, harvesting, loading, transport and chaffing required 7.69 ± 0.18 tractor hours per acre, 35.68 ± 1.02 man-hours per acre, 8.32 ± 0.31 man-hours per acre, 0.51 ± 0.04 man-hours per acre, 95.31±8.42 man-hours per acre, 31.65 ± 3.43 man-hours per acre, 0.26 ± 0.01 tractor hours per km and 15.96 ± 2.10 man-hours per acre respectively. Based on the results of the present study, it could be concluded that one person working for six hours a day (excluding idle time) is required to manage seven milch animals or 102 calves of 7 days to 3 months of age or 40 calves of 3 to 6 months age or 54 calves of above 6 months age or 17 dry animals or 17 pregnant animals, or can perform daily fodder production activities required for 0.67 tons of chaffed green fodder.