Management Practices and Welfare Issues in Commercial Dairy Farms in Chittagong

Abstract

Livestock rearing is an integral part of people's livelihood in Bangladesh and it is being intensified as the commercial dairy farming has been grown up where the farmers usually not well aware about welfare issues of animals. The aim of this study was to study different factors associated with welfare issues of dairy animals in terms of management and health status. With these view a cross-sectional study was performed for a period of 10 months in urban (Chittagong City Area), peri urban (Sikolbaha) and Rural area (Potiya, , Anowara, Bansnkhali Sitakunda and Mirsharai) through a pretested questionnaire survey followed by comprehensive survey in selected dairy farms. In the studied farms, the following parameters were found highest in proportion: medium size farms (49%) , stall type (82%) could be due to unavailability of land and money for expansion of the farm, smooth floor surface (57%) would be a factor for physical injury of animals, clean floor surface (80%) is not up to the mark due to the lack of man power facilities and water sources and space allocation (short in width) for individual cows (83%) which need to be improved. Nearly 70 % farms had good ventilation facilities still under the standard level, 66% farms were infested with fly which caused restlessness of the cow that lead to decreased milk production and also contaminated milk and feed with other microorganisms. Almost 93% farms did not use footbath with antiseptic solution where awareness program for remaining farmers are required on this issue. In 15% farms, cows were observed in frustrated (stereotype) condition resulted from scarcity of grazing facilities and 82% farms did not have land for grazing or exercise of cows which is a factor for economic profitability of the farms. The highest percentage (61%) of farms' dairy cow got three times water supply and 92% farms used tube well water this suggests available water supply in the farm is the most important necessary factor for profitable dairy farming. Almost 84% mastitic cows was found in stall feed condition and 51% of mastitis case was found in medium size farms where brick coated with cement floor was responsible for 49% of the total mastitis case that could be due to the unhygienic condition of the floor. Nearly 49% of the recorded farms were located in village which indicates livelihood of the peoples mostly depends on the agriculture associated with livestock. The highest proportion of laminitis (89%) was found in stall feed condition 39 % in medium size farms and (39%) that resulted from lack of movement facilities. Hoof lesions were found in (83%) stall house, (46%) in medium size farms, (50%) in village level farms and (50%) in brick floor coated with cement floor house. The highest percentage (42%) of leg lesions was found in medium size farms and 88% of neck lesion was found in stall house since the animals are more prone to injury and fly infestation. Those diseases found in the study were not statistically significant that could be due to sampling variations. However recorded all types of diseases (mastitis, laminitis, hoof lesions and neck lesions) were predominated in stall feeding condition, medium size farms, farms brick coated with cemented floor. There is a significant variation of laminitis of animals in various locations of the farms.