Small Herd Size Research Articles

Farm management practices and host species richness associated with higher likelihood of tuberculosis positive farms in Western Spain

Despite enormous efforts, complete animal tuberculosis (TB) eradication has only been achieved in few regions. Epidemiological analyses are key to identify TB risk factors and set up targeted biosecurity measures. Here, we conducted an in-depth characterization of 84 extensive beef cattle farms from a high TB prevalence region in Western Spain, and assessed how farm management and wildlife presence on farms contribute to cattle TB risk. Twenty-six out of 84 variables were associated with cattle farm TB positivity. Farm management variables associated with TB positivity included older cattle, larger herd size, highly fragmented farm structure and greater connectivity between farms. TB-positive farms provided supplemental feed over a higher number of months, used calf feeders, and had higher number of waterholes. Detecting Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), European badger (Meles meles), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), or Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) on cattle farms was also associated with farm TB positivity. The best ordinal regression model indicated that in farms with a large herd size (> 167 animals) the odds of being positive or recurrently positive (versus negative) was 7.34 (95% CI = 2.43–23.51) times higher that of farms with small herd size. Further, for every additional host species detected in the farm premises, the odds of being TB-positive increased 56%. We conclude that both cattle management and wildlife need to be targeted for successful TB control in grazing-based farming systems.

Serosurvey and associated risk factors for Chlamydia abortus infection in Dromedary camels in Egypt.

Chlamydia abortus (C. abortus) is a gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium that causes major public health problems in human and reproductive problems in animals. The information about the epidemiology of this pathogen among camels in Egypt is very rare. This study aimed to evaluate the existence of antibodies against C. abortus in camels and assess the related risk factors for infection. A total of 410 blood samples were collected from camels from three Egyptian governorates and examined using commercial ELISA kit. The overall seroprevalence rate was 6.6% and the higher C. abortus seropositivity rate was found in Giza governorate. Location, sex and infestation by ectoparasites did not influence on the seroprevalence of the disease. In addition, age, herd size, contact with small ruminants and history of abortion were identified as risk factors for C. abortus infection according to the univariate analysis. Based on multivariate analysis, age group of 4-8 years, small herd size, contact of camels with sheep and goats, and history of abortion were found to be significant risk factors for chlamydiosis transmission in camels. These factors had odds ratios of 4.23, 3.51, 2.84, and 2.5, respectively. These results suggest that camels have a role in the epidemiology of C. abortus infection. This promotes awareness and severe public health concern about infectious camel illnesses, allowing for additional diagnostic advancements and effective management techniques to be developed.

Personal and Socio-Economic Characteristics of Dairy Farmers of Valsad District of Gujarat

A field survey was conducted in Valsad district of Gujarat to ascertain the personal, socio-economic characteristics of dairy farmers and data were collected randomly from 240 dairy animal owners through personal interview with the help of structured interview schedule. The present study revealed that majority of the owners were belonged middle age group, literate, nuclear type of family with more number of children making big size family. Most of the respondents were from schedule tribe category having medium level of extension contacts and mass media exposure with membership in one organization. Only few of the respondents were landless categories. Majority of respondents had small herd size and they possessed agriculture and livestock as their livelihood.

Study of Milk Cost Production in Buffaloes of Telangana State

Background: Telangana state stands 13th position in milk production with 5.61 MT of milk production during 2019-20 as compared to 4.2 MT in 2014-15. The profitability of dairy enterprise is determined by sale price of milk and of late there is lot of uproar from farming community on lack of proper support price for milk. So having adequate data on cost of milk production in different sized farms in buffaloes will enable policy makers to arrive at a minimum support price for milk, so that the farmer will not be put to loss. Methods: An investigation was carried out to study the cost of milk production in buffaloes of dairy farmers in Karimnagar, Khammam and Rangareddy districts of Telangana. The data was collected from 240 farmers spread over 24 villages in 6 mandals in the selected districts. The 240 respondents were interviewed as per the questionnaire. Result: Average milk production per day per animal, sale price of milk per kg per animal per day was 8.63 lit, Rs.35.42 respectively. Cost of milk production in large, medium and small herd size was found to be Rs.26.32, Rs.26.68, Rs.27.08, respectively. Average cost of milk production per animal per day was found to be Rs.26.49. The average net income from cow was Rs.77.03. The average profit/litre of milk was calculated as Rs.8.92/lit. The average benefit-cost ratio was found to be 1.33.

Genome-wide runs of homozygosity in Indian goat breeds reared under small holder production system

Small holder goat production system is often constrained by high inbreeding due to small herd size and uncontrolled breeding. Runs of homozygosity (ROH), the long stretches of homozygous genomic DNA is the most reliable measure of autozygosity. The objective of present study was to investigate the number and coverage of ROH in the genome and to estimate the genomic inbreeding coefficient (FROH) in two divergent Indian goat breeds viz; Attappady Black and Malabari goats farmed under small holder production system. The genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker data obtained by Illumina SNP50 goat BeadChip genotyping of 48 goats (24 each of Attappady Black and Malabari goats) sampled from farmers flock in their respective breeding tract was utilised for ROH detection. The ROH of > 1 Mb was defined as tracts of homozygous genotypes with at least 15 SNPs and less than five missing SNPs. The ROH detection was carried out with PLINK 1.9 version. The proportion of goats lacking ROH (per cent) was 66.67 in Attappady Black and 39.13 in Malabari goats. The mean number and length of ROH of 1 Mb or more was higher in Malabari goats (2.1304 ± 0.6369 and 6.0016 ± 0.5271 Mb) compared to Attappady Black goats (0.4583 ± 0.1343 and 4.0197 ± 0.3755 Mb). Mean ± S.E of sum of ROH coverage of genome per individual (SROH) was 1.8423 ± 0.05976 and 8.8236 ± 1.2785 Mb in Attappady Black and Malabari goats, respectively and differed among the two breeds significantly (p ≤ 0.05). Analysis of the distribution of ROH according to their length showed that majority of the detected ROH were < 8 Mb in length in both breeds with no ROH of > 8 Mb in Attappady Black goats. Mean ± S.E of genomic inbreeding coefficient (FROH≥1 Mb) in per cent was 0.519 ± 0.19 and 0.07480 ± 0.0243 in Malabari goats and Attappady Black goats, respectively. The pattern of ROH estimated in the present analysis indicates the inbreeding history of the goats farmed under small holder production system. Results of present study indicate that both breeds are less consanguineous and showed no evidence of recent inbreeding.

Enhancing bovine abortion surveillance: A learning experience

Abortions and perinatal mortalities (APM) substantially affect cattle industry efficiency. Various infectious and noninfectious factors have been associated with bovine APM worldwide. Infections are often considered pivotal due to their abortifacient potential, leading laboratories to primarily investigate relevant infectious agents for APM cases. Some infectious causes, such as Brucella abortus, have also a zoonotic impact, necessitating monitoring for both animal and human health. However, underreporting of bovine APM is a global issue, affecting early detection of infectious and zoonotic causes. Previous studies identified factors influencing case submission, but regional characteristics may affect results. In Belgium, farmers are obliged to report cases of APM within the context of a national brucellosis monitoring program. The inclusion criteria for this monitoring program cover abortions (gestation length of 42-260 d) and perinatal mortalities of (pre)mature calves following a gestation length of more than 260 d, which were stillborn or died within 48 h after birth. The objective of the present study was to describe the evolution in submission of APM cases within a mandatory abortion monitoring program in relation to subsidized initiatives in the northern part of Belgium. Based on the proportion of APM submissions versus the proportion of bovine reproductive females, an APM proportion (APMPR) was calculated, and factors at both animal and herd level that may influence this APMPR were explored by using linear models. This evaluation revealed that the APMPR increased with the introduction of an extensive analytical panel of abortifacient agents and a free on-farm sample collection from 0.44% to 0.94%. Additionally, an increase of the APMPR was associated with an outbreak of an emerging abortifacient pathogen (Schmallenberg virus; 1.23%), and the introduction of a mandatory eradication program for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDv; 1.20%). The APMPR was higher in beef compared with dairy cattle, and it was higher in winter compared with fall, spring, and summer. Smaller herds categorized in the first quartile had a higher APMPR compared with larger herds. Herds that submitted an APM in the previous year had a higher APMPR in the next year compared with herds without an APM submission. Finally, herds for which there was evidence of the presence of BVDv had a higher APMPR compared with herds without evidence of the presence of BVDv. In conclusion, the number of APM submissions increased after the introduction of a free on-farm sample collection and an extensive pathogen screening panel. Production type (beef), season (winter), smaller herd size, previous APM, and presence of BVDv seemed to have a positive effect on APMPR. However, even under mandatory circumstances, APM still seems to be underreported, since the APMPR was lower than the expected minimal rate of 2%. Therefore, further research is necessary to identify the drivers that convince farmers to submit APM cases to improve submission rates and ensure an efficient monitoring program for APM and eventually associated zoonotic pathogens.

Rotational grazing with cattle‐free zones supports the coexistence of cattle and wild herbivores in African rangelands

Abstract African wildlife populations are declining at an alarming rate. To stop further population declines and restore ecosystems, more areas for wildlife are needed. Community‐based conservation with wildlife‐livestock coexistence in the vast rangelands of Africa presents a major opportunity. However, the efficacy of wildlife conservation in mixed land‐use areas remains an outstanding question. To assess the ecological outcomes of land‐sharing between regulated livestock herds and wildlife populations in African savannas, we test how rotational cattle grazing affects spatiotemporal dynamics of 15 large herbivore species in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. First, we tested how wild herbivore distributions across the Greater Mara Ecosystem (the Mara, ~2600 km2) are related to cattle density and environmental variables using 584,561 observations of wild herbivores (ecosystem scale). In a second analysis, we tested how rotational cattle grazing affects wild herbivore distributions in a 300 km2 subsection of the Mara using 30,583 observations (landscape scale). Finally, we tested how functional traits of wild herbivores affect species‐level spatiotemporal responses to cattle grazing. At the ecosystem scale, the presence of five wild herbivore species was positively correlated with cattle density, while cattle effects on wild herbivore abundances were species‐dependent with both increases and decreases. At the landscape scale, rotational cattle grazing strongly impacted the spatiotemporal habitat selection of wild herbivores, resulting in distinct lag periods with which different species are attracted to areas previously grazed by cattle. These lag periods were linked to functional traits, with body mass and herd size explaining 35% of the interspecific differences. Small to medium‐sized herbivores with large herds select areas recently grazed by cattle, whereas large species with large herd sizes and small species with small herd sizes avoid recently grazed areas. Synthesis and applications: Our results revealed that the effect of cattle on wild herbivores varies considerably among species, suggesting that cattle‐wildlife interactions range from facilitation to competition. To maintain species that strongly avoid cattle, designated livestock‐free zones remain essential, also in rotational grazing systems. Rotational grazing systems with regulated livestock densities present an important opportunity to better manage wildlife‐livestock coexistence and thus improve wildlife conservation in African rangelands.

Prospective of pretreatment and anaerobic digestion of dairy cow manure in Fiji

AbstractThe continuing increase in dairy cattle farming poses a significant threat to the environment due to the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) from uncontrolled manure generation. Waste valorisation of dairy cow manure (DCM) through anaerobic digestion (AD) provides an avenue for simultaneously managing DCM and mitigating climate change through renewable energy. This review provides an overview of DCM production and the potential use of the AD processes for waste management and renewable energy generation in Fiji. Fiji dairy farms are geographically unevenly distributed and have considerably small herd sizes. With pretreatment techniques, biogas production from DCM at these farms has the potential to be optimised, economically feasible, and viable. Biogas production from DCM can be enhanced by approximately 125% with pretreatment techniques. Hence, this study reviews various pretreatment methods, their economic and environmental benefits, and AD's general challenges and limitations. This research reveals a need for further investigation into the optimisation of biogas and bio‐methane potential of DCM, specifically with the economic viability and the environmental considerations of implementing these techniques at Fijian dairy farms. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley &amp; Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Foot and Mouth Disease in Adama and Boset districts, East Shewa zone, Ethiopia: Seroprevalence and Virus serotyping

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is consistently ranked as the most economically important viral disease, and ranks among the top five important livestock diseases in Ethiopia. The status of FMD is barrier for the international trade of livestock and livestock products; thus, continuous epidemiological studies are necessary to develop efficient control strategies. This study determined the seroprevalence of FMD, associated risk factors for its occurrence, and FMD serotypes in the Adama and Boset districts of the East Shewa zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. A total of 305 blood samples were randomly collected from cattle and subjected to a 3ABC enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA) to detect antibodies against non-structural proteins of FMD virus (FMDV) and Solid-Phase Competitive ELISA for FMDV serotype identification. Evaluation of the associated risk factors was conducted using a multivariable logistic regression model. In this study, an overall seroprevalence of 28.2% (95% CI: 25.7% - 36.2%) was recorded. The risk of being FMD positive was significantly higher in exotic crossbreds [38.60%; OR= 2.23 (95% CI: 1.34 – 3.71); p&lt;0.001] as compared to local breeds. The seroprevalence of FMD was significantly higher in large herd sizes [54.41%; OR=4.2 (95%CI: 3.05 - 15.87), P &lt; 0.001] compared to medium and small herd sizes. Three FMD serotypes namely serotype O, A, and SAT-2 were identified. Besides, mixed serotypes O and A, serotypes O and SAT-2, serotypes A and SAT-2, and serotypes A, O, and SAT-2 were recorded. By considering the detection of multiple serotypes of the FMDV and the lack of cross-protection among the serotypes, the use of polyvalent FMD vaccine against the serotypes of the virus circulating under field conditions is highly recommended.

Personal, Socio-economic Characteristics of Buffalo Owners of Peri-urban areas of Surat, Gujarat

A field survey was conducted in Peri-urban areas of Surat city of Gujarat to ascertain the personal, socio-economic characteristics of buffalo owners and data were collected from randomly selected 50 buffalo farm owners through personal interview with the help of pre-tested structured schedule. The study revealed that majority of the buffalo owners were belonged middle to old age group, literate, nuclear type of family having more number of children making big size family. All of the respondents were from other backward category having medium level of extension contacts and mass media exposure with membership in one organization. Majority of the respondents were falling under marginal to small categories farmers with small herd size and they possessed agriculture and livestock as their livelihood.

Sero-Prevalence and Assessment of Presumed Risk Factors for Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus in and Around Sebeta Town, Ethiopia

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is one of the main causes of severe pneumonia, interstitial edema and emphysema in cattle. A cross sectional study was conducted and 384 serum samples were collected from cattle of different age, sex and breeds including various risk factors for the assessment the disease in and around Sebeta town, Ethiopia, from December 2021 to June 2022. Presence of antibodies against BRSV was analyzed using a commercial indirect ELISA test. Accordingly, at farm level 33 herds were addressed for sampling and 31(93.9% 95% CI: 77.4%-98.6%) were positive with a minimum of one animal. Similarly, of the total 384 samples tested for individual animals 140(36.4% (95%CI: 31.8- 41.4%)) were showed positive. The association of various risk factors with response variable was also analyzed using logistic regression model. Indeed, the result revealed herd size, age and hygienic status were statistically significant (p&lt;0.05). The likelihood of BRSV infection was relatively higher in large herd size (AOR= 3.79; 95% CI=1.35-11.47; p=0. 018) than small herd sizes. The odds of cattle’s exposed for BRSV was also increase with age where 2-5 years (AOR=45.18; 95% CI=19.11-106.78; p&lt;0.001) and above 5 year animals (AOR =55.17; 95% CI 18.76-162.22; p&lt;0.001) were more prone to infection as compared to less than 2 years old calves. Similarly, animals under poor hygienic management were more likely affected with the disease as compared to good hygienic status (AOR=0.35; 95% CI: 0.15-0.84; P=0.0018). All other presumed risk factors (i.e. Sex, BCS, Origin, respiratory problems and access for visitors) for the disease were found statistically insignificant (p&gt;0.05); although there is a remarkable variation between each categories under the variables. In general, the current result finding showed that a wide spread of the disease in the study area and likely in Ethiopia. The risk factors particularly those having significant association with the dependent variables will help to design effective control strategies. Further studies to isolate and characterize the circulating virus and studying its degree of pathogenesis in the study area was highly recommended which enables on the reduction of exposure to the infection through developing effective control and prevention strategies like vaccination.

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A study was conducted to determine the propensity of livestock farmers to adopt ICTs in the Barnala district of Punjab, India. The convenience sampling technique was used to select 60 livestock farmers from all three blocks of the Barnala district and the data was collected from respondent livestock farmers via direct interview using a pre-formulated schedule. Livestock farmers were using ICT (GADVASU apps) to enhance their farm income. The commonly used ICT tools were mobile phones, Internet browsing, newspapers, and television. The use of ICT (GADVASU apps) by livestock farmers was effective as it contributed to enhancing livestock productivity. Socio-economic and institutional factors significantly influenced the use and adoption of ICTs by livestock farmers. Tobit analysis results indicated that age, education level, herd size, and participation in extension activities were significant (p&lt;0.1) determining factors influencing the adoption of ICTs. Farmers have small herd sizes, little experience using ICT, and higher education levels. Adoption of ICTs (GADVASU apps) may be sustainable among livestock farmers if the extension agencies prioritise developing strategies and programmes to educate farmers. The government also subsidises farmers so that they can purchase data and ICT tools.

Economics of milk production and its constraints: A case study of Himachal Pradesh

An attempt has been made in this investigation to work out the cost and returns from milk production across different milch species of animals. Tabular analysis was employed to workout the cost and returns while Garrett’s Ranking Technique (GRT)was used to identify the major constraints in milk production. The multistage random sampling technique was adopted to select the sample of 60 dairy farmers. Average milk yield per day per animal was found to be significantly higher in the case of crossbred cows (7.06 litres) as compared to local cows (2.88 litres).Similarly, net maintenance cost per milch animal per day was found to be relatively higher in crossbred cows ( 200.76) as compared to local cows ( 113.76). The per litre cost of milk production was observed to be significantly higher in case of local cows ( 35.09) followed by crossbred cows ( 26.34). The net income per day was relatively higher in case of crossbred cows ( 64.62) as compared to local cows ( 4.29), while it was found lowest in the small herd size category for local cows (0.54). The net return from crossbred cows was more than that of local cows indicating that crossbred milking cow was more economical than the local cow in the study area. High cost of concentrate, unavailability of veterinary services and low milk productivity were the major constraints in milk production in the study area. Therefore, efforts should be made to impart knowledge to dairy farmers regarding advanced animal husbandry techniques through extension services.

Assessment of the knowledge and behavior of backyard and small-scale producers in California regarding disease prevention, biosecurity practices and antibiotics use.

The number and popularity of backyard poultry and livestock farming have rapidly increased in California as well as other states in the United States following consumers' preference for local and organic products in the last few years. This study aimed to investigate current on-farm management and farmers' understanding of Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) and California Senate Bill (SB) 27 implications for disease prevention, biosecurity procedures, and antimicrobial use in small-scale and backyard farms in California. The survey consisted of 38 questions. The responses of 242 backyard and small-scale livestock owners were investigated in this study. Descriptive statistics summarized survey responses, and multivariable logistic regression evaluated the association of antibiotics purchase and use, and the impact of VFD and SB27 on antibiotic use with demographics and on-farm management. Backyard and small-scale farmers in California mostly raised chickens or small ruminants with small herd sizes kept for personal use. Antibiotics were generally used for individual treatment of a sick animal with the guidance of a veterinarian. VFD and SB27 implementation promoted the judicious use of antibiotics, specifically, by enhancing the relationship between backyard and small-scale farmers with veterinarians and treating fewer animals with antibiotics under veterinary oversight. Therefore, better access to veterinary service in backyard and small-scale farms will improve the farmer's knowledge of good husbandry practices with judicious antimicrobial use in livestock and finally contribute to reducing the risk of antimicrobial resistance in California.

Production, consumption and marketing of milk in Eastern Region of India: Afarm level analysis

The present study was undertaken in the eastern region of India comprising of the states of Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand with the objective to determine milk production, consumption and marketed surplus at farm level (in continuation of the above line) The study found that, inspite of low dairy development in the region, milk production and productivity was considerably high among the sample households. An average dairy household was producing about 36 litre of milk per day having average productivity of 10 litre per day per animal which was significantly higher than national averages. The milk was drawn more from crossbred cows on Small households and from local cow and buffalo on large households. The highest milk productivity on large farms emphasize for removing the resource limitation and promote better feeding and management practices among small and medium herd size categories. The consumption of liquid milk among producer households was 207 gm per day per capita which was higher than per capita availability in the region. Of the 10 per cent of the milk production retained at household level, 40 per cent was consumed as liquid milk and 60 per cent was converted into milk products. The later share was higher among small herd size category catering to the rural non-milk producing households. The halwais/ dudhiyas/private dairies were the major marketing channel counting for 61 per cent of the total marketed surplus and only 21 per cent of the milk was sold through cooperatives. The share of milk sold through later channel by small farmers was still lower (10%) inspite of the fact that the marketed surplus per household was substantially higher (24.02 L/day). Â Â An analysis in to the factor affecting marketed surplus found that being membership of dairy cooperatives had the highest influence on marketed surplus of small farms

Adoption of livestock insurance in Punjab: Extent and constraints

The present study has been designed to investigate the extent of insurance coverage of dairy animals in Punjab and highlighting the constraints faced by the dairy households in its adoption. The primary data were collected from 100 dairy households in Patiala and Moga districts of Punjab based on their rank in milk production and secondary data were extracted from central and state government publications. The results of the study showed that Punjab ranked at 8th position among the states in terms of number of beneficiaries availing the dairy loan as well as the insurance with a total of 1877 beneficiaries in the state in the year 2018-19 and contributing to 4.8 per cent of the total number of beneficiaries in India. Out of the total number of animals in the sampled households which have adopted the insurance policy only 24.42 per cent of the animals were insured. The major constraint for non-adoption of insurance coverage was the small herd size of the livestock, while the main reason for discontinuing the policy and problem faced during the claim settlement was the low indemnity level provided by the insurance company. The major problem faced by the adopters of dairy insurance was the gap between the original market price and the sum insured. It was concluded that relevant measures were required for the widespread penetration of the dairy insurance policy in Punjab and more extension services were needed to create awareness about it.

Pastoral livelihood pathways transitions in northern Kenya: The process and impact of drought

Recurrent droughts and long-term changes to climate, social structures, and the economy in the world’s arid and semi-arid lands have impacted pastoralists’ livelihood activities over time, resulting in different livelihood pathways. Some pastoralists continue to follow more traditional strategies of herd accumulation, while others frequently engage in livestock markets and value addition activities, and others still are dropping out of pastoralism. Using data collected over 6 years from 924 households in northern Kenya and applying a generalized structural dynamic multinomial logit model, this study quantitatively determined the dynamic transitions between livelihood categories conditional on drought incidences. From the results, there were considerable and frequent transitions between livelihood pathways within the panel period (2009–2015). Notably, many households that started in the low-cash income, larger herd size category denoted as hanging in, were transitioning to lower cash income with small herds (dropping out). At the same time, there was a great deal of back and forth between the category with low-cash income and small herd size (dropping out) and the category with higher cash income and small herd size (moving out), indicating that moving out was the only way out of poverty. Also, an increase in vegetation index from a drought season where the index was at a 10% level to a good season where the level was 90% decreased the likelihood of households dropping out from a predicted probability of 37.9 to 28.7% and increased the likelihood of moving up and moving out from 22.2 to 25.0% and 22.6 to 34.3%, respectively, unconditionally. The study findings imply that any livelihood interventions aimed at reducing the impact of drought and alleviating poverty among pastoral households should support the transition to market-oriented, relatively successful pathways and also protect households from falling back into the ranks of poverty by dropping out.

Analysis of goat production and marketing among smallholder farmers Zambia

Livestock is one of the fastest growing sectors in most developing countries and has been undergoing what has been termed as a Livestock Revolution (Delgado, 2003). The rapid population growth and urbanization coupled with emerging evidence of income growth in developing countries especially in Africa have resulted in a rapid increase in demand for livestock products, and this is expected to continue in the future. These broad demographic and economic trends are creating new and expanding market opportunities for smallholder livestock producers to invest in. This study looks at goat production and marketing in Zambia smallholder farmers. The ability of goats to utilize a broad range of feed resources and adapt to marginal conditions presents an opportunity for income generation among the poor rural households. The study addressed the factors influencing the choice of the marketing channel as well as the socio-economic characteristics affecting the herd size of goats among smallholder farmers. The results show that the choice of the marketing channel used is influenced by the herd size of the animals, the gender of the decision maker, transaction costs as well as the geographical location. The choice of the marketing channel used by the farmer has a bearing on the price received as well as profits. Herd size on the other hand is influenced by the age of the household head, household size, management practices, landholding size as well as off-farm income. Formation of livestock marketing groups is key in addressing the challenge of small herd sizes and high transaction costs.

Investment and Resource Use Pattern followed by Dairy Farmers in Haryana

Dairy sector plays a critical role in growth of rural India by providing livelihoodopportunities to millions of people. The present study was conducted in Zone-I and ZoneII of the Haryana state. District Kaithal and Karnal were selected from Zone I whereasSirsa and Hisar districts represented Zone II to study the investment and resource usepattern followed by the dairy farmers. To achieve the objective the primary data from the200 sampled dairy farms (divided into three categories i.e. small, medium and large herdsize of milch animals) were collected through survey method. The study revealed that thetotal investment per milch animal per day in small, medium and large herd size group wasRs.175.50, 178.40 and 181.80, respectively, in Zone-I and Rs.170.08, 174.30 and 175.86,respectively, in Zone-II. From total investment, major proportion was covered byinvestment on feed and fodder, followed by concentrates and labours in both the Zones. Itmay be suggested that providing feed concentrates and high yielding seeds of green foddercrops at cheaper rates and credit facility should be strengthened.

Individual Monitoring of Behavior to Enhance Productivity and Welfare of Animals in Small-Scale Intensive Cattle Grazing Systems

To enhance productivity and welfare of individual animals maintained as a group, management based on individual behavioral tendencies is essential, which requires individual monitoring of animal behavior. Several behavior monitoring systems are currently available to livestock producers. The data obtained from these systems are analyzed to detect significantly high or low frequencies or intensities of behavior associated with estrus, calving and poor health conditions based on thresholds or past trends of the monitored individual. However, because behavior under grazing is more complex and changeable than under confinement, behavioral symptoms are more difficult to detect, and on-farm monitoring of individual animal behavior has been less validated and utilized in grazing systems. Nevertheless, individual monitoring of all animals in a herd is more feasible and cost-effective in small-scale intensive grazing systems because these systems pursue high productivity at the individual level with smaller herd size than large-scale extensive systems. Individually tailored management to enhance productivity and welfare will be possible by focusing on inter-individual differences in behavior within a herd. Behavior of an individual can be analyzed and understood in more detail by comparing it with those of the herd mates. Higher or lower levels of specific activities than the other animals can be associated with health disorders, temporal changes in physiological states, or productivity- or welfare-related traits. More sensitive monitoring and detection of behavioral responses of individuals to changes in nutritional, physical and social environments will lead to more efficient and welfare-conscious management that better meets the needs of individuals.