Livestock Management: How to Take Care of Farm Animals in Rainy Season

Many farmers in India rear livestock that includes Cattle, Buffalo, Goat, Sheep, Horse etc. Livestock rearing requires proper care and protection of the animals from rough or unpleasant weather. Animals need shelter to protect themselves from heavy rainfall, winds and hailstorm. Some of the common problems faced by the livestock farmers in rainy or monsoon season and their preventive solutions have been discussed below:

Care and management of Livestock during rainy season

Leaking shed roofs

If there is water leakage in the animal shelter then it will affect the comfort of your animals. And if shed is not clean enough then water leads to the production of chemicals like ammonia that affects eyes of the livestock if its concentration increases inside the shed. Coccidiosis can also take place due to leakage of water from unclean shades. For goats, livestock farmer needs to keep their hooves away from water to avoid hoof rotting disease.

More moisture, more bacteria

The moisture present on the ground produces lots of bacteria that can cause diseases. The most common of them being worms. Hence in the rainy season, farmers should stock a wide range of de-wormers. If worms are not treated timely then it will affect the animals general performance. De-worming has to be done at the onset of the rainy season & throughout the season because worms increase more during this time.

Feeding

Grass that grow in the rainy season have lots of water as well as fiber. The water fills up the stomach and therefore, it is virtually of no use. This causes animals to pass watery dung in the wet seasons.

Tick problem

Ticks spread more rapidly in the rainy season. They can suck cattle dry and ultimately lead to death due to a disease known as east coast fever, which is spread by them. Flies are also found in increased numbers in the monsoon season, out of which some flies are deadly like tse tse flies. These flies are known for spreading Nagana disease in cattle, which leads to animal's death if left untreated.

Udder Diseases

Diseases of udder also becomes common in the rainy season. Unclean or dirty sheds during monsoon can cause mastitis in which fibrosis of udder takes place & milk discharge is either stopped or there are flakes found in it.

Mouldy feeds

If the feeds become wet because of leakage of rain water from broken roof, then it will develop moulds. If you give this mouldy feed to the animals then these can cause cancer to them. In addition you need to keep a check on slippery floor & floor with pebbles as the stones get lodged between the hooves of the cattle.

Here are some preventive measures that must be taken during Monsoon

• Always try to keep the roof of animal sheds leak-proof as well as clean.

• Livestock farmers must chop some of the young grass of rainy season & before feeding, dry it up in sunlight. It will soak water from the grass and will turn it into a good feed.

• De-worming should be done in the beginning of the monsoon season and throughout the season as worms develop at a greater rate during this period.

• Livestock farmers must spray their animals frequently for removal of ectoparasites & cut all bushes near their sheds.

• Farm must be disinfected using a disinfectant regularly.

• Make sure you have kept or stored the feeds in a dry place.

Protection of livestock or farm animals from inclement weather conditions is very important as it will give economic benefits to the owners through maintenance of production of farm & will lead to the comfort of the animals.

Therefore, the abovementioned problems that takes place in the rainy season and their preventive measures should kept in mind by the livestock farmers to prevent the animals from any stress or disease.