Cat and Buffalo Care and Management

CARE AND MANAGEMENT

I. IDENTIFICATION

METHODS OF IDENTIFICATION

1. Branding

It involves making a permanent impression into the skin of the animal by the application of hot iron or with some chemicals. Such markings are quite distinct, difficult to destroy, cannot be lost by normal wear and tear of the skin and can be read from a distance. But these markings reduce the value of the hide to certain extent. Branding involves searing a number or letter or combination of these on the skin with hot iron or with chemicals. Sets of branding irons are available in the market. This comprises of figures 1 to 9 and 0 and letters A to Z.

There are three types of branding. A) Hot iron branding B) Chemical branding and C) Freeze iron branding (Cryogenic branding)

Sites for branding:

Upper aspect of the hind quarter, trunk, shoulder, neck, cheeks, fore arm and hind limb below the level of stifle joint.

A) Hot iron Branding

The branding iron is heated to bright red and pressed over the body of the animal and thereby it causes partial burning of skin and tissues underneath and produces permanent scar on the animal. Heated branding iron should not be pressed on the skin not more than three seconds. A little mustard oil may be mixed with zinc oxide and smeared over the burns to encourage healing.

B)Chemical branding

In case of chemical branding, the branding iron should be dipped into the branding ink and pressed over the body. If it is applied lightly it will vanish after some months.

Generally the branding is done over the hips, thigh, quarters, horns and hooves. The figures should be big enough to be read from some distance and should be separated at least by 2.5 cm from each other to prevent sloughing off of skin. Branding reduces the value of skin. The advantages is animal can be identified even from distance.

C) Freeze branding

Branding of cattle with super chilled irons is known as freeze branding. It is more humane read more easily read than hot iron branding. The application of extreme cold selectively destroy melanocytes of the hair there by the hair of the branded area would become white or discoloured. For good freeze branding, cool irons in alcohol and dry ice or liquid nitrogen is used.

2. Tattooing

It consists of imprinting numbers of letters into the skin with the help of a tattooing forceps designed especially for the purpose. Combinations of letters can be used for proper identification. But these tattooed figures are not easily readable from a distance and fades out in due course of time. The marks are not easily visible on pigmented skin. When tattooing is properly done, the figures are permanent and clear. It is done generally in calves, sheep and goats.

Sites for tattooing:

Inner side of the ears, in buffaloes and cattle with pigmented skins, it may be done on the under surface of the base of tail, gums and inside of the thigh in sheep.

3. Tagging

Tags are metal/plastic pieces with letter or numbers engraved/marked on them. These have pointed and inter locking ends. The disadvantage is tags may fall while animals are grazing in the fields and is not a permanent method of identification. Animals cannot be identified from distance and it requires handling of animals.

Sites for tagging

In sheep, goats, calves, cattle & rabbits they are applied to the ears with special tools. Sometimes in cattle or sheep they are tied around the neck with a strap.

Ear-notching

It is a common method of identification in pigs. It is performed immediately after birth. Ear-notching plier, cotton swabs, antiseptics are required for the ear notching. Hold and restrain the pig, cut the edge of the ear(s) into ‘v’ shaped notch with the help of the sterilized plier or ordinary scissor. Notch should not be too superficial or deep. Apply antiseptic to the notch till healing takes place.

Other methods

Electronics tags, muzzle printing, photographs, karyotyping, neck chains or straps with metal or plastic tags, horn bands, map drawings, paint marks

RFID: (Radio Frequency Identification Device)

Management of calf:

The cow generally starts licking the calf dry and stimulates its circulation and respiration with hard licking.
If the cow did not lick the calf due to its nervousness or inexperience or exhaustion caused by prolonged labour, remove the phlegm (mucus) from the nostrils of the newborn calf and wipe it dry with a clean towel.
If the repiratory passage is blocked, immediate attention is needed.

i) Hold the calf head down by lifting it holding hock. The phlegm may flow off

ii) Take a twig of hay or grass and tickle inside its nostrils. The calf will sneeze and expel the mucus.

The calf’s navel should be painted with antiseptics like tincture of benzoin or tincture of iodine soon after birth.
If the umbilical cord is not broken, a ligature may be put 2-3 cm away from the body with a sterile thread and severe the cord distal to the ligature with a clean sterile scissors.
The calf should be shifted to protected pen with plenty of dry bedding.
Allow the calf to suckle the colostrum which is the first milk produced by the mother after parturition.
It is highly useful to feed colostrum in the first 15-20 min followed by a second dose in approximately 10-12 hrs.

	Colostrum as per cent of the body weight
15-30 minutes of life	5-8
10-12 hrs of life	5-8
2^nd day	10
3^rd day	10

Managemental measures to prevent calf diarrhea

Overfeeding of calf should be avoided
Purchased calves should be isolated
On arrival of purchased calves, milk should not be fed for fear of overfeeding. They may be given 3-5 per cent glucose solution to quench their thirst.
Milk or freshly reconstituted milk should be fed at body temperature (38⁰C)
Colostrum in proper doses should be fed at appropriate time
Calves should be fed twice a day at regular intervals
They may be dewormed at appropriate intervals
One meal may be withheld, if diarrhea is prevalent.

Care and management of heifers:

Care of heifers in summer is of greater importance in the tropics as animal grow poorly or even loose weight during this period largely due to fall in status of feeding.
Despite adequate feeding, poor growth during hot humid period was recorded in case of heifers of purebred breeds.
So, along with better feeding, heifers should be protected from thermal stress by

i) Showering or splashing cold water on animal 2-3 times during the hottest part of the day.

ii) Provision of cool drinking water.

iii) Protecting under shade during day and keeping in open at the night.

Housing heifers in loose houses was found to be most efficient in all seasons.
Deworming practices should be continued during hot season even in older heifers.
Medication against fasciolosis is also a must in hot humid marshy areas.
Monthly spraying with proper insecticides against ticks in highly necessary during hot season.
The floors, walls and roof must also be sprayed.
Attainment of around 60% of the mature body weight is the stage at which heifer should be bred.
Before 6-8 weeks of calving, keep the animal in a seperate shed.
The concentrates should be fed around 2-3 kg per day along with green fodder.
The heifer has to be fed heavily for sustaining milk production in addition to growth demands.
Introducing heifers to the routines of the milk parlour is also important, as the animal get nervous if taken to the parlour all of a sudden.
During last fortnight of gestation, the heifers should receive larger amounts of concentrates. Such feeding is termed as challenge feeding.

Management of milch animals:

To attain high proportion of cows in the herd to milk at any given stage, regularity of reproduction is one of the most important factors.
To remain in high state of milk production for longer periods, proper care and managemental practices should be followed
Feeding balanced ration with good quality green fodder round the year.
Maintenance of high standard of health in the herd including hygiene, sanitation and housing in clean comfortable houses.
Careful and gentle handling of animals and avoiding slippery floors and sharp objects and protruding objects in paths along which cows are moved.
Avoid overstocking in the sheds and provision of ample feeding and watering space.
Grouping of animals according to their level of production, as this helps to feed the animals efficiently by meeting individual needs.
Retaining the docile tempered cows and culling out the herd with nervousness and aggressiveness.
Temperament of cows is negatively associated with almost all milk traits like peak milk flow rate, average milk yield, milking time etc.,
Treat the animal gently and feed extra concentrate of 1 kg for every increase in 2 to 2.5 liter of milk
Before milking, clean the udder with antiseptic solution and wipe it dry.
Full hand milking with rapid and continuous dry hand milking should be done.
Check for udder related problems like mastitis regularly
For greater overall returns per cow a long life, regular reproduction and a minimum of non- reproductive periods are essential.
Feeding of concentrate mixture prior to milking or during milking will provide maximum yield.
For clean milk production, washing and grooming of animals prior to milking should be followed.
Records should be maintained regarding individual animals milk yield, fat percentage, feed intake, date of insemination and date of calving.

Care and management of pregnant animals

Proper care should be taken for pregnant animals, to get healthy calf and high milk yields in the next lactations.
Segregate the animals from unhealthy animals and also from aborted animals which may act as carriers for infectious diseases.
Clean pens with fresh bedding material should be provided.
Provide plenty of clean drinking water and good quality green fodder.
Provide extra concentrate mixture of about 1.25 to 1.75 kgs to each pregnant animal and add extra one kg of concentrate during last 8 weeks of gestation.
Avoid slippery floors and protect them from injuries.
Moderate exercise helps in calving without any difficulty.
Provide 60-90 days of dry period for maximum milk yield in the next lactations.
After calving cow can come to heat within 16 days of calving with proper feeding and care.
Sign of parturition may be observed and if in case of difficulty, veterinary care should be provided.
Observe the animal for retention of placenta for more than one day and provide necessary veterinary care if needed.

Care and management of dry pregnant cow:

Feeding of dry-pregnant cow should be aimed at making up the condition of the cow lost during lactation. Special attention should be paid to mineral content as the lactating cow uses extensive calcium and phosphorous present in their bones during peak lactation.
Maintenance requirements are less during first six months of gestation than last three months.
Cows that have properly fed during the dry period will produce up to 25% more milk and fat than cows not conditioned.
An addition of 20 kg of body weight seems to cause an increase of 300 to 500 kg of milk in the subsequent lactation.
Inadequate nutrition may cause milk fever and retention of placenta with all consequences of intra-uterine infections.
House them in a comfortable paddock with lesser stocking rate than grower or milch animals to avoid rushing at feeding.
The calving may occur ten days prior or later than the expected date of calving. So, look closely for signs of parturition like lacked pelvic ligaments, turgid teats, enlarged vulva and very much folded.
A period of 10-12 hrs may elapse from the commencement of restlessness until the calf born.

Care and management of young bulls:

Special attention should be paid to an adequate supply of vitamins and proteins especially when green fodders available are of poor quality.
The aim should be to rear the bull calf as quickly as possible, so that he can be tested early for his fertility and ability to be get desired progeny.
The bull calf should be separated from breedable cows and heifers by the time he attains puberty, which can be anything from 1^1/₂ to 2^1/₂years in Zebu and buffalo breeds and lesser in crossbreds
The age at puberty is greatly influenced by the intensity of rearing.
The bull calf should be dehorned within a few days of birth by debudding with chemical or hot iron.
The bull should be ringed by the time he is about one year old, by which time he begins to show his strength,
A smaller ring may be put at this age, to be replaced by a bigger ring when he matures to avoid injuries.
Ring in the nose enables the attendant to keep the neck extended and the head raised while restraining or parading.
Nose ring is an essential item in control of bulls.
The young bull should be trained for handling and leading. It is much easier to maintain control on a mature bull if he was properly trained when young.

Care and management of mature bull:

A good rule to feed mature bulls is to feed daily about 1 kg hay and 1/2 kg concentrate per 100 kg b.w. Thus a 400 kg bull should get 4 kg hay and 2 kg concentrate.
While leading, the attendant should never walk in front of the bull, but must lead from the side holding the nose always higher than natural level.
If the nose is allowed to drop, the bull may get inclination to butt.
While handling and leading, all bulls should be considered as potentially dangerous and no complacency should be shown at any time even in case of old and well acquainted bulls.
Growing as well as mature bulls should regularly be exercised. So that they do not put on fat and thus remain in thrifty condition.
This will also help in keeping their toes well worn. Over-grown toes may hinder walking as well as mounting behaviour of bulls.
Such a situation may necessitate trimming of hooves with a sharp knife and/or a rasp.
The breeding bull should never be allowed to run with the herd.
They should be housed in separate paddocks, individually which helps in controlling the number of services by the bull for recording the breeding data and in maintaining the vigour and libido of the bull, especially if he is young.
Further, such a practice will help in checking the spread of veneral diseases and improving conception rates by breeding at the appropriate time of oestrous cycle.
The hair around the prepuce should be periodically snipped off with a pair of scissors, to avoid long grown and matted hair interfere in the ejaculation
The hairs should not be cut too close to the skin and about 1 cm length should be maintained as the cut ends may cause itching and irritation to the prepuce.
Even when the bull is 4-6 months old a simple halter may be put over his face and he be accustomed to handling.

Care and management of bullocks

A good rule to feed mature bulls is to feed daily about 1 kg hay and 1/2 kg concentrate per 100 kg b.w. Thus a 400 kg bull should get 4 kg hay and 2 kg concentrate.
While leading, the attendant should never walk in front of the bull, but must lead from the side holding the nose always higher than natural level.
If the nose is allowed to drop, the bull may get inclination to butt.
While handling and leading, all bulls should be considered as potentially dangerous and no complacency should be shown at any time even in case of old and well acquainted bulls.
Growing as well as mature bulls should regularly be exercised. So that they do not put on fat and thus remain in thrifty condition.
This will also help in keeping their toes well worn. Over-grown toes may hinder walking as well as mounting behaviour of bulls.
Such a situation may necessitate trimming of hooves with a sharp knife and/or a rasp.
The breeding bull should never be allowed to run with the herd.
They should be housed in separate paddocks, individually which helps in controlling the number of services by the bull for recording the breeding data and in maintaining the vigour and libido of the bull, especially if he is young.
Further, such a practice will help in checking the spread of veneral diseases and improving conception rates by breeding at the appropriate time of oestrous cycle.
The hair around the prepuce should be periodically snipped off with a pair of scissors, to avoid long grown and matted hair interfere in the ejaculation
The hairs should not be cut too close to the skin and about 1 cm length should be maintained as the cut ends may cause itching and irritation to the prepuce.

VICES MANAGEMENT

A vice is an undesirable quality in an animal. The degree of this undesirability may, however, vary considerably. Some vices are dangerous while some are injurious either to the owner or to the animal or to both.

Vices of Cattle

Self sucking:

Sucking her own milk is called self sucking. This can be prevented by applying to mouth a plate which will form a barrier between mouth and teats.

Kicking:

This vice can be controlled during milking with help of anti kicking straps applied above the hocks.

Butting:

Hurting another animal or human being with horns is a serious bad habit of cattle.

Masturbation in bulls:

This is a grave vice and endangers the utility of the bull. This is induced by licking.

Coprophagy:

It is a vice of eating dung which may be due to bad weather, indigestion, half-starved condition and mineral deficiency.

Pica:

The eating own excreta or in the pasture field, breaking and cutting of ropes. This is mainly due to mineral deficiency.

Sucking or intersecting:

It is a vice acquired in dairy calves where calves are bucket fed, grouped shortly after birth and where purchased calves are kept in groups. This will be prevented by separating the calves after feeding, alternatively providing good food and delaying grouping calves until they are more than 4 weeks of age

Proper disposal of infected litter material / manure and carcass:

Proper disposal of infected litter material/manure/animal waste from the animal house is highly essential to prevent spread of various infectious diseases.
Pathogens like FMD virus, Bacillus anthracis, Clostridia , Salmonella spp.,E. coli spp. and Coccidia in animal wastes have frequently been suspected to be the cause of serious out-breaks of diseases.
Animal wastes are highly conducive for mosquito and fly breeding. Several kinds of parasitic larvae thrive in wastes.
Proper disposal of carcasses of animals died of infectious disease is of utmost importance in preventing the spread of diseases to other animals and humans.
Carcasses should never be disposed off by depositing them in or near a stream of flowing water, because this will carry infections to points downstream.
An animal died of a infectious disease should not be allowed to remain longer in sheds as biting insects, rodents, etc. can reach it.
All carcasses should be disposed of properly either by burying or by burning.

Disposal of carcass:

Burial of Carcasses: Deep burial of carcass to prevent the worms carrying the germs to the surface.
Also that the carnivorous animals dig the pits. Min. 1.5 meter depth.
Burning of Carcass in 0.5 meter trench.