A Comparative Analysis of Sheep Husbandry Practices Pertaining to Housing vis-à-vis Healthcare across Two Agro-Climatic Zones in Hassan District

Abstract

Livestock production systems are influenced by the agro-climatic features of the area. The present study was carried out to record the sheep farming practices pertaining to housing and healthcare practices prevailing in two different agro-climatic zones of Hassan district. A multistage stratified random sampling technique was employed to collect information from100 sheep farmers from the study area. The farmers provided open (56 %) as well as closed (44 %) type of sheds for sheep and only 19 per cent of them were pucca houses. The sheds were mostly thatch (45 %) followed by asbestos (39 %), zinc sheet (09 %) and stone/tiles (7%). The floor was mud, dung, stone slabs, and concrete. Absolute majority of them practiced oral deworming and the schedule followed was thrice a year (40.90 %), four times a year (36.36 %), and twice a year (9 %). The sheep were mainly vaccinated against enterotoxaemia, hemorrhagic septicemia and Pestes-des-Petits. 62 per cent of them used disinfectants to clean the sheds. Though the sheep farmers are aware of the healthcare practices they lack knowledge of hygienic and scientific housing, necessitating creation of awareness among them to make sheep farming far more productive and profitable.