Milking and Calf Rearing Management Practices Followed by Gir Cattle Owners for Conservation of Gir Cattle in Ajmer District of Rajasthan

Abstract

The present study was conducted in eight randomly selected villages of Ajmer district in Rajasthan. Data was collected through structured interview schedule. A total sample size was constituted with 160 Gir cattle owners. Perusal of data revealed that knuckling (87.50 per cent) was the main method of milking. All the respondents used to clean udder and teats, wash hand before milking and milked their cattle twice a day. None of the cattle keepers follow dry hand milking. About 56.25 per cent of the respondents used sand and clean water for cleaning of milking utensils. All (100%) of the respondents follow the practice of drying of the pregnant animals about 60 days before calving. About 82.50 per cent of the respondents adopt intermittent milking method of drying of the pregnant animals. Results indicated that 85.62 per cent of the owners cleaned and trimmed hooves of the calf after birth. Majority 93.13 per cent of the respondents did not cut the naval cord of calf. About 47.50 percent respondents allowed adlib quantity of colostrum to calf. About 51.50 per cent of the owners are feeding colostrums to calf within 2 hr of birth. It was found that 55.62 per cent of the owners allowed suckling of calf up to 6 month of age. Majority 91.87 per cent of owner did not perform deworming of calves.